10 Vista Activations

McNum · Post by **McNum** » 2006-10-29 05:11pm

Glocksman wrote:It'll vary from country to country, and in your case the EU might not let MS get by with what they get away with here in the US WRT activation and licensing.

And like I said earlier, an unwritten statement from some MS marketing drone regarding licensing isn't worth the paper its not written on.
If MS really wants to permit you to reactivate Vista after 10 machine upgrades, all they have to do is change the EULA to reflect that.

Hmm... I used a phone-in last time and it was automated here in Denmark. Type in serial on phone keys, get activation code. I wonder if activation codes are reusable if you reinstall to the same PC? I kept the one I got, just in case.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-10-29 05:35pm

If you buy several PCs with the exact same type of hardware, will XP activation know the difference?

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2006-10-29 05:40pm

Darth Wong wrote:If you buy several PCs with the exact same type of hardware, will XP activation know the difference?

I *think*, but I'm not certain that the hardware hash code sent to MS is partially generated from the unique identifiers of some your hardware, such as hard drive serial numbers and the MAC address of any NIC's installed.

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-11-01 04:54am

So are there any reasons left not to get Vista?

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2006-11-01 10:57am

Dominus Atheos wrote:So are there any reasons left not to get Vista?

I would wait a good 3-6 months before getting it.

Has there been any new info on what Ultimate has, and why one might want it over Business?

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2006-11-01 06:13pm

Dominus Atheos wrote:So are there any reasons left not to get Vista?

DirectX10 cards are going to be a bitch. In price, avaliability and power usage for a while.

You'll need to get new AV software (or at least a version which works on Vista), but otherwise Vista should be a very nice upgrade over XP

CelesKnight · Post by **CelesKnight** » 2006-11-01 07:33pm

Dominus Atheos wrote:So are there any reasons left not to get Vista?

IMHO, it depends on how you plan to get it and what you plan on doing with it. If you're planning to get a new PC and an OEM copy, then there is no reason not to get Vista.

If you're planning on buying an retail copy, or you want to run it on virtual hardware (as some Mac users do) or you want to do benchmarking, then I think that depends on how much you trust MS. Language in the Vista EULA restricts all of those more than XP does. And, as others have pointed out, there is nothing official from MS guaranteeing 10 activations (or 3 for that matter). All we have is unnamed sources and vague reassurances that nothing has changed. The only legally binding document implies you only get one major upgrade.

Moreover, Vista is apparently has had a lot of behind-the-scenes changes from XP. As such, there may be driver problems with older hardware, or problems with older programs. So, if you want to upgrade an older computer, it might be a good idea to tryout the beta or wait a few months to see how the release goes.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-11-01 11:28pm

Dominus Atheos wrote:So are there any reasons left not to get Vista?

Ummm, shouldn't one justify an upgrade, rather than asking why not to get the upgrade? Maybe I've spent too much time in corporate IT departments, but it seems absolutely idiotic to me to even ask why not to spend money.

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-11-02 01:56am

Darth Wong wrote:
Dominus Atheos wrote:So are there any reasons left not to get Vista?
Ummm, shouldn't one justify an upgrade, rather than asking why not to get the upgrade? Maybe I've spent too much time in corporate IT departments, but it seems absolutely idiotic to me to even ask why not to spend money.

I was already willing to spend $160 on software. I just needed to know whether I was going to enjoy 3 games or Windows Vista more.

Previously there were the issues with DRM, an annoying user managment system, and the license restrictions. As it turns out, it needs the DRM if it wants to play HD movies at all, regardless of quality, they fixed the user managment system, and now they removed the license restrictions. Unless someone else can come up with a better reason, I think I'm going to have a lot more fun getting down and dirty with a new Windows OS.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-11-03 03:26am

Update from Ars:

Microsoft removes transfer limitations from Vista

11/2/2006 3:24:49 PM, by Ken Fisher

Responding to the myriad complaints over ambiguities and outright uncool (that's a technical term) licensing terms, Microsoft has revised the Windows Vista retail license to remove some of the most major causes of complaint. A Microsoft spokesperson told Ars Technica that the changes do indeed come in response to concerns from the PC enthusiast community. "We heard that users wanted more flexibility, and this change should give hardware enthusiasts in particular more latitude to upgrade their PCs or reassign their license to a new PC, while still making clear our intentions to protect our software from piracy," the spokesperson said.

A previous version of the Windows Vista retail license restricted the number of times you may transfer Vista from one device to another. The license read: "The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the 'licensed device.'"

The new license has removed this language relating to device transfers, and now reads: "You may install one copy of the software on the licensed device. You may use the software on up to two processors on that device at one time. Except as provided in the Storage and Network Use (Ultimate edition) sections below, you may not use the software on any other device."

Furthermore, Microsoft has clarified the licenses with regards to re-installation. "You may uninstall the software and install it on another device for your use. You may not do so to share this license between devices," the license reads.

Additionally, Microsoft clarified transfer rights to other users. You can transfer your license of Windows Vista to another user provided that you uninstall the original copy and do not keep any of the materials from the original installation.

Microsoft's Nick White also said that the move came after PC enthusiasts complained about the limitation. "Our intention behind the original terms was genuinely geared toward combating piracy; however, it’s become clear to us that those original terms were perceived as adversely affecting an important group of customers: PC and hardware enthusiasts," he wrote on the Windows Vista blog. "We respect the time and expense you go to in customizing, building and rebuilding your hardware and we heard you that the previous terms were seen as an impediment to that -- it’s for that reason we’ve made this change."

Additionally, earlier this week Microsoft told Ars Technica that the Software Protection Platform that monitors Windows Vista installations for license compliance is more forgiving than previous attempts. A Microsoft spokesperson told Ars Technica that "the hardware tolerance of product activation for Windows Vista has been improved and is more flexible than that for Windows XP," indicating that re-activations caused by minor changes to a PC should be less common. "We believe these improvements will better accommodate the needs of our PC enthusiast customers," the spokesperson said.
OEM licenses still different

It bears repeating, however, the the OEM license that comes with Vista is indeed similar to the Windows XP OEM license in that it forbids any kind of transfer. As we have previously reported, users have nevertheless had success transferring those copies of Windows, but they are technically stepping outside of the bounds of the EULA when doing so.

You can check out the updated license here.

So apparently the controversy really was unintentional, or they are backpedaling faster then the speed of light. In any event, very good news.

Laughing Mechanicus · Post by **Laughing Mechanicus** » 2006-11-03 10:06am

It's nice to see them change it, and surprising too. It looked to me like an easy grab for extra cash from the usually well-funded enthusiasts who "got away" with using the same copy of XP for years before and who had no choice but to bend over and upgrade.

CelesKnight · Post by **CelesKnight** » 2006-11-03 07:14pm

I'm finally content--two copies of Vista are back on the shopping list.

Side note: It's kinda funny to watch how the story has changed within just a few days. "Ten activations" "no, we're not going to change the license" "oh, here's a new license with unlimited(?) activations". It seems like there is no one group that controls Vista licensing.