"Microsoft recently made a change to the licence agreement saying that a new motherboard is equal to a new computer, hence you need to purchase a new Windows licence. Here is what Microsoft has to say: "An upgrade of the motherboard is considered to result in a 'new personal computer' to which Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred from another computer. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created and the license of new operating system software is required." Please note that this does not go for retail copies of Windows, but only for OEM versions.
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Member since:2005-06-29
Also, how sure are we that this is actually serious?
If you read through the comments at the bottom, there are a few links to a .doc file at Microsoft which supposedly contains the information.
The thing I don't understand is that this is talking about OEM licenses which are separate than retail licenses. The reason you can buy cheap computers in the store despite the cost of a retail boxed version of the OS is because they use OEM licensing; you get what you pay for, and one of those things you're not paying for is the ability to use it on another computer/motherboard. And you did agree to this license before you opened/installed/used the software.
This particular "I have a license I can do what I want with it despite what it says" argument makes only slightly more sense to me than people who think they're getting a deal on an Academic license to make them "legal", even if they don't qualify for academic licensing....
Member since:2006-01-01
Here's how a new motherboard is a new computer:
Microsoft has a monopoly on desktop operating systems. The growth of this operating system market for them just isn't as good as it could be. There are a few more pennies in there that Microsoft wants comprised of people upgrade computers piecemeal. Nevermind that companies will sell you OEM copies of Windows with HDDs or whatever.
There's also the release of Vista, which I'm sure can use any help it can get in order to expedite its adoption. If releasing Halo 2 only for Vista isn't enough, there's always the incentive that if you buy a forthcoming AM2 processor/motherboard, that you'll have to set fire to that OEM copy of Windows you got three years ago from Newegg and pick up a copy of Vista.
And for that reason a new motherboard is not only a new computer, but it justifies making you purchase a new copy of Windows. But don't try to transfer that previous OEM copy with your old motherboard, because that's bad too.
Member since:2005-07-06
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Member since:
2006-01-15
That's all I can think of, how the heck is a new motherboard a new computer? I mean, if you want to take advantage of new things like pci-express, sata, etc, you need a new motherboard, and I for one am certainly not going to go through buying a new copy of windows just to satisfy microsoft. Also, how sure are we that this is actually serious?