Difference between OEM and retail

[Overclocker]

It doesn't matter how anyone feels, as it's all laid out in black and white.

It doesn't matter how black and white the EULA may be. The EULA's not using the software on my computer. I am. And on my computer, it only matters how I feel.

[kegobeer]

It doesn't matter how black and white the EULA may be. The EULA's not using the software on my computer. I am. And on my computer, it only matters how I feel.

... and that's why I said it's a matter of integrity. You either follow the EULA or you don't. If you have 10 computers and you use the same key on all 10, that's entirely up to you. If you have 10 computers and you choose to install the same Microsoft Office on each computer, that's up to you.

[Overclocker]

To you, it's a matter of integrity. To me, it's a matter of independence. You either use the software on the EULA's terms, or on your own. In either case, I do not begrudge people of their decisions in the matter.

[sasanac]

"INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. Before you use the software under a license, you must assign that license to one device (physical hardware system). That device is the “licensed device.” A hardware partition or blade is considered to be a separate device."

this is a snipet from http://download.microsoft.com/documents/useterms/Windows%20Vista_Home%20Premium_English_d16c019b-fa71-4fc9-a51d-a0621bddb153.pdf

What do they mean by "Hardware Partition"? Could a hard drive be seen as a hardware partition? If so then if you install Vista on a harddrive then that is the licenced device? Moving on from there if you then transfer that harddrive to another pc from your original one and technically you would still be using the original licenced device? (obviously you'd confuse the hell out of the Vista installation and have to sort out the drivers etc)

I may well have got the wrong end of the stick on this but does anyone know if this is the case?

[LFC]

I thought EULA provides for eventualities such s your hard drive going bad and needing to be replaced if you get my drift

[Greg]

Regardless of how you may feel, when you use the software you accept the EULA. Period. The EULA specifically says one license, one machine. This thread is already going in the wrong direction.