Need help with choosing an Operating system [Poll]

[epoxi]

My main concerns with Windows 10 are based on all the privacy settings you have change to stop sending (what I would deem) mostly useless information to Microsoft, and how Microsoft can arbitrate what is appropriate software for your computer even if that software doesn't pose a security risk to you as the end user.

 

Also I have great reservations about the clauses in their terms that leave them open to move to a subscription model.

[Andreaz1]

Just realized, haven't both 7 and 8 stopped being sold a long time ago or where were you planning on actually buying them?

 

The only few copies I see left are leftover OEM version and no way in hell would I ever get an OEM copy of Windows for my computer.

[BullseyeSBT]

I was always a bit skeptical about the license key purchases, as I wasn't sure whether it was legal or not, due to conflicting opinions about them, could you give me some links?

 

I did think about doing it that way as it would save a lot of money, if is legal to do so

[sivispacem]

They're legal. They tend to be single use non-transferable OEM licences though. I bought mine from Software Geeks.

[Andreaz1]

A Windows license for £30 when a real store sells them for 3 times that? Come on. They're the same stolen volume licenses that float around everywhere. They're "legal" in the sense that nothing is going to happen other than it deactivating whenever Microsoft comes around to blocking it, not to mention they come with the same limitations that normal OEM licenses come with.

[DEALUX]

Are you using Nvidia? Nvidia is known to have driver issues on Windows 10. I tried Windows 10 multiple games, and had terrible issues with performance and textures.

Unlikely to be a big problem. It's running like a dream for me. The only driver issue I encountered was with the sound drivers. Even though Gigabyte has Windows 10 compatible HD audio drivers on their site none of them work properly for me. I used to get terrible clicks and stutters until I installed the latest driver on the Realtek website (as opposed to the Gigabyte one). I would actually recommend not buying a motherboard or laptop with a Realtek soundcard since this is an issue for a lot of people judging from Google results.

[sivispacem]

A Windows license for £30 when a real store sells them for 3 times that? Come on.

UK registered limited company selling them en masse; if they were stolen or otherwise misappropriated don't you think Microsoft would be chomping at the bit to shut these companies down? It's not like they lack the power to do so basically with a flick of the wrist so, ask yourself, why don't they?

 

Large volume buyers pay considerably less than £30 per seat for Windows licences.

[Sombra]

A Windows license for £30 when a real store sells them for 3 times that? Come on. They're the same stolen volume licenses that float around everywhere. They're "legal" in the sense that nothing is going to happen other than it deactivating whenever Microsoft comes around to blocking it, not to mention they come with the same limitations that normal OEM licenses come with.

 

you're paying for just the licence and not the actual physical copy but you miss out on a few things; single use, no support from MS etc.

[Andreaz1]

UK registered limited company selling them en masse; if they were stolen or otherwise misappropriated don't you think Microsoft would be chomping at the bit to shut these companies down? It's not like they lack the power to do so basically with a flick of the wrist so, ask yourself, why don't they?

 

Large volume buyers pay considerably less than £30 per seat for Windows licences.

Are you saying you think it makes perfect sense that some people are selling Windows licenses for less than half of what Microsoft sells it for on their website?

 

Obviously large volume buyers pay less than private persons and that's because those licenses are supposed to stay within the organization.

 

 

A Windows license for £30 when a real store sells them for 3 times that? Come on. They're the same stolen volume licenses that float around everywhere. They're "legal" in the sense that nothing is going to happen other than it deactivating whenever Microsoft comes around to blocking it, not to mention they come with the same limitations that normal OEM licenses come with.

you're paying for just the licence and not the actual physical copy but you miss out on a few things; single use, no support from MS etc.

 

A legit electronic license costs as much as a normal one with USB and everything. Of course you don't get support from MS if you're not supposed to have they key you do. Edited January 22, 2016 by Andreaz1

[Sombra]

While the legality of it could be disputed I really doubt MS give a sh*t about it they aren't gonna kick down doors over people buying OEM licences; I doubt MS give a sh*t at all I wouldn't be surprised if a high amount of the activated Win7 copies out there are just the MDSN ISO's with Daz's loader. Has anyone ever been caught or arrested for pirating Windows? Probably not. I know people have been arrested over the years for selling generated Windows keys but that isn't the same as selling OEM keys since how are Microsoft gonna know if a computer activated with said OEM key is actually at the organizations place? Unless they start hunting down eBay stores or whoever sells them which I doubt they will.

[BullseyeSBT]

 

A Windows license for £30 when a real store sells them for 3 times that? Come on.

UK registered limited company selling them en masse; if they were stolen or otherwise misappropriated don't you think Microsoft would be chomping at the bit to shut these companies down? It's not like they lack the power to do so basically with a flick of the wrist so, ask yourself, why don't they?

 

Large volume buyers pay considerably less than £30 per seat for Windows licences.

 

 

Thank you sivispacem, I have purchased from software geeks, I got a license for Win 10 64bit & 32bit, they had a sale on, so it was only £39.99 instead of their usual £99.99, they are based in London & have a contact telephone number, as well as sending the key to my email address they are also send a receipt & license though the post, I may purchase a windows 7 from them later on too, for dual booting purposes, anyway I guess it's a non-thread now seeing as I have got sorted, you may lock it if you wish but could it stay up incase I need to use it for reference later on?

 

Thank you for you advice everyone

 

 

~John~

[yoječ]

My main concerns with Windows 10 are based on all the privacy settings you have change to stop sending (what I would deem) mostly useless information to Microsoft, and how Microsoft can arbitrate what is appropriate software for your computer even if that software doesn't pose a security risk to you as the end user.

IIRC latest Win7/8/8.1 updates included similar spying mechanics for these OSes too. If you keep your OS up to date and install all updates, you're screwed either way.

 

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2981947/microsoft-windows/the-truth-about-windows-7-and-81-spy-patches-kb-3068708-3022345-3075249-and-3080149.html

[epoxi]

 

My main concerns with Windows 10 are based on all the privacy settings you have change to stop sending (what I would deem) mostly useless information to Microsoft, and how Microsoft can arbitrate what is appropriate software for your computer even if that software doesn't pose a security risk to you as the end user.

IIRC latest Win7/8/8.1 updates included similar spying mechanics for these OSes too. If you keep your OS up to date and install all updates, you're screwed either way.

 

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2981947/microsoft-windows/the-truth-about-windows-7-and-81-spy-patches-kb-3068708-3022345-3075249-and-3080149.html

 

Wow, thanks for letting me know, I've uninstalled the updates now.

 

I wrongly assumed I was safe from this nonsense by only allowing installation of 'important' updates thinking it meant critical updates as opposed to whatever spyware MS felt like putting on my PC.

Edited January 22, 2016 by epoxi

[sivispacem]

Are you saying you think it makes perfect sense that some people are selling Windows licenses for less than half of what Microsoft sells it for on their website?

Microsoft doesn't sell single use OEM licences on it's website- not to consumers, anyway- so it's not really a direct comparison. The sellers may be flouting Microsoft's rules about redistributing bulk bought OEM licences but as the user it doesn't really matter.

 

I've always bought OEM copies through brokers- system builder editions on disk before the move to doing everything online. An OEM Windows 10 professional DVD is circa £80-90 instead of £189.99 for a conventional multi-use licences, resale of bulk-bought licences and the absence of any physical medium could feasibly reduce that significantly.

 

The company I work for get between 35% and 65% discount on list prices for both hardware and software from our approved suppliers. We sell stuff to our clients at significantly lower prices than the manufacturers advertise and still have room to make a profit on these sales. It's hardly abnormal in the tech industry.

 

Obviously large volume buyers pay less than private persons and that's because those licenses are supposed to stay within the organization.

 

It's been a while since I dealt with bulk bought OEM licences but I don't recall any clause in the T&Cs stipulating they had to be installed on machines belonging to the company that initially purchased them.