Can I upgrade an OEM version of Vista?

Hi,

If I buy a laptop with an OEM version of Vista Business on it, can I do the online upgrade (or CD upgrade) to Vista Ultimate, or is that only for boxed versions?

Thanks in advance for any info on this!

BitFlipper

Yes you can using any time upgrade, you pay aliitle more than you would for the same version of the OEM.

MrJay wrote:

Unfortunately, if the computer you bought came installed with Windows Vista, you will be unable to legally obtain OSX without purchasing another machine.  Them's the breaks I suppose.

OSX?

foxbar wrote:

"If I buy a laptop with an OEM version of Vista Business on it, can I do the online upgrade (or CD upgrade) to Vista Ultimate" - When a Mac fan reads this he does an involuntary mental string replace for Vista->OSX. Seriously, it's a condition.

Yea, I figured it must be something like that.  I don't quite understand the obsession though.  Then again, if your favorite OS is scraping at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to marketshare I'd guess  I can see how it can eventually consume some people that are prone to that sort of issues.

That reminds me of how I notice that it is always the really short guys in the gym that always buff up to crazy proportions.  I guess they feel they have to make up for something lacking, I don't know...

Dozens????  There are only 4 version for the home consumer, that is less then 1/2 dozen.  At least Windows gives me choice of what feature I want, and not over pay ALOT for apple's product every year.  OSX is a poor copy of Vista.  If MSFT didn't disclose what they were doing with longhorn apple would not have had a chance.

MrJay wrote:


It might have something to do with the fact that it seems illogical to have more than two versions of what is essentially the same operating system.  Though to be honest I wish there was only a single version of OSX rather than two, but at least choosing between the client version and the server version makes for an obvious choice for most people.  On the other hand I could spend days trying to choose between the nearly dozens of available Windows Vista versions out there.  And even then the "best" Vista version is arguably at best a poor clone of OSX.

MrJay wrote:



foxbar wrote: "If I buy a laptop with an OEM version of Vista Business on it, can I do the online upgrade (or CD upgrade) to Vista Ultimate" - When a Mac fan reads this he does an involuntary mental string replace for Vista->OSX. Seriously, it's a condition.

It might have something to do with the fact that it seems illogical to have more than two versions of what is essentially the same operating system.  Though to be honest I wish there was only a single version of OSX rather than two, but at least choosing between the client version and the server version makes for an obvious choice for most people.  On the other hand I could spend days trying to choose between the nearly dozens of available Windows Vista versions out there.  And even then the "best" Vista version is arguably at best a poor clone of OSX.

Yes, we don't want to give people choices.  We don't want to let them choose the OS features that they prefer, instead we allow them to keep paying for every point release.

And we don't want to let them choose their own hardware from whichever vendor they choose.  Instead we like to give them overpriced, overhyped and underperforming baubles from one company only.

What exactly are you doing in this thread?  Or better yet, what exactly are you doing on this website?  I asked a question that had zero to do with anything related to Apple.  Yet you feel you need to come in here and drag out the tired old Mac-is-better drivel.  Apple already lost that battle.  MS won.  People choose MS.  Many, many, many times over.  Shall we bring out the marketshare figures just to make it clear to you, or are you not smart enough to understand some hard figures?

Now run along, go play with your iBauble...

MrJay wrote:



BitFlipper wrote: What exactly are you doing in this thread?  Or better yet, what exactly are you doing on this website?  I asked a question that had zero to do with anything related to Apple.  Yet you feel you need to come in here and drag out the tired old Mac-is-better drivel.  Apple already lost that battle.  MS won.  People choose MS.  Many, many, many times over.  Shall we bring out the marketshare figures just to make it clear to you, or are you not smart enough to understand some hard figures? Now run along, go play with your iBauble...

Oh you didn't hear?  I'm a returning attraction.  I used to be jaylittle and once a upon a time decided to leave this site rather than take Rory's ego on.  I have since then acquired Vista, used it entirely for a month and decided to make the move to a more sensible platform.

And frankly based on my lurking lately, there just really aren't any good quality Apple trolls here so I thought I could help spice the discussion up by adding my new point of view into the mix.  If anything I think we can all at least agree that Microsoft's half a billion dollar Vista marketing campaign is wholly ineffective and lacking when compared to those far cheaper and more amusing commercials that Apple is putting out.

I mean surely we all can find some common ground from which to start from?  There really is no reason we can't all be friends.

Hey, I have an even better plan...

If you feel you need to voice your stupid Apple logic, then please go do it in another thread, or better yet, another website altogether.  I really don't have the time or patience to argue your dumb logic since all I did was started a thread and asked a non-Apple related question.  If you feel so insecure that you need to jump into completely unrelated threads and voice your stupid opinions then maybe you should take a step back and consider if this whole Apple-fanboy thing is maybe taking over your life.  I say go have it checked out....

MrJay wrote:

That was quite rude.  I'm not attempting to be antagonistic.  So I would appreciate you keeping our conversation on a mature level.

And posting your pro-Apple drivel that nobody cares about in a completely unrelated thread is not rude at all I guess...

Just accept the fact that Apple lost the desktop to MS and move on with your life.

I don't know if this helps but you can buy an upgrade disc at a retail store, or use Windows Anytime Upgrade.

To open Windows Anytime Upgrade by clicking Start>Control Panel>System Maintenance>Windows Anytime Upgrade

I hope this helps

BTW. Windows Rocks!

thiebaude wrote:

I don't know if this helps but you can buy an upgrade disc at a retail store, or use Windows Anytime Upgrade.

To open Windows Anytime Upgrade by clicking Start>Control Panel>System Maintenance>Windows Anytime Upgrade

I hope this helps

BTW. Windows Rocks!

Thanks for those that posted answers to my question.  So my understanding is then that both OEM and non-OEM can be upgraded in the same way.  This is exactly what I was hoping for...

BitFlipper

MrJay wrote:


Oh you didn't hear?  I'm a returning attraction.  I used to be jaylittle and once a upon a time decided to leave this site rather than take Rory's ego on.  I have since then acquired Vista, used it entirely for a month and decided to make the move to a more sensible platform.

here let me translate:

He wanted to be a returning attraction. His girlfriend found out the real reason his name was Jaylittle *ahem* and wouldn't let him return anymore. That was one lightsaber that this little Jedi (jaylittle) wouldn't get to play with anymore. His girlfriend probably found Channel9 (after all she's probably a stalker like him), and decided that she needed to go hang with the big boys (rj) that actually knew GNU OS's. After that he decided that he needed to try to impress the girls by making a "big boy" name...

Hence Mr. Jay.

MrJay wrote:


You misunderstand.  [snip...]

No, you misunderstand: I wasn't interested in your little anti-MS jihad. 

End of discussion.

Jay, please give it a rest.

MrJay wrote:


Wrong.

Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade Retail
Windows Vista Home Basic Full Retail
Windows Vista Home Basic Full OEM
Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade Retail
Windows Vista Home Premium Full Retail
Windows Vista Home Premium Full OEM
Windows Vista Business Edition Upgrade Retail
Windows Vista Business Edition Full Retail
Windows Vista Business Edition Full OEM
Windows Vista Enterprise Edition
Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade Retail
Windows Vista Ultimate Full Retail
Windows Vista Ultimate Full OEM

You can then multiply the number of entries in the list by 2, as we have to count all of the -N versions being distributed in the EU.

Oh and then you can add:

Windows Vista Starter Edition

That makes for 27 ((13 *2) + 1) different editions of Windows Vista in my book.  That certainly meets the dozens standard in my eyes.

Wrong

Let me explain where you twisted reality into your little magic fairy land.  Let us first get something straight a version of an OS means it has to provide a unique set of functionality.  OEM versions are the EXACT same as retail versions.  Upgrade copies ARE NOT different versions and have everything their non-upgrade counter parts have.  In fact you can even do clean installs with them.

So now lets get the real core of your idiocy.  You are saying there are a dozen or more versions for the home consumer.

Basic, Premium, Business, Ultimate are available to all consumers.  So that's 4 for most people.  There are only two N versions (Basic and Business) and these are only available in Europe.  That's 6 versions for European homes.  These editions are a joke put on by the EU but I'll just humor you and actually consider them as versions.  Starter Edition is only available in third world countries so these countries will see 5 versions.  Enterprise is only available for... you guessed it: enterprises who purchase a volume license.  Most enterprises would never even consider the other 4 choices (since they add media functionality companies don't want), but let us just say they are idiots; that comes out to 5 choices (I don't even know why they would pick business but your argument is looking bleak so I'll give it to you).  So go back up and look closely.  What is the most any one group can chose from?  Six.  Because of the EU crap.  Wow.  That's a lot less than 12.  I even skewed the results slightly into your fantasy land to help your argument.

In REALITY most people have 4 to choose from.

You say there are 27 different editions of Windows "in your book".  Does your book have dragons and unicorns on it?  There are only 8 versions total.  This doesn't even remotely matter since the most anyone can even choose from is six.

I'm getting tired of people bending reality to fit a magical fairy land in their mind.  This type of reasoning shows why you have no objective basis AT ALL.  It's even worse that all this delusion and fantasy is fueled by your fanaticism.

Is it me or am I the only one who actually answered the poster's question? I thought this was meant to a community to help each other not fight and (I need to watch my language). :@C9 was once great, it's fading fast.

Kryptos wrote:

Is it me or am I the only one who actually answered the poster's question? I thought this was meant to a community to help each other not fight and (I need to watch my language). C9 was once great, it's fading fast.

You're right... I'm sorry.  Thanks for slapping some sense into me and making me remeber why I came to this site in the first place.

MrJay wrote:


And feel free to complain about me and my posts all you want, but it's hard to argue that choosing between upwards of 20 versions of an OS is easier than choosing between 2.

If there were 20+ boxed copies on a shelf that I had to choose between, you might have a point but since it doesn't work out like that it's really not the issue you make it out to be.

Still, thank heavens Linux doesn't suffer the 20+ versions problem, eh?