oem vs box

[Kilooo]

Hi. I'm going to buy windows 10 soon, but I don't know which version should i pick. I read that OEM version can be now activated multiple times, but it has to be on ONE computer. In this case, I don't see any difference between OEM and BOX version. But there should be, so if you could explain the difference I would be very grateful. Also, I would like to ask if OEM=HOME version.
Thank you.

 

[BadActor]

The box, or retail version, allows it to be installed on a different machine or after a motherboard swap. It can only be activated on one machine at a time, though. "Home" is the version of Windows, like "Pro" or "Ultimate" and has nothing to do with whether it's OEM or retail.

 

[Nick_50]

OEM is aimed at manufacturers building systems so it gets linked to the motherboard i.e. made for off the shelf PCs that are unlikely to have such a major upgrade.

Retail means you can deactivate it and I stall it on a new system with new motherboard as many times as you like.

I bought windows 7 OEM and in the end it was fine as I didn't upgrade my motherboard.

For my new PC I bought retail windows 10 as it is easier to upgrade so I wanted that possibility.

 

[USAFRet]

Hi. I'm going to buy windows 10 soon, but I don't know which version should i pick. I read that OEM version can be now activated multiple times, but it has to be on ONE computer. In this case, I don't see any difference between OEM and BOX version. But there should be, so if you could explain the difference I would be very grateful. Also, I would like to ask if OEM=HOME version.
Thank you.

OEM vs Retail is a completely different concept than Home vs Pro.
Licensing vs Features.

And the OEM tied to the original motherboard is not Win 10 specific. It has been that way since Vista.

 

[spdragoo]

I think part of the confusion is because of how "OEM" is defined.

In Microsoft's eyes, an "OEM" copy of Windows is the machine-specific copy that comes with a prebuilt PC from a main vendor (HP, Dell, Gateway, etc.), where either the physical disc or the Recovery Partition of the drive is a vendor-specific version with drivers linked to that particular system...& especially the motherboard it has. That's why a) the disks are labeled "Recovery Disks", & b) why you can't just pop your old eMachines XP Recovery Disk into a wiped HP desktop & expect it to be able to install correctly.

In retailer's eyes -- Micro Center, Best Buy, Staples, etc. -- an "OEM" copy is the "vanilla" version of Windows. When you install it, it has all of the generic drivers to allow you to start the install & initialization process, which you then supplement with the driver installation disks that come with your motherboard & other hardware. The confusion is because Microsoft calls this the "retail" version, indicating that it's sold separately from an actual system.

In either case, unless you spend extra for additional site licenses (something which I think only applies to Enterprise versions or business customers), it's a case of "1 license, 1 PC". The only difference is that the true OEM copies can only be installed on the original motherboard, while the "retail/OEM" models can be reinstalled on a new board provided your old system is no longer in use.