Windows 8 OEM Drawbacks

[kouect]

Hi, I'm building a new Haswell system and trying to decide if there's any reason to purchase the full retail version of Windows 8 instead of the OEM for an extra $20. I've done plenty of looking around and as I understand it neither is motherboard dependent, both allow you to install it on a different machine as long as it's only active on 1 at a time (aka let's say I build a new system in 6 months for some reason and scrap the old one). The only thing I'm seeing is that there's no Microsoft support, which as a person who builds my own system I've never once asked Microsoft for help. Am I missing something?

Thanks, I've read lots of replies on other threads but nothing has convinced me it's worth the little extra money, I can't picture any problem that couldn't be fixed via google/tom's

 

[USAFRet]

Am I missing something?

No. That is pretty much the whole difference - Who you can call to get 'support'.

Retail, you get to call Microsoft
OEM, whoever installed it. In this case, you.

 

[kouect]

Ok, the only support I would possibly need is if I'm reinstalling and am having product key issues as I've read still can happen. But for that Microsoft would help equally for the OEM and retail, correct? Just wanting to make sure because there is a decent chance that the copy I buy will end up on a different system at some point and I don't want to make the wrong purchase.

 

[USAFRet]

Ok, the only support I would possibly need is if I'm reinstalling and am having product key issues as I've read still can happen. But for that Microsoft would help equally for the OEM and retail, correct? Just wanting to make sure because there is a decent chance that the copy I buy will end up on a different system at some point and I don't want to make the wrong purchase.

Right. Activation, if there is an issue, can be done via the phone robot. Relatively painless. And I've only had to do that maybe twice in the last decade.

Just remember....one license, one system at a time. Other than that, you're good to go.

 

[kouect]

Thanks, I think that answers everything!