Windows Weekly co-hosts and experienced Microsoft watchers Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrott revealed yesterday that Microsoft is considering selling Windows 8 in only OEM and upgrade forms to retail outlets, cutting out the full retail edition it normally sells of Windows. While this may sound like a step in the wrong direction, for the people this will affect, it should be welcome news. Microsoft has always sold Windows in OEM and full editions, which are for most practical purposes, the same thing. Except for one major difference:
As you can see, at Newegg, you can buy Windows 7 in retail and OEM editions, but the retail edition costs $110 more than the OEM edition. Both have the same operating system, both are legal, licensed copies with automatic updates and all Windows features. The OEM version simply costs less, has no phone support (and be honest, you had no idea Windows even had phone support), and lacks the pretty packaging of the retail edition.
What Microsoft is doing by eliminating the retail edition is reducing price confusion and lowering prices for the few people buying full versions of Windows that didn’t know about this difference. Most people get Windows with a new PC, or already have it, and neither of those groups buys a full edition. The remainders are system builders, for whom the OEM edition is marketed, and people with a computer that doesn’t have Windows. Those people will only benefit from this change.
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