Buying PC (still not got it yet)

[joe-90]

We had a thread a couple of months ago, and Securespark suggested a Zoostorm from Ebuyer (which I'll probably go for). At £260 it pretty cheap for the stuff I do. Forums, facebook, news etc. (don't do gaming).
So my question is:

It doesn't come with an operating system, and most people seem to like Windows 7 (currently still on Vista after 9 years). Looking at prices, there seems to be the full price with a disc at about £110. But other adverts come up showing £15 for a licence and you download the software yourself. Can anyone explain what that's all about, and the best way to get the thing up and running when I buy it?

Cheers.

 

[securespark]

Beware these. I bought a similar thing (MS Office) and was contacted by ebay telling me the sale broke their rules and I could have a refund.

Personally, I much prefer to have the actual disc in my hand.

Ebuyer have 32 bit Win 7 HP for a lot less (unless you need Pro or 64 bit software):

http://www.ebuyer.com/259862-windows-7-home-premium-w-sp1-32-bit-low-cost-packaging-gfc-02726

To install a 64-bit version of Windows 7, you need a CPU that's capable of running a 64-bit version of Windows. The benefits of using a 64-bit operating system are most apparent when you have a large amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on your computer, typically 4 GB of RAM or more.

I cannot remember if your chosen PC has 4GB or more RAM.

One other thing to consider. If you decided to upgrade to Win 10 in the future, you may want to check the machine you buy is Win 10 ready.

 

[joe-90]

I tend to keep the PC for ages so I'd rather get the 64 bit. I'd like a disc, so was wondering if it works like this: You buy the product (say £20). That gives you the license. Then you download the Windows software, burn it to disc, and then load it into the new machine. Have I got that wrong?

 

[JBR]

I must say, I think £110 for a Windows disc is daylight robbery. Little wonder that the black market can offer it for much less and people take advantage of the offer when they can get it.

I, too, would much prefer to have a physical disc for Windows than a downloaded version or even a pre-installed version on the hard disc of a new computer, which is what all the manufacturers seem to do these days.

If it is, as Joe asks, possible to burn your own Windows disc from downloaded software, then that's more acceptable. I assume that it is also possible to burn a disc from the pre-installed Windows software on a new computer but I have a feeling that, if you can do this, the burnt disc will only work with the specific computer that had the installed software on. This stands to reason, as anyone could then copy Windows ad lib for use or sale elsewhere.

However, I wonder whether this is the case if you buy downloaded Windows software? I'm sure there must be some sort of safety provision to prevent it.

 

[joe-90]

I'm guessing here, that someone buys a load of copies of Windows (like big business) then sells off the licenses that they have bought. A bit like a wholesaler does buying bulk potatoes like Tesco.

 

[EddieM]

Afaik as a retail customer you cannot get windows 7 anymore from ms. You can of course buy a disk off ebay, but whether or not you can activate it is anyones guess.

 

[securespark]

No is the answer in my case....

You can still get Win 7 from ebuyer, but it is the 32 bit version.

Found this on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Windows-software-intended-builders/dp/B004Q0PT3I

 

[joe-90]

Well how do these retailers sell computers with Windows ready installed? Isn't it just the same if you buy the license?

 

[jockscott]

Buy one with the OS already installed Joe. Problem with buying "Keys" off the internet is, you just don't know if the "key" is a legitimate one.
Having said that, there are programs out there which will activate Windows (and they do work) I had one computer which ran Win7. 30 days after I'd bought it the message telling me to activate Windows came up. I cheekily downloaded a program of the internet, (WinLoader) which did indeed activate Windows. So much so, that I could install updates. When Win 10 became available, I received the notification that I could install Win10. Sadly that computer suffered a HDD failure and I bought my present computer from a retailer with Win7 pre-installed (now running Win10)

 

[joe-90]

The problem is that if the operating system gets its knickers in a twist and I've got the disk I can reinstall it.

 

[Diyisfun]

Once you change to win 10 from win7, the win 7 disc will be of no use, is how I think it works. (After 30 days that is).
Once you have win 10 according to MS there will not be a win anything above.

 

[joe-90]

This subject always confuses me. As usual I don't know what to plump for.

 

[EddieM]

Go for windows 10 itll be a lot less hassle.

 

[joe-90]

Pre installed by the shop? Or a DVD? Or a key and download?

 

[securespark]

FWIW joe, I always go for a clean install on a blank HDD.

This is because if you buy it from a shop, the machine has a load of bloatware on it that you invariably do not want or need.

If you buy without an OS and get the disk separately, you choose what goes on your computer. Plus you have the added bonus of having the physical disk with you if you ever need it.

Other people may prefer pre-installed OS's for a variety of reasons (the main one is it is cheaper pre-installed than if you buy it on disk).

As I have already said, I do not trust the key/ download route.