Tag: software license

Windows 7 free for 120 days

August 20, 2009 by Jason

There’s an easy way to stretch Windows 7’s 30-day free-trial period to 120 days so you can determine whether Microsoft’s new operating system meets your needs.

Even better if you know the secret you can try out any version of Win7, from Ultimate to the lowly Basic, using a single install disc.

It’s fair to say that by now hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of copies of Windows 7 sit on DVDs and hard drives all over the world. You might have downloaded a copy of Win7 from the official sites: Microsoft Developer Network, TechNet, or Software Advantage. Perhaps you hooked up your machine to a torrent or a newsgroup site to download the new OS. Or maybe you snagged a copy from your tech-savvy sister-in-law.

Whichever channel you use, if you don’t already have a copy of Windows 7, you can easily put your paws on the installation bits and burn your own install DVD. Just be sure what you downloaded is the real, shipping version of Windows 7. One way to confirm this is to use a set of checksum verification instructions found on Pctipsbox. Read More»

Windows Vista SP1 Volume Licensing

July 15, 2008 by Jason

Volume Licensing is just one of the modalities to acquire Microsoft software, but perhaps, as customers are concerned, it is also the most appealing because of the cost savings it implies. In contrast to the retail copies of Windows Vista, the main benefit of the Volume Licenses is that it takes the cost of the packaging and of the media out of the price equation of the product. And this, of course, is not valid just for Vista, now complete with Service Pack 1, but also for additional Microsoft solutions that make the object of Volume Licensing. In the Redmond giant’s perspective, one of the most relevant benefits for volume license customers is the ability to acquire Software Assurance.

“Software acquired through Microsoft Volume Licensing is a software license only. A software license provides the right to run a Microsoft software product. Savings above retail boxed software prices can be realized by participating in a Microsoft Volume Licensing program. Read More»