• antimidas@sopuli.xyz
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        7 hours ago

        Yep, and not a small price at that. While the home license is not as expensive, it’s still mid two digits. IIRC pro version typically costs around 100 € even as the bundled OEM license, especially if you’re buying a laptop from a smaller manufacturer. That’s the amount I remember the price going down if you drop windows licensing from a corporate laptop lease.

        In any way it’s not an insignificant price.

        • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz
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          5 hours ago

          The OEM license price is also based on the performance of the PC (specifically the CPU iirc). Low powered devices might get a OEM home license for only $30, but a OEM home license for a gaming PC is going to be more like $80-90. Pro licenses will be more of course.

          • antimidas@sopuli.xyz
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            5 hours ago

            Makes sense, there wouldn’t be many 200-300 € laptops if Windows cost 80-100 € for them.

      • Alabaster_Mango@lemmy.ca
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        7 hours ago

        You’re forgetting piracy. I didn’t buy any parts with OEM licenses. Granted I went grey market for my Windows 10 so I paid someone like $20.

      • muhyb@programming.dev
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        6 hours ago

        At least nowadays it’s so much easier to find FreeDOS laptops. I remember that it was not a thing here 20 years ago, and Windows was included in the warranty so you couldn’t remove it for at least 2 years (if you care about warranty).

      • HeyJoe@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Nah, not for me. I have only built my own PC’s since 2006. If i had a laptop (and a few surfaces) it was through work.

        I know all about the OEM license thats now hardcoded on the board due to my job. Our company was buying devices with windows, essentially paying more per device, then imaging them with our image with an enterprise license…

      • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Yes, but no. They know you’ll pay (e.g.) $700 for a PC. If windows were free, you’d still be paying $700. It would just go to a different billionaire.

    • Jul (they/she)@piefed.blahaj.zone
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      5 hours ago

      I paid once for a full license for Windows 98, not an OEM one that comes with a computer. They then gave free upgrades indefinitely since technically it was always the same computer, so I only needed one copy. Simplified it by avoiding a lot of the pirating crack issues and risks. Every other computer than that desktop has always had Linux, and now it does too since I dont really do much gaming anymore.