Oem

[Luxar]

Ok, stupid question here, but after pondering over it for a long while, I felt I must ask it.

What's the deal with OEM as compared to retail, exactly? If I buy something OEM, will I still get all the necessary cables, instruction manuals, necessary software, etc., or will I possibly have to purchase them separately?

If there is anything else important that you think is important about OEM parts as well, please let me know.

Thanks,
Luxar

 

[willsko87]

what are you buying OEM?

 

[Luxar]

It really depends on what the answer to this question is. If I get everything I need with the OEM parts, I might just buy every piece of hardware I can get OEM. I'm planning on building a new computer, and I've seen OEM offers of things such as processors, hard drives, graphics cards, CD-drives, RAM, and WinXP, and it's all noticably cheaper. Just wondering if there's a particular reason why they're cheaper.

 

[willsko87]

webopedia def - Short for original equipment manufacturer, which is a misleading term for a company that has a special relationship with computer producers. OEMs buy computers in bulk and customize them for a particular application. They then sell the customized computer under their own name. The term is really a misnomer because OEMs are not the original manufacturers -- they are the customizers.

btw scripts use [] here not <>

 

[Luxar]

Thanks, but that doesn't really answer my question too well. So if a buy OEM, I'll still get everything that would come with a retail offering of the same hardware? And sorry about the tags(didn't know they didn't use html here).

 

[killians45]

also, most times OEM liscense are for that computer only and can't be transfered from want system to the other.

 

[phosho510]

things that are OEM does not come with original box.
if you are buying an OEM cpu it does not come with heatsink like retail heatsink do.

 

[Nubius]

Retail - You get full packaged box and contents. Plus manufacturer Warrenty

OEM - Just the hardware is shipped. No warrenty

 

[PP Mguire]

so if i bought a soundcard OEM would i get the drivers too? Or if i bought a video card would i get the VIVO adapter and drivers as well?

 

[dale5605]

oem parts such as sound cards usually include drivers, check package contents to make sure though