WOW, the never ending discussion...
This is something that will never end. how much will it cost me in the end is the question you must answer. This is from both sides.
Tothe consumer, $200 for an OS seems high, so OK, i'll install it on all my machines and save the extra money. if your caught, it's going to cost you a ton more than the $600 would have.
the the business, Compnay 1(for example), it's $15,000 for all the needed licenses and assosiated cost. They purchase 1500 computer licenses for 1300 machine and keep an extra 200 so they can grow.
Company 2, buys one, $200 version off the shelf and then installs it on 1500 workstations. This saves them 29,800, right? no, in the end, when they get audited by MS or any of the other antipiracy companies, they find they are out of compliance. Oh, and it's a $5000 fine for every error. so that is like 7,495,000 in fines...
Yes, the number are inflated, but the truth is not. Sure, you can get away with using your 1 install on several machines, and sure, why not do it, right? well first, it's not legal. Whether that means anything to you or not it up to you, but in a court of law, you were wrong. Second, it's illegal.
Weather or not you want to admit it, and no matter how much you want to debate the minute details of the EULA, you will still come down to the same conclusion. You can only install and use a Windows OS on 1 machine. Any more than that, and you are in violation of the EULA that you accepted when you installed the OS.
if anyone has something that will show that I am wrong, without question, then post it.
Good luck