The abbreviation OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer", which is the German term for goods from a so-called original equipment manufacturer. When buying a new computer, OEM means that Windows is already installed on the manufacturer's PC. In this article you can read what OEM means in detail and what the difference is between software versions.
What is OEM and what is the difference to the full version?
As explained in the introduction, OEM stands for " original equipment manufacturer ", which in German OEM means. OEM software differs from the so-called full version (also retail) by a limited functionality or a lower scope of delivery. But that is rather rare. From a purely licensing point of view, the sale of OEM software is only permitted in conjunction with hardware . For example, Microsoft sells cheaper OEM versions of Windows 10 to manufacturers who then have to contractually deliver the software with the new PC. As a rule, this Windows 10 can of course also be upgraded and updated . According to a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice, it is legal for retailers to offer the OEM versions of the software individually, but this is often prohibited by a contract with the manufacturer. OEM versions are therefore mostly only sold together with the respective PCs, which explains why you cannot buy separate OEM versions in stores.
On the one hand, this fact enables the seller to obtain a cheaper purchase price for the software combined with the hardware. On the other hand, Microsoft also benefits from it because its operating system is brought into circulation..
Transferred to the hardware sector, OEM hardware refers to technical products that the company does not sell itself, but rather sells to other companies who then build them into their products. For example, Asus produces special OEM versions of its mainboards. These are then integrated into a PC system by complete system providers and are modified compared to the version to be purchased.
