Where to buy the Cheapest legit Windows 10 Pro?

Ldallandra on 10/08/2017 - 08:26

Does anyone know where I could buy the Cheapest legitimate Win 10 pro licenses?

We're a smallish firm of less than 100 PC's currently running win 7

I searched online and found a techradar article recommending the top 5 cheapest sites. I'd like to think a reputable site like techradar have done their due diligence on the sellers… The cheapest they rate was an au site selling for $180 for win 10 pro.

Does anyone know better? Please don't turn this into a discussion about reselling legitimate unused keys as being legitimate. Obviously as a reasonably sized company We'd like to avoid any potential audit issues with MS

Article:

http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/bes…

Cheapest:

http://www.softwaresite.com.au/operating-systems/483-microso…

Computing

Comments

  • Peace Maker on 10/08/2017 - 08:52
    +2

    You can upgrade from 7 for free using the accessibility features pathway. Going to take awhile doing it on 100 devices though.

    • SupeNintendoChalmers on 10/08/2017 - 09:02
      +3

      heres the link btw

      https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade?tduid=(14c348e893a91089cb2980533c6ee123)(256380)(2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-0FBZfNm6YPFXNhiu3o52rA)()

      Also you can build one PC, image it and deploy using free tools, such as FOG

      https://fogproject.org/

      • Colombian on 10/08/2017 - 09:43

        I use fog, fantastic tool. Also agree with upgrading windows using accessibility features pathway for free.

        • supnigs super skids on 10/08/2017 - 09:54
          -3

          But unethical unless you building 100 of for disabled users

        • SupeNintendoChalmers on 10/08/2017 - 10:22
          +2

          @supnigs super skids: depends on what you define as disabled ;)

        • Colombian on 10/08/2017 - 10:42

          @supnigs super skids: LOL

        • pformag on 10/08/2017 - 12:01

          @supnigs super skids: You could identify as disabled while doing it. It's the rage atm.

        • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 05:59

          @supnigs super skids:

          Yes… We know of this upgrade path but we'd like it to be all legit and have concerns it might not be accepted by Ms if it came to an audit

          ??

        • whooah1979 on 14/08/2017 - 14:35

          @dallandra:
          Ms doesn't have the legal authority to audit your entity .

        • dallandra on 16/08/2017 - 06:39

          @whooah1979:

          Yes we just ignored the repeated requests for audit last time round. Eventually after about 5 emails they stopped asking

          However… With that said. We'd still like to be as legit as possible and buying a retail license seems the only way forward.

          As a follow up The link to the $180 offer I posted earlier was for oem. And as I understand oem licenses they are tied to the machine they were built on… Ie not transfwrable

          This whole exercise is about being above board. For a individual going via grey undefined avenues might be fine but for a company we have to be seen as doing the right thing legally and morally… I guess

      • Morphine on 10/08/2017 - 11:31

        Cheers for both heads ups :)

        • ThePriceMatchGuy on 18/10/2017 - 14:50

          I'm currently awaiting the parts for my custom PC. I have a free Windows 8 product key that I am going to use. Can this same method be done from Windows 8?

  • newjerseydamo on 10/08/2017 - 09:00
    -1

    Play-asia has them cheap.

    If that's not what you're after, you say you're under 100 PCs.

    Are you of a decent size to perhaps approach Microsoft directly and negotiate a rate for all your PCs?

    • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2017 - 09:05

      http://mla.microsoft.com

      The online quote comes to $180/computer

      • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 05:54

        How did you get that pricing? I got $333 for open license (sorry I'm not sure what open value or value variants are)

    • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 05:56

      We used to go direct with MS and have open licenses but the company has considerably downsized since those years ago. I believe Ms direct is the costliest option

    • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 06:09

      http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3305627/windows-pro-dea…

      Re play asia

      And I'm generally of the mindset that anything under $100au isn't quite right. Especially when Ms sells them for $300+

      Yes ms is always going to be the most expensive but I question how am a reseller offer it for in some cases less than a third of the going rate.

      Not keen on oem keys again for the risk of future Ms audit. Again we want to be completely above board. , Fines from that could well be so much more than saving several thousand in the short term

      • newjerseydamo on 14/08/2017 - 14:28

        "Again we want to be completely above board. , Fines from that could well be so much more than saving several thousand in the short term"

        Then your only option is direct from Microsoft and pay the higher fees.

    • whooah1979 on 14/08/2017 - 14:51

      Is this a genuine oem version?
      http://www.play-asia.com/microsoft-windows-10-pro-3264-bit-o…

      • dallandra on 16/08/2017 - 06:40

        I wouldn't consider anything under $150 as genuine. In any case we're after retail license which I have personally not seen anything under $220 aud

  • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2017 - 09:04
    +2

    Why would you want to upgrade all 100 PCs? Almost every other organization just waits for the next PC refresh cycle…

    • tonsta on 10/08/2017 - 09:52

      easy to say when its not your money, not every firm will upgrade their PC's unless there is a business case for it?

      the majority of PC users in (non IT) firms will not notice any difference using a PC from 10 years ago.

      OP, any reason why you need windows 10? an upgrade for the sake of upgrade may just be a headache.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2017 - 10:06

        easy to say when its not your money, not every firm will upgrade their PC's unless there is a business case for it?

        Huh? If you read what I said: wait until the PCs need a refresh.

        • tonsta on 10/08/2017 - 10:14
          +1

          lol, i took upgrade as a hardware upgrade. got it

      • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 05:45

        That's right we don't have the budget to have a fresh cycle. Unfortunately we buy as needed or when PC's break… Sad but those are the conditions we work with

        Upgrading win 10 is in part one of the recommendations from an internal cyber security review as well as a decision to do so as win 7 will be eol in a few years

  • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2017 - 10:17

    Is it Windows 7 Professional?

    You can get Windows 10 Enterprise on a monthly subscription basis now.

    • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 05:46

      Yes win 7 pro… But would be the price benefit of the monthly subscription ?

      • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2017 - 14:38

        Subscription is Windows 10 Enterprise and it's about $9 a month.
        So after two years it will be more expensive. But, then you don't have to fork out a lot of money up front this way.

        The subscription is per user instead of device, so if you get new devices you can use the same license on them.
        This also allows people to use it on multiple PCs (5 per licensed user), so if someone has a corporate laptop and BYOD laptop or a home PC, they can use it on that too.

        • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 17:09

          Ok thanks for the breakdown. We're actually looking to roll out a few win 10 upgrades a month until it's all covered just in time for the win 7 eol.
          So we're looking at the long term strategy so definitely price in the longer run is the more Important consideration
          So perhaps su scripting is not the best option for us. ThankS all the same

        • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2017 - 18:07

          @dallandra:

          Well, assuming the 100 PCs. That is going to be $18,000 vs $900 per month.
          In the first month the business has $17,100 in its pocket instead of Microsoft.
          Second month $16,200
          Third month $15,300
          Fourth month $14,400
          Fifth month $14,500
          Sixth month $14,600
          And so on.

          Cash flow is a big consideration, and secondly how long will these PCs last? When they are replaced get the replacements with Win 10 Pro already.
          Finally, many of the Pro features have been moved to Enterprise. So what Pro features are you actually looking to use as they might not be there anymore.

          Finally, for real, get volume licensing and not retail packs. Then you'll have a single key instead of 100 keys as well as you'll have things like re-imaging rights.

        • dallandra on 16/08/2017 - 06:43

          @Drew22:

          Yes but the cost of volume licensing is outrageously expensive compared to single retail licenses.

          I completely agree with practicality of a volume license. We currently… Up to the win 7 licenses… Have Ms volume licencing and, yes it is so much easier with reimaging

          Again… Cost is the driver for business. If IT had our way and cost wasn't such a restrictive parameter, yes we'd go with volume licensing again

          Just after the basic ability to join a pc to a domain environment which I believe pro is the lowest /cheapest license available for that?

          Re. Cash flow the plan is to roll out about 5 PC's a month over the next few yrs till win 7 eol

  • coco1458 on 10/08/2017 - 10:22

    I'm no accountant but as a smallish firm, wouldn't you look at something like the Instant asset write off scheme to cover the costs of software. Not Sure if software is covered under the assets you can write off but it may be worth a look

    • dallandra on 13/08/2017 - 06:02

      Sorry maybe I've thrown some of you with smallish firm… In employee numbers and in limited budget for IT

      We have a finance dept and a CFO :)
      I'm sure they're well aware of these options which us from IT will leave to finance types

      Thanks all the same

  • demiurge on 13/08/2017 - 23:50

    What's wrong with windows 7?

    • alvian on 14/08/2017 - 00:43

      No more security updates from 14/1/2020. OP's firm only has itself to blame for not claiming the free upgrade offer. All it needed to do was to image Windows 7, upgrade to Windows 10 to claim the digital keys, and restore back to Windows 7. Could have done it over a weekend with a little planning and with no interruption to its operations.

      • demiurge on 14/08/2017 - 11:00

        That's a couple of years away. Just stay with current PC's and upgrade to new computers in 2020.

        • alvian on 14/08/2017 - 12:35

          That's not what OP's firm is planning. This is:

          We're actually looking to roll out a few win 10 upgrades a month until it's all covered just in time for the win 7 eol.

          we don't have the budget to have a fresh cycle. Unfortunately we buy as needed or when PC's break…

          Upgrading win 10 is in part one of the recommendations from an internal cyber security review as well as a decision to do so as win 7 will be eol in a few years

  • TheGMan on 17/08/2017 - 10:15

    You could perhaps speak to Microsoft regarding a volume license…

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