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43-540: A "lite" version is commonly shipped as part of an OEM software bundle. Both the lite and regular versions offer a Java API . SageTV Placeshifter allows the user to watch TV from any high speed internet connection, similar to the Slingbox . As of Version 6, the SageTV Placeshifter is available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh platforms. The SageTV Media Extender set-top allows other TVs to connect to SageTV over

86-447: A Microsoft Works license on a computer, saying that bundling was "a commercial policy of forced distribution" and called this practice "monopolistic in tendency", confirmed later with ruling 4390/2016. In December 2020, the Court of Monza (Italy) in ruling 1734/2020 imposed upon the manufacturer punitive damages amounting to €20,000 for abuse of the appeal procedures. In India, bundling

129-468: A 1999 Maximum PC article, Dell did not provide refunds for Windows licenses, interpreting the license agreement to "treat the hardware and software as a single package that must be returned". In 2009, Sony refused to offer a partial refund for a customer who declined the Windows Vista EULA, instead offering a refund for the entire computer, which the customer declined. Litigation by users denied

172-505: A Java API. Built-in EPG support is available only for North America; however, the developer community has developed plug-ins that allow unsupported regions to access EPG info through sources such as XMLTV and ICETV in Australia. Additionally, there are IMDb and commercial skipping plugins. Original Equipment Manufacturer An original equipment manufacturer ( OEM ) generally refers to

215-412: A Windows license on a $ 1,000 computer. In 2007, Dell stated that its computers with Ubuntu installed would be priced about $ 50 lower than comparable systems with Windows installed. In a 2010 ZDNet article, Chris Clay wrote that Dell computers with Ubuntu preinstalled were priced higher than identical systems with Windows preinstalled, even though Ubuntu is distributed gratis . The claimed increase in

258-590: A built-in OS and those without". Some Linux distributors also run 'partnership' programs to endorse suppliers of machines with their system pre-installed. Some vendors purchase computers from major OEMs, install Linux on them and resell them. Chris Clay of ZDNet wrote that employee discount programs create a financial incentive to purchase computers from a large manufacturer, even if the manufacturer does not offer computers without Windows. Microsoft requires that OEMs support UEFI secure boot on their products to qualify for

301-651: A car, then car restorers and collectors consider those to be the OEM parts. Other-brand parts would be considered aftermarket, such as Champion spark plugs, DieHard batteries, Kinsler fuel injectors, and BMP engine blocks and heads. Many auto parts manufacturers sell parts through multiple channels, for example to car makers for installation during new-vehicle construction, to car makers for resale as automaker-branded replacement parts, and through general merchandising supply chains. Any given brand of part can be OEM on some vehicle models and aftermarket on others. Microsoft

344-480: A company that produces parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. However, the term is ambiguous, with several other common meanings. It sometimes means the maker of a system that includes other companies' subsystems, an end-product producer, an automotive part that is manufactured by the same company that produced the original part used in the automobile's assembly, or a value-added reseller . When referring to auto parts, OEM typically refers to

387-570: A different operating system or without any operating system. In a 2001 article in Byte , it was reported that license agreements between OEMs and Microsoft forbade OEMs from including Windows alongside another operating system on the same computer. According to a 1999 New York Times article, "critics assert that the company continues to use its market clout to ensure that nearly all new personal computers come with Windows pre-installed." In 2009, Microsoft stated that it has always charged OEMs about $ 50 for

430-492: A different requirement regarding installation media from Direct OEMs. While a clean retail media of Windows can be installed and activated on these devices with OEM keys (most commonly using the SLP key that's embedded in to the system firmware already), actual OEM recovery media that was created by the PC manufacturer (not system-builder, nor retail Windows versions) typically only works on

473-609: A home network. There is also the ability to use the Hauppauge MediaMVP with SageTV by purchasing a MediaMVP Client License . On June 18, 2011, Jeffrey Kardatzke, CTO and founder of the company, announced in a SageTV forum post that his company had been acquired by Google . An official press release followed later the same day, and since then the SageTV products have no longer been available for purchase. On March 9, 2015, Jeffrey Kardatzke announced that SageTV would be open-sourced "in

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516-564: A partial refund for an unused Windows license has resulted in rulings in France and Italy that bundling Microsoft Windows and then refusing to offer partial refunds for just the Windows license violates applicable law. In September 2014, the Supreme Court of Italy in ruling 19161/2014 decided that a laptop buyer was entitled to receive a refund of €140 for the price of a Microsoft Windows license and

559-402: A refund. Acer's policy requires the customer to return items at their own expense, and the balance received by the customer can be as low as €30. The same applies for EU, the reported refund as of 2014 is €40 for Windows 8. Other vendors, like Dell, have ad hoc procedures for users to request a refund of a Windows license; one user who received a £55.23 refund from Dell said of the process, "I

602-430: A separate price for an operating system license. Websites have been created for the specific purpose of spreading information about the issue and educating others on their options for getting a refund. A 1999 rally opposing the bundling of Windows attracted about 100 protesters and gained media attention worldwide. The overall goal of such events has been to get OEMs to expand their selection of computers without

645-452: A stick: at worst it is beating them with a carrot", despite the well-established competitive impact of such practices on suppliers of competing systems software, acknowledged in a 1994 settlement with Novell. Serdar Yegulalp of Computerworld said that in the late 1990s, because Linux was not fully developed, Linux computers were "a tough sell for non-technical users". Microsoft historically engaged in licensing practices that discouraged

688-435: A variety of manufacturers ( Dell , HP , ASUS , Acer , Lenovo , Wistron , Inventec , Supermicro , Compal Electronics , Quanta Computer , Foxconn , Pegatron , Jabil , Flex , etc.). These OEMs commonly use a procedure known as System Locked Pre-installation , which pre-activates Windows on PCs that are to be sold via mass distribution. These OEMs also commonly bundle software that is not installed on stock Windows on

731-471: Is a popular example of a company that issues its Windows operating systems for use by OEM computer manufacturers via the bundling of Microsoft Windows . OEM product keys are priced lower than their retail counterparts, especially as they are purchased in bulk quantities, although they use the same software as retail versions of Windows. They are primarily for PC manufacturer OEMs and system builders, and as such are typically sold in volume licensing deals to

774-458: Is challenged by users as a violation of Competition Act 2002; one Indian citizen has sent a legal notice to HP. However, in another license refund case, a French appellate court ruled in favor of the OEM, "holding that the sale at issue did not constitute the unfair commercial practice of coercive selling, which is not permitted under any circumstances, an unfair commercial tying practice, or a misleading or aggressive commercial practice." The case

817-497: Is compatible with most major Linux distributions. Information on a Gentoo distribution tuned for Media Center usage is available from the SageTV website. It runs on low cost PC and consumer electronics hardware including embedded processors (embedded only available for OEMs). SageTV software also includes a SageTV Studio Development GUI that allows the customization of the user interface and development of add-ons. The company provides documentation so that these customizations can use

860-607: Is pending before the Court of Cassation . In September 2016, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that "the sale of a computer equipped with pre-installed software does not in itself constitute an unfair commercial practice within the meaning of Directive 2005/29 when such an offer is not contrary to the requirements of professional diligence and does not distort the economic behaviour of [purchasers]." The Court also ruled that Directive 2005/29 does not require OEMs to include

903-425: Is the installation of Microsoft Windows in computers before their purchase. Microsoft encourages original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of personal computers to include Windows licenses with their products, and agreements between Microsoft and OEMs have undergone antitrust scrutiny. Users opposed to the bundling of Microsoft Windows, including Linux users, have sought refunds for Windows licenses, arguing that

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946-473: Is tied to the PC motherboard which it is initially installed on, and there is typically no transferring the key between PCs afterward. This is in contrast to retail keys, which may be transferred, provided they are only activated on one PC at a time. A significant hardware change will trigger a reactivation notice, just as with retail. Direct OEMs are officially held liable for things such as installation/recovery media, and as such were commonly provided until

989-536: The "Windows tax" altogether by assembling a computer from individually purchased parts or purchasing a computer from an OEM that does not bundle Windows. Some smaller OEMs and larger retail chains such as System76 have taken to specializing in Linux-based systems to their advantage from major suppliers' paucity of non-Windows offerings. Beginning in 2007, Dell offered computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. In 2014, Hewlett-Packard stated that it sells "units bundled with

1032-1218: The "learning curve" and inconvenience of installing an operating system. Virtually all large computer vendors bundle Microsoft Windows with the majority of the personal computers in their ranges. In 1999, Maximum PC wrote that non-Windows users "have long griped that machines from large companies can't be purchased without Windows". In 1999, analyst Rob Enderle attributed the lack of computers without Windows available for individual purchase to economic impracticality, citing certification and warranty requirements. In 1999, Dell stated that it only offered non-Microsoft operating systems on servers and as part of customized large orders, but if Linux became popular enough to make Linux pre-installation cost-effective, "we'd be foolish not to offer it". The Guardian ' s computer editor Jack Schofield claimed that there were significant cost overheads associated with preinstalling Linux, in part due to Linux's small market share, although Schofield had generally viewed Microsoft's bundling practices favourably, claiming in 1995 that Microsoft's incentives were not unlike promotional deals in other industries and that "Microsoft cannot be accused of beating PC manufacturers with

1075-468: The OEMs would be free to decide which keys to include and how to manage them, competing OS vendors' relative lack of influence on the desktop OS market compared to Microsoft might mean that, even if signed versions of their operating systems were available, they might face difficulties getting hardware vendors to include their keys, especially if end users won't be able to manage those keys themselves. Boot locking

1118-464: The PC model line that was designed for it. For example, a recovery disc/USB for a Toshiba Satellite P50-B will only work on that model, and not a Satellite S55T. OEMs rely on their ability to drive down the cost of production through economies of scale . Using an OEM also allows the purchasing company to obtain needed components or products without owning and operating a factory. Bundling of Microsoft Windows The bundling of Microsoft Windows

1161-589: The Windows end-user license agreement entitles them to return unused Windows licenses for a cash refund. Although some customers have successfully obtained payments (in some cases after litigation or lengthy negotiations), others have been less successful. Microsoft encourages original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to supply computers with Windows pre-installed, saying that purchasers benefit by not having to install an operating system. Analyst Vishal Tripathi said that many people purchase PCs with pre-installed operating systems because they do not want to deal with

1204-434: The Windows 8 Logo [case badge] Program. Concerns have been raised that OEMs might ship systems that do not allow users to disable secure boot or install signing keys for alternative operating systems. Such computers would be unable to boot any non-Windows operating system (unless that operating system was signed and its keys included with the computer), further complicating the issue of Windows refunds. While Microsoft claims

1247-512: The decree was effective in allowing Dell and HP to offer Linux computers, and Jeremy Reimer of Ars Technica stated that the decree made it "fiscally realistic to sell computers with alternative operating systems". In 1999, a Microsoft representative stated that their contracts with OEMs did not "stop[] any OEM from shipping any operating system on their PCs". In 2010, Microsoft stated that its agreements with OEMs to distribute Windows are nonexclusive, and OEMs are free to distribute computers with

1290-406: The images of Windows that will be deployed with their PCs (appropriate hardware drivers , anti-malware and maintenance software, various apps, etc.). Individuals may also purchase OEM "system-builder" licenses for personal use (to include virtual hardware ), or for sale/resale on PCs which they build. Per Microsoft's EULA regarding PC manufacturers and system-builder OEM licenses, the product key

1333-412: The installation of non-Microsoft operating systems. Microsoft once assessed license fees based on the number of computers an OEM sold, regardless of whether a Windows license was included. Beginning in 1983, Microsoft sold MS-DOS licenses to OEMs on an individually negotiated basis. The contracts required OEMs to purchase a number of MS-DOS licenses equal to or greater than the number of computers sold, with

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1376-412: The late-2000s. These were phased out in favor of recovery partitions located on the primary storage drive of the PC (and available for order from the manufacturer upon request) for the user to repair or restore their systems to the factory state. This not only cut down on costs, but was also a consequence of the gradual obsolescence and phasing out of optical media from 2010 onward. System builders also have

1419-467: The license refund argument as using a loophole in the license agreement. OEM policies for refunding unused Windows licenses vary. Some OEMs have programs that specifically allow a user to receive a refund for an unused Windows license. Acer US has a Windows refund program where a user can ship a computer with an unused copy of Windows to the Acer service center and have the computer returned without Windows for

1462-490: The manufacturer of the original equipment, that is, the parts which are then subsequently assembled and installed during the construction of a new vehicle. In contrast, aftermarket parts are those made by companies other than the OEM, which might be installed as replacements or enhancements after the car comes out of the factory. For example, if Ford used Autolite spark plugs , Exide batteries, Bosch fuel injectors , and Ford's own engine blocks and heads when building

1505-521: The near future (i.e. months, not years)". Then a few months later, SageTV became open source, hosted on GitHub. After the acquisition of SageTV, LLC by Google, they began modifying and updating it to work with Google's upcoming Google Fiber TV service. SageTV v8 was the initial platform used for the Google Fiber Storage Box (DVR) and TV Box (Client). It has since been replaced with an in-house developed software. SageTV Media Center for Linux

1548-537: The price of a computer resulting from the inclusion of a Windows license has been called the "Windows tax" or "Microsoft tax" by opposing computer users. Some computer purchasers request refunds for Windows licenses included with their purchased computers because they do not want to use Windows, preferring an operating system such as Linux instead. Jeff Walsh of InfoWorld said that businesses with site licenses can save money by requesting refunds of Windows licenses included with purchased computers. Users can avoid

1591-459: The purchase of a computer or are pre-installed on a computer. A Microsoft Denmark representative stated that Microsoft's Windows license terms allow OEMs to offer a refund for just the Windows license. Microsoft's End User License Agreement for Windows 11 states that: By accepting this agreement or using the software, you agree to all of these terms, and consent to the transmission of certain information during activation and during your use of

1634-560: The result of zero marginal cost for OEMs to include MS-DOS. Installing an operating system other than MS-DOS would effectively require double payment of operating system royalties. Also, Microsoft penalized OEMs that installed alternative operating systems by making their license terms less favorable. Microsoft entered into a consent decree in 1994 that barred them from conditioning the availability of Windows licenses or varying their prices based on whether OEMs distributed other operating systems. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said that

1677-498: The software as per the privacy statement described in Section 3. If you do not accept and comply with these terms, you may not use the software or its features. You may contact the device manufacturer or installer, or your retailer if you purchased the software directly, to determine its return policy and return the software or device for a refund or credit under that policy. You must comply with that policy, which might require you to return

1720-472: The software with the entire device on which the software is installed for a refund or credit, if any. In 1999, the relevant text read If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, PC Manufacturer and Microsoft are unwilling to license the SOFTWARE PRODUCT to you. In such event, you may not use or copy the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, and you should promptly contact PC Manufacturer for instructions on return of

1763-461: The unused product(s) for a refund. In 1999, according to InfoWorld , "Some users are taking this EULA literally and plan to demand a cash refund." In 1999, a Microsoft representative described requesting a Windows refund on the basis of rejecting the license as "a technicality where someone is twisting the language a little bit to come up with the idea that they can run back to the OEM with this". Laurie J. Flynn of The New York Times characterized

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1806-525: Was pretty gob-smacked that it was so easy". In some cases, vendors have asked that customers requesting refunds sign non-disclosure agreements . In 1999, a Toshiba representative stated that a case where a user obtained a $ 110 refund was "not the typical policy and not what other people will run into if they try it". Other vendors do not issue refunds for Windows licenses. In February 1999 InfoWorld reported that "No PC manufacturers are currently offering refunds for users who do not use Windows". According to

1849-458: Was required for Windows Phone and RT devices, but not for Windows 10 Connected PCs. In January 2012, Microsoft confirmed it would require hardware manufacturers to enable secure boot on Windows 8 devices, and that x86 / 64 devices must provide the option to turn it off while ARM -based devices must not provide the option to turn it off. Microsoft does not provide refunds for Windows licenses sold through an OEM, including licenses that come with

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