Secret COEM Windows 7 Lite "Genuine"

Today, Microsoft has increased its investment in the Chinese market, and even reduced the price of China's Windows 7 to the lowest in the world - the home regular retail boxed 399 yuan, Family Premium Edition 699 yuan. However, the low price strategy is hard to arouse the enthusiasm of the dealers. Ms. Li, who is doing software business, told us that now a Windows 7 only earns three or five dollars. In order to maintain the counter rent, it sells a COEM version of Windows7. .

COEM Lite Windows7 Stirs Market

Even if Microsoft says, China's pricing for Windows7 is already the lowest in the world. However, you should not think that this price has bottomed out. Now in the Chinese village store, a COEM Lite Windows7 is quietly popular. The regular version costs 300 yuan, while the home premium version only costs 450 yuan less than the retail boxed version. yuan.

In the e-world four-layer software business, Miss Li revealed to the bubble network that now Windows7 family premium version of the price of an agent purchase price is more than 620 yuan, "a line like our offline channel It’s also a profit of three or five yuan. It’s too difficult to support the entire counter with a monthly rent of 5,000 yuan.”

Picture: COEM Lite Windows7

Miss Li added: "We don't usually stock up on these offline channels. If anyone wants it, then get the goods from above. But now there is a COEM Lite version, which is no different from Windows7 color package retail. Home Premium The version only costs 499 yuan."

For the question of whether we can use it normally, Ms. Li said: "I have already sold it since I have never had a problem, and I am as comfortable as the retail of the color box. The price is 40% cheaper, what are you hesitating?"

But in the COEM's simple purchase price, Miss Li did not express her position, just called "the ordinary version of 320 yuan, the bulk purchase of 300 yuan. Family The advanced version is 499 yuan, if you want more than 450 can also be shipped."

is considered a theft The purchase of the version is cautious

At present, not only in Zhongguancun, there is such a COEM package for Windows 7, but also on Taobao.com, 8844 and other websites.

Industry experts pointed out that the retail version of the color box has a 32-bit installation disk, but the COEM regular and advanced versions come with a 32-bit system CD, and the professional version and the flagship version are a 64-bit. Bit of the installation CD. In addition, the COEM version of the product is bundled with the motherboard and cannot be used for transfer. The distributor sells in the channel and the distributor provides the channel market price. It is not surprising that price confusion has occurred for this purpose.

Picture: COEM Lite Windows7 Outer Packaging

For this phenomenon, we contacted Microsoft Windows7 after-sales customer service staff, Wang surnamed staff said that COEM on the market Lite Windows 7 is Microsoft's release for the DIY assembly store, which is what we call a random version. However, COEM Lite Windows must be bundled with a computer and cannot be sold separately to individuals as software. If Microsoft finds that the dealer has violated sales, it will be treated as pirated.

Picture: COEM Lite Windows must be bundled with computers, not sold as software alone to individuals

In addition, many consumers find it difficult to understand the COEM What is the difference between the OEMs that have been circulating in the market, the senior practitioners of the soft drop industry pointed out that there are two main differences: (1) Appearance: COEM products have independent box packaging, internal system installation CD, COA label Printed with the word "OEM Software"; the OEM software is pre-installed, provides a system recovery CD, placed in the computer box, printed on the COA label with the computer brand name, such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc.; (2) sales method : COEM products are sold through distributors in the channel, Microsoft distributors provide channel market prices; OEM products are bundled with hardware by computer manufacturers, Microsoft does not provide market open quotations, and OEM products are prohibited from being sold separately in the channel market.

Top: Color box retail, COEM Lite version, OEM version difference comparison chart

Microsoft contradictory price strategy

CUP Versions of Windows and retail versions of Windows are genuine software as long as they are not illegally used. They are also products of intellectual property protection, but the COEM version of Windows and the retail version of Windows are almost indistinguishable. This seemingly illogical event reveals the contradiction of Microsoft's pricing strategy.

At present, the biggest sales channel for Windows comes from the OEM pre-installation of PC manufacturers. For Lenovo and other first-line PC manufacturers, Microsoft has established a relatively stable alliance with it. However, for the second-tier manufacturers and the DIY market, it is the site that Microsoft has always wanted to invade.

After implementing the "black screen" genuine value-added program last year, Microsoft once again launched the computer DIY market, united more than 600 DIY installers in IT stores in 15 cities across the country, and established a COEM partner for Microsoft channel installed products. Clubs to combat piracy in the DIY market. However, the effect is still very small today.

In the Dinghao engaged in the independent installation business, Xiao Liu said that when installing the genuine operating system, only 300 yuan COEM package Windows7 is lower than the current market price, but with Compared to a pirated operating system CD of $5, such a price is simply not enough to attract price-sensitive installers. In addition, the current self-installation market is basically free to install the operating system for users. If this practice is followed, we will post it.

But it is even more frustrating for Xiao Liu to be dissatisfied with Microsoft's OEM price strategy. "For example, some OEMs get the genuine Windows price just a lot lower than us."

According to a well-known PC manufacturer in China, the price of Windows7 OEM is currently around 200 yuan, and the person also pointed out that even the same as the first-line manufacturers, the price of Microsoft OEM is not the same, we are 200 yuan However, competitors are likely to be at 150 yuan, depending on the amount of the signing; and the prices of the second-tier manufacturers and those DIY manufacturers are very different. "

Industry sources pointed out that the contradictory price strategy has made Microsoft unable to make progress in the legalization of China. In addition, even if users choose genuine Windows, genuine products do not bring more services. At present, Microsoft does not provide any form of after-sales service for COEM, but more than 80% of computer problems are caused by software problems.

Maybe, as the industry commented, to get out of the piracy dilemma, we must solve What is Microsoft (China)? The service itself, helping customers repair broken computers, allows DIY users to truly feel that the quality of services brought by genuine is far more real than the simple black screen.