Someone explain to me this whole MS Tech Net thing.

O

ozziegn

The man behind the curtain...
Joined
Jan 13, 2001
Messages
17,533
okay, here's the deal. my buddy pays something like $350/year to the MS Tech Net thing under his business. He gets xxxxx amount of serial keys for various OS downloads.

my question is this: if he downloads Windows 7 and uses one of serial keys, how long does that OS last for? is this a one year thing or is it forever? we aren't exactly sure how this works so I figured I would ask the pros in this section of the forum.

thanks for any info.
 
from microsoft's page:
A TechNet Plus subscription is the ultimate resource for IT professionals. TechNet Plus provides convenient access to full-version Microsoft evaluation software—without time limits! The annual subscription also includes Professional Support incidents, a technical information library, and many other resources for evaluating, deploying, and maintaining Microsoft software.
Click to expand...

The licenses are only allowed to be used for testing purposes only. That being said, the serials last forever, though access to the downloads will be removed after the subscription ends.
 
The licenses are perpetual. The one year refers to the period of time that a subscriber gets access to new content. All content in had and the end of the subscription is good forever.
 
After reading all the posts on this site, reading the technet site and searching google, I still have a few questions:

1) Is there any advantage to getting the subscription that sends DVD shipments and allows access to downloads?
(Other than having nice shiny DVDs that I assume are pressed)

2)
a. If you choose to have DVDs shipped, is the renewal fee different?

b. If the renewal fee is different, can you change from having them shipped to download only and pay the lower renewal rate?

3) Am I just being lazy because I do not want to download and burn?

Thank you!
 
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I suppose if you like to play a lot...and try out many of the different products you're entitled to, having a DVD subscription would benefit you. Less to download...so if you use an ISP that may have low monthly caps. Or..you don't have a DVD burner. The cost of the higher subscription price to get the DVDs versus purchasing your own DVD burner and supply of blanks, etc.
 
1. No, just that you get discs...and usually you won't get them until a few days after the download links are up.
2. I believe the DVD subscription costs more. You probably could be change subscription types.
3. Yes, absolutely. I can't see spending extra for the DVD version when you get the software faster by download anyway.

On a side note, I'm still suprised at how many questions and confusion there is surrounding TechNet. It seems pretty straight forward to me, and all these question that we see often are answered on the TechNet site.
 
Who burns stuff to DVD anymore, I mean really?
Between installing into a VM and just booting from USB there's no need to burn to DVD.
 
DeaconFrost said:
1. No, just that you get discs...and usually you won't get them until a few days after the download links are up.
2. I believe the DVD subscription costs more. You probably could be change subscription types.
3. Yes, absolutely. I can't see spending extra for the DVD version when you get the software faster by download anyway.

On a side note, I'm still suprised at how many questions and confusion there is surrounding TechNet. It seems pretty straight forward to me, and all these question that we see often are answered on the TechNet site.


emphasis added
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Try downloading all of the MS server and OS software at the same time, it would take much more time than the couple of days shipping would take, and unless your downloading on the same system your going to be testing on (Using virtualization) you still need media of some kind to install the software.

Personally, I download everything, but i also virtualize everything, so I have no use for optical media. But people who do need optical media benefit from the technet DVD subscription
 
It isn't meant as an all you can eat buffet, so there isn't any reason to download everything at once. You're subscription is valid for a year, so there's no rush. I download everything I think I'll try out, but again, no reason to do it all at once. Now consider the majority of people signing up for it are only doing so to get multiple Windows 7 licenses....at most, you only need to download one disc, or two (should you need x64 and x86), so that isn't going to take less time than shipping.
 
That would be true. I personally use it to test server configurations, and total network configs, so if i didn't find optical media useless, i would get the DVDs, since I need them all pretty close to the same times. But optical media annoys me when i have to use it, way too slow..
 
Thuleman said:
Who burns stuff to DVD anymore, I mean really?
Between installing into a VM and just booting from USB there's no need to burn to DVD.
Click to expand...

I don't have a USB drive bigger than 1GB. I have a 60GB 2.5" HDD but it's normally got stuff on it (don't want to wipe). So I stick with burning a DVD-R or a DVD+RW.
 
I just recently got my subscription, and downloading has worked fine for me. Within a day, I had the Win7, and Office 2007 stuff I needed immediately. The rest of the stuff came in the next couple days when I felt like it. The only DVD I burned was the Win7 DVD, and used Virtual Clone Drive to install the other apps.

The extra $$ is a lot for just getting some DVD's in the mail, IMO.
 
I subscribed to MS Action pack years ago- wondering what the difference is? Same content? Same rights? Assuming Technet states testing only, but MAPS allows me to legally use it on all my business machines, for production use. I think the best thing MAPS did a few months ago was FINALLY put the CD keys online, and allow download. Anyone else ever panic when they couldn't find their orange sticker with Pproduct Keys???

NM- guess this says it all w/TechNet:
The license grants installation and use rights to one user only, for evaluation purposes, on any of the user’s devices, this may include devices at home. Keep in mind that you may use the evaluation software only to evaluate it. You may not use it in a live operating environment
Click to expand...
 
question about the os keys.... I have read on here that 1 key can be activated 10 times for server-- but how about os?... the OS comes with 10 keys--- so is that one key for one machine--- or is that one key on 10 machines for a total of 100(possible)... Im just wondering.. I have 3 machines at home-- so trying to figure out if i need to use 3 keys or just use one 3x...
 
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You can never have the same key in use for several systems at the same time, regardless of the license type (aside from VLKs or MAKs available to corporations).
 
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