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We are a small company that make a data logging device plus a desktop application that accesses and analyses the data. The device contains a miniITX atom board and the software is Windows 7 professional 32-bit running our VB.NET data logging program as a Windows service.
What is the best way to deploy Windows 7 to these devices as we make them?
I looked at using Windows Embedded, even bought a book on it, but found it way too complicated to build the image and buy licenses in small volumes. So then I thought Windows 7 OEM would be the way to go. The problem here is that you have to buy physical DVDs for each copy and pass it and the license on to the end user. Our customers just want a box that works, not to enter into a license agreement with microsoft, plus there is no VDU or keyboard on the device to accept a license agreement etc. We need to just blow an image on to the box, give MS their money, and move on.
We make about one device a week. What are my options? I am beginning to think about porting our program to Linux as all these issues seem to go away by using Debian as the OS.
Thanks
Guy
Posted 2013-10-11T11:47:08.317
Reputation: 230
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I am beginning to think about porting our program to Linux as all these issues seem to go away by using Debian as the OS.- So why don't you? Seems like this will solve your problem – Dave – 2013-10-11T11:54:15.9233If
Windows Embeddedwas to complicated the other solutions are not simple either. – Ramhound – 2013-10-11T11:58:01.1001Have you called MS' licensing dept. for some advice? Or perhaps contact a local volume license reseller. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2013-10-11T12:16:18.883
Dave Rook - Because porting our program to linux is not trivial. I would probably use Python and have to properly learn that language first! Techie007 - that is my next stop. – Guy – 2013-10-11T14:10:07.383
"Our customers just want a box that works, not to enter into a license agreement with microsoft" If you don't want them to enter into a license agreement with MS, you need to not ship it with Microsoft software. – ChrisInEdmonton – 2013-10-11T19:43:50.833
If you sysprep an imagine of windows on the hard drive the license key can be included in the sysprep.ini. Clone the hard drive with clonezilla or whatever. After cloning you can connect the hard drive to a PC and change the license key in the sysprep.ini file and put in back in the machine. – cybernard – 2013-10-12T05:37:44.317