Vista Anytime Upgrade to become transferable
Microsoft said late last week that it will make a change to the licensing terms for Windows Vista, allowing those who purchase a boxed copy of Vista and then upgrade to a pricier version to move that higher-end edition to other machines down the road.
The software maker had already changed the Vista licensing terms to allow retail buyers to move their copy to an unlimited number of new machines, so long as it was only on one PC at a time. However, Windows enthusiasts noted that the terms did not allow users to move a retail copy once it had been enhanced using the Windows Anytime Upgrade feature.
"Now, those customers will be able to uninstall their upgraded copy of Windows Vista and reinstall it on another device," Nick White said on the Vista team blog. The move won't change things for those who use the Anytime Upgrade option to upgrade the version of Windows that comes on a new PC. The copy of Windows that comes on a new computer typically can't be moved to another PC.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
