Any deals on Windows 8 or 7 retail? Can I use OEM?

[Jeff123816]

I have a MacBook Air and would like to replace Mac OS with Windows 10. Once the pricing for Windows 10 was announced, I thought I'd try to grab a cheap copy of Windows 7 or 8 and then take the upgrade at the end of July. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any good deals on 7 or 8 retail copies right now. The home version of Windows 8.1 retail is at least $120 everywhere I've looked. I did notice that OEM versions were slightly cheaper but they seem to be all over the map in terms of who is actually authorized to install them. I came close to buying this version from Tiger Direct but people have posted reviews stating that they couldn't activate the OS because they weren't on Microsoft's list of authorized resellers. I'm hesitant to gamble with an OEM version that may not allow me to activate and then upgrade to Windows 10. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[ven07]

I don't think there's a point for sellers to give away w7 or 8 for a cheaper price, because w10 is free and the 7/8 will still get support for a period of time