hahahaha!!! This is great! Microsoft really is having key problems with this release!
So I've had my disks laying around for a few weeks but now that RC2 is about to expire (in 24 hrs from now), I figured I should probably do the grunt work of installing the real releases. So I sit down and do the "upgrade workaround" thing for Home Premium on my newly-built HTPC. As soon as I finish installing it the second time it tells me that my activation period has expired and I need to activate immediately. Well, I haven't gotten any drivers installed or anything so I figured, screw that, I'll call them and get them to extend my trial period. Well, after talking to a couple different people, they kept saying things didn't look right. I finally spoke to a lady who said screw the installation id and just read my product key to her. I did and she said, "I'm sorry sir but this key is not for Home Premium. This key is for Ultimate Retail Upgrade." I said, "Oh, really? Can I read a couple more keys off to you and you tell me what they're for too, please?" She said, "Sure" and then after 5000 numbers/letters were read, she said them two were also for Ultimate Retail Upgrade. So apparently I got 2 copies of Ultimate, not Home Premium, for $50 each.
One helluva deal to me! This rocks, aside from another 2 hrs wasted watching Vista install itself. I guess it's worth the extra time to have 3 full legal retail Ultimate licenses for $350 total.
-Jax