why I fear open source can't win the war

[Jamon Camisso]

Kush wrote:
> Though IBM and others seem to back linux, yet when one goes to buy
> branded laptops, even IBM is selling windows xp preinstalled. Not to
> mention sony, hp, dell etc and the others.
> 
> I went with a friend to a computer shop to look at some of the laptops
> and the sales assistants were not ready to uninstall XP from the IBM
> machines and take off its cost from the sales price.

Buying from stores at College and Spadina, no XP preloaded. For the same
price as the Lenovo unit, you can customize your barebones chassis,
purchase manufacturer's extended warranty, and still end up cheaper than
purchasing a unit from Lenovo or a large(r) computer shop who won't
remove Windows. Have you considered purchasing a unit, disagreeing with
the license and taking it back to the store? If you make enough of a
fuss there isn't much they can do but give you your money back. Better
to buy at a smaller shop though -- support the locals :)

> Why are these companies paying only lip service to backing linux and
> what can be done? Is the problem unique to Canada or is it prevalent in
> the US also where I believe there is much more competition and consumer
> choice?

Walmart sells Linux on laptops, so there is some penetration there I
think, not much I'd imagine.
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