MS Windows as a mandatory option [was Re: leasing linux laptops]

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: Jamon Camisso <jamon.camisso-H217xnMUJC0sA/PxXw9srA at public.gmane.org>

| I just purchased one of the T61 units. SuSE is only available in the US even
| though it is advertised on the Canadian site.

That seems like misleading advertising.  That maybe against some law.

| I asked for a windows refund on
| vista home basic and they will not give me one. I'm rather peeved and am
| looking into the laws in Canada that cover bundling as they say I can only get
| a refund for the whole laptop, not just Windows. I intend to reject the
| license when I first boot the laptop.

I'm a wimp/pragmatist.  On every laptop that I've bought, I maintained
the Windows installation.  The major purpose it served was to run
Windows Update.  Once in a while, I use it for BIOS or optical drive
firmware flashing.  Sadly, sometimes (rarely) I've used it to get
working wireless.

My daughter has been braver.  On her Dell notebook, Windows has never
been booted, not even to the point of the license.


On an Acer desktop, I didn't try to use the bundled Vista for about
five months.  It would not boot.  When I phoned support, they said
that the warranty on Vista was only 90 days (the machine was
warrantied for a year; the 90 days was fineprint).  So I had to buy
the recover DVDs for about $20.  Grrr.

Why have I used Vista?  To play with my Apple TV, which wants to use
iTunes on a server, which does not run on Linux.  Damn Apple --
forcing me to use MS software.
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