No OS as a right

[Marc Lanctot]

On 20/04/09 04:30 PM, Matthew Middleton wrote:
> I'm no expert in the legal arena, but I don't think small claims is the
> answer.
>
> First, did they claim or promise to make Linux available, or to offer the
> model you want with no O/S?  If not, they're not really on the hook.  Think
> of it this way: If you were buying a car made by GM, you couldn't really go
> after them if you wanted a Honda engine installed instead.  As well, they
> are under no obligation to sell you an engine-less car (for equal or less
> cost), as that's not an option that they offer.  They're not under any legal
> obligations to offer you anything more or less than what they choose to
> sell.

I agree. You'd be fighting a losing battle. What it comes down to is 
that HP is not doing anything illegal. It's analogous to taking Apple to 
court because they sell their iPods with their own proprietary firmware.

> Second, it seems like a lot of effort and stress to make a point that could
> be made much more easily - vote with your money.  Buy a laptop from a vendor
> who WILL ship with Linux.  Even if it's not the distro you want, it's not
> likey you'll be paying for the O/S anyway.  Another good strategy is to
> write them a letter, informing them of your decision, as well as the fact
> that you will be sure to encourage others NOT to buy HP.  Word of mouth
> counts for a lot, and if you blog about it, mention it to your social
> circle, etc., it might just surprise you how effective it can be.
>
> All the above is just my opinion, so please feel free to take it with a
> grain or two of salt :)

Mine too. What's worse: you'll contribute to the increasingly popular 
reputation that Linux users have of being over-zealous and overly 
provocative. We (I?) don't want to be perceived as the w***y b***h who 
throws a tantrum whenever the "competition" "wins".. so, do it the right 
way. Writing a letter shows that you've invested some time into making 
your statement and comes off as a non-hostile gesture; invoking the 
wrath of The Justice System (tm) just sends the wrong message IMHO.

Marc

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Black holes are where God divided by zero.
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