No O/S as a right more than ever

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 02:24:56AM -0400, I. Khider wrote:
> Well looks like I am alone in the room here in thinking that the idea of
> pre-installing machines with Windows (or Mac for that matter, equally
> horrid) as a default option in our society is wrong. The fact that
> students have to resort to piracy to get software they need from Mac or
> Windows to develop their education and ideas is pretty toxic in my
> books. That an artist, 2/3d designer has to pirate software to develop
> their ideas--the list goes on. This list states I am taking an extreme
> pro-Linux stance when I am say we need 'choice' is unfair--I am looking
> for balance. I say, resort to civil means if one has to--to re-introduce
> balance and harmony. That opensource options are not being pursued
> because companies have successfuly marginalized them out of existence
> thanks to consumer complacency--especially in Canada. 

At no point did I require windows to get my education.  Certainly at
university it was far better for me to have access to linux, since it was
much closer to the solaris, ultrix and aix systems the university used.

It would be preferable that you could buy any hardware you wanted with
any OS you wanted.  It would be great if windows was free and microsoft
made their money some other way.

> We live in a society where proprietary software is the default and to
> implement opensource/free software has to be an uphill battle. Why not
> default to free and then pick proprietary if we want it?

Because people like what they are used to.  If they can't play their
games and run their word on their new compouter out of the box, then
they would have to learn something new, and most people (strange at it
may seem to us) don't like learning new things.  99% of computer users
are not capable of installing an OS on their computer, whether it is linx,
windows, solaris or BSD.  They just have no clue.  So preloading what 99%
of users want anyhow is just a lot simpler.  Now I remember when computers
all came with DOS, and then they started coming with dos and windows 3.1,
and then they came with windows 95, etc.

> I will tell you why I am not extreme, easily. look around you, Windows
> and Mac/OS is the default--we are already in an extreme position. I am
> saying let us have balance and choice. How is that extreme? think about
> it. Companies dictate our tools, culture, and development--I am saying
> let the consumer have a say because we are part of the same ecosystem as
> the companies. We have the right to ask them to change the policy
> because they are as much a part of society as we are. We owe it to each
> other. 

5 years ago, no one would have even considered mentioning Mac OS, now
it is actually becoming a significant part of the market.  That's rather
impresive.

> So I am the one whining here? There is a difference between making a
> statement and whining, and I am making a clear statement--these
> companies need to be taken to task. I support these companies, we all
> do--because we nned them and vice versa. If I run a business and my
> clients ask a small reasonable change to make their lives easier (at
> almost no cost to me) you bet I will give it to them! Do unto others as
> you would have done yourself. 

But that's where you are wrong.  You are imposing a significant cost
on HP by not wanting the standard software load.  If 99% of customers
(and I am probably underestimating that) want windows, then it makes
sense to put it on all of them if it makes the production cheaper to run.
The overall savings makes the machines cheaper by enough that the end
user isn't really even paying anything extra for windows, they just get
what they want.  If it was only 70% that wanted windows, then it would
probably make sense on at least some models to offer it with whatever
the other 30% wanted.

I honestly don't care if the company includes some version of windows,
as long as I get the hardware I want, and the hardware is all supported
by linux.  I know how to install an OS, and I sure know how to delete
windows.  Heck maybe I will leave a small partition for vista on my new
laptop and try out a few games, or perhaps it will just be a waste of
disk space I never use.  Its not like I actually paid extra for it.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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