Ability to buy bare machines. (Was: PC with a GPL'd OS pre-installed)

[Scott Sullivan]

On 03/12/2013 08:04 PM, Howard Gibson wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:35:47 -0400
> Scott Sullivan <scott-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>> I know it's not Linux, but short of building your own machine, this is
>> the closest to "sell me a bare, but pre-built machine" I've seen. Aka,
>> No Windows Tax
>
> Scott,
>
>     A few years ago, I bought an Acer Aspire 3623 with something called
> Linpus Linux on it.  This was not at all functional, and I quickly
> replaced it with Fedora_3.  The machine is now retired, primarily
 > because the keyboard sucks.  I am now happy with my Fujitsu Lifebook.
> I touch type.  An encrypted /home partition, a long encryption key,
>t ouch typing and a bad keyboard do not work.  :(
>

Hello Howard,

I remember Linpus rather well, the distro it's self was a Fedora 
derivative and come install on my Acer Aspire One. I had bought that in 
the first wave of netbooks and yes, it's keyboard sucked and I also 
upgrade to a full Fedora later.

The real point of the post was somewhere else entirely.

1) We shouldn't have to build our own machines in order to have a 
choices of OS.

On the above point, when selling hardware that bundles an OS, that 
alright if that's your business model and it's free. But if the OS is 
not free, I want the option not to take it. This is what I found 
interesting about the Sapphire PC listed. It leaves the option of the OS 
open to you. They ship you the drivers along assuming you intend to 
install windows, but it doesn't make you pay for something you don't want.

2) I'm Trolling the list.

FreeDOS, Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

-- 
Scott Sullivan
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