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

[Darryl Moore]

hi all. don't post here much, but thought i might jump in. Regarding the
windows tax. i'd agree entirely except that you the consumer never pay it.
it is payed by the crapware vendors who pay to have their software
installed as well. that is why windows machines are cheaper then bare
bones.

just buy it with windows and thank the crapware vendors for the subsidy as
you are reformatting with your favourite distro.
 On 2013-03-13 2:10 PM, "Scott Sullivan" <scott-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org> wrote:

> 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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