Why You Can't Buy a Naked PC 367
ZDOne writes "A piece up on ZDNet looks at the issue of naked PCs. ZDNet UK phoned around all the major PC vendors and not one of them would sell a machine without Windows on it. IT professionals are being forced to adopt Microsoft's operating systems — even if they tell their PC supplier they want a system free of Microsoft software. On the other hand, even if it's almost impossible to buy a PC without an operating system installed, companies like Dell and HP are now committed to supporting Linux as well. 'Murray believes there is a market for Linux in the UK but is also aware of the issues facing any large supplier who wants to make Linux boxes available. "It means diverting production lines and that is a lot of money and so we have to prove the business case," he said. However, he made it clear that he is enthusiastic about the idea and wants to make it work. "We just have to show it is worthwhile," he said.'"
Err, what about Dell's n series? (Score:5, Informative)
Aside from those vendors, and numerous others that specialize in Linux, I build my own systems for home use. Not a one of them has ever come with Windows.
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I blame the Religious Right (Score:2, Informative)
If anyone talked about seeing Ballmer naked, we'd all be hitting the speed dial to call our lawyers...
Re:Better than nothing. (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:5, Informative)
Where they bought through the "Home" or "Business" sections of Dell's site?
Because (and this is no secret, and not limited to Dell) the computers sold to "home" and "student" users are the ones loaded with garbage. The business models are pretty much clean, for obvious reasons. And the deals are usually better, too...
'Bare bones PCs' (Score:3, Informative)
List of vendors selling no-OS computers (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.abestpc.com/laptop.htm [abestpc.com] Laptops
http://www.adamant.com/ [adamant.com] Desktops Laptops
http://www.avadirect.com/ [avadirect.com] Desktops Laptops
http://www.com4.nl/ [com4.nl] Desktops
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ [cyberpowerpc.com] Desktops Laptops
http://www.goldenelectronics.co.uk/ [goldenelectronics.co.uk] Desktops
http://www.hypersonic-pc.com/ [hypersonic-pc.com] Desktops Laptops
http://www.ion-technologies.com/ [ion-technologies.com] Laptops
http://store.madtux.org/ [madtux.org] Desktops/
http://www.laptopchoice.com.au/ [laptopchoice.com.au] Laptops
http://www.mtechlaptops.com/ [mtechlaptops.com] Laptops
http://www.mwave.com/ [mwave.com] Laptops
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/ [novatech.co.uk] Desktops Laptops
http://www.pcsforeveryone.com/ [pcsforeveryone.com] Laptops
http://www.powernotebooks.com/ [powernotebooks.com] Laptops
http://www.rjtech.com/ [rjtech.com] Laptops
http://www.topmicrousa.com/laptops-notebooks.html [topmicrousa.com] Laptops
http://www.unitedmicro.com/ [unitedmicro.com] Desktops Laptops
http://xnbs.com/ [xnbs.com] Laptops
http://www.xtremenotebooks.com/ [xtremenotebooks.com] Laptops
http://www.zepto.com/ [zepto.com] Laptops
http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/ [lxer.com]
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:5, Informative)
In an ideal world, you'd be absolutely right. In the current one, not so much. I have an old Dell laptop with a 15.4" screen at 1920x1200, and WinXP really doesn't cope all that well. Changing the DPI setting (the "correct" solution) broke pretty much everything. Keeping the standard-but-wrong DPI and cranking up font sizes used to mostly work except for dialog boxes, which go badly messed up. At some point MS gave up and changed their policy via an update; now, dialog box text is always sized for 96dpi and cannot be enlarged.
Ironically, the only thing that manages layout flawlessly and respects font size prefs is Eclipse's SWT toolkit. MS stuff is absolutely nowhere.
Re:List of vendors selling no-OS computers (Score:5, Informative)
If you look at the first link you posted they have laptops with 128 Megs of RAM. Wee I can install an OS.
You CAN buy a Linux PC (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:3, Informative)
one today had a new dell they had hardly ever turned on. it showed. 4 programs popped-up when windows started, nagging the fuck out of me, and norton popped up while i tried to setup their email account in outlook, and something else popped up when the connection was active and i opened a browser to demonstrate the service to the customer. meh.
Re:Why does it matter if it's free? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:List of vendors selling no-OS computers (Score:3, Informative)
This looks good: http://www.efficientpc.co.uk/systems/ [efficientpc.co.uk]
There are also a few places that have a limited rage (sometimes one) of Linux PCs: http://www.clown-fish.com/shop/index.php?cPath=38 [clown-fish.com] (they have plenty of Linux compatible barebone systems though http://www.clown-fish.com/shop/index.php?cPath=3 [clown-fish.com]) and http://www.thelinuxshop.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cP ath=30 [thelinuxshop.co.uk].
Of course in the US there is http://system76.com/ [system76.com]
Re:List of vendors selling no-OS computers (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Yes, clients as well (Score:2, Informative)
We have a similar saying here in switzerland:
"Du chasch nöd de füefer unds weggli ha"
"You can't have 5 cents and a piece of bread"