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Date:      Tue, 05 Jun 2001 18:39:25 -0400
From:      Bill Moran <wmoran@iowna.com>
To:        Flemming Froekjaer <flemming@froekjaer.org>
Cc:        mobile@freebsd.org, questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Laptop without Windows
Message-ID:  <3B1D5F9D.A3B81F5D@iowna.com>
References:  <3B1D4BC4.A4698439@froekjaer.org>

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Flemming Froekjaer wrote:
> 
> I was looking at buying a Dell Inspiron 8000, but there was no option to
> buy it without a windows os.
> So i called them instead and explained that I wanted to use the laptop
> with FreeBSD. They said that would be ok, but i would have to pay the
> same price, as with the OS.
> Is that normal?
> I know Microsoft is not giving DELL free OS licenses, and I don't want
> to support MS by buying there OS, when I'm not going to use it.

As others have stated ... it's all too common.
However, there was an instance of a very principal driven fellow who
purchased a laptop (with windows preinstalled) and then proceeded to
format the HDD without ever booting the system. Because of the specifics
of the license agreement, he was able to get a refund on the price of
the windows license (since he'd never used it)
He only accomplished this after a great deal of fighting, but it can be
done. I don't remember where, but the story (sort of a HOW-TO for
putting it back in M$ face) is posted on the Internet somewhere. Do some
searching if you feel like fighting for the cause on this one.
If enough people fought over it, maybe companies like Dell would start
offering alternate OSes on laptops, or laptops without OSes.

-Bill

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