[olug] funny, true but funny

Dave Rowe dave at roweware.com
Thu Nov 19 16:45:24 UTC 2009


True, though you're buying a custom vehicle at that point, not "off the lot"
so to speak.

To continue the engine analogy, that isn't something you can buy the vehicle
without.  I can't go to Ford and say "I'd like to return this engine, since
I'll be installing a Honda engine" - it just doesn't work like that.  I
don't get why computers need to be the exception.

Likewise, with the laptop / media center, etc.  Even if it is harder to
find, that isn't the fault of HP, Dell, whomever, they have chosen to bundle
with Microsoft.  If you don't like it, don't buy from them.  I just don't
get the argument that people feel they're entitled to a refund on the
software they knew would be bundled with the hardware.

Buy from System76, or one of the other Linux providers out there, and stop
fueling the problem.

On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 10:37 AM, Carl Lundstedt
<clundst at unlserve.unl.edu>wrote:

> This is certainly correct for the desktop market.  I would argue
> laptops, media center form factor and micro PCs are harder to find/buy
> without Windows.
>
> I would also argue that when I buy a new car from a dealer they give me
> a sheet that I have to check off the accessories I want.  (New being a
> key word there.)  If I don't want XM in my Ford, I don't have to order
> it.
>
> To better your analogy I'd say if I bought a car to 'rod' up and planned
> to replace the engine I shouldn't get money back.  Maybe that's the turn
> analogy here.  The OS on a computer is not comparable to an XM radio in
> a car but the engine.  Of course I'm free to sell the stock engine to my
> buddy...
>
> In general car analogies get us in trouble in the computing world :P
>
> I don't, just typing out loud here...
>
> Carl Lundstedt
> UNL
> On Thu, 2009-11-19 at 08:54 -0600, Dave Rowe wrote:
> > I still really don't get the argument behind this practice.  If you want
> a
> > PC without Windows, why not buy one _without_ Windows?  There are plenty
> of
> > options,
> >
> > If I bought a vehicle with XM and never used it (I technically paid for
> the
> > hardware) - should I be able to yank it out and return it for a refund?
>  No,
> > I purchased the vehicle knowing full well what was installed, and
> therefore
> > paid for.
> >
> > If you can't find a comparable PC without Windows for as cheap as the one
> > with Windows, then you can't really argue that you've actually _paid_ for
> > Windows.
> >
> > On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Luke-Jr <luke at dashjr.org> wrote:
> >
> > > On Wednesday 18 November 2009 07:22:41 pm Eric Lusk wrote:
> > > > So, what happens if Windows is loaded on a recovery partition (as is
> so
> > > >  often done now), and there is no media to return?
> > >
> > > Presumably you still have a license key or such.
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