Linux pre-intalled

[Xeniczone]

Will anybody support a partition that we could make to dell, gateway, sony, and other big companys to give an option of linux when buying a computer?

It doesn't really matter to me I use mac and x86 computers I build for gaming so Just wondering if it would matter.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

I think you should be able to decide what OS your computer will come with ... so yes Linux should be an option ... or at least you should be able to choose no OS pre-installed. It matters more so for notebooks, since you can't really build your own ... can you ?

[Orethrius]

Will anybody support a partition that we could make to dell, gateway, sony, and other big companys to give an option of linux when buying a computer?

One of the reasons why this site exists in the first place.  It's not that it hasn't been tried - Dell, Gateway, and a handful of others used to market "bare" systems quite some time ago.  The problem is that Microsoft threatened to pull Windows licensor status unless the vendors stopped selling "pirate-friendly" systems (I'm sure someone can dredge up an old article about Microsoft's entire FUD campaign to shut out competing systems).  So the question becomes, what do you plan to do about those vendors that value form over functionality, and marketing over features?

It doesn't really matter to me I use mac and x86 computers I build for gaming so Just wondering if it would matter.

It should matter to you all the same - imagine a world where you could use nothing but Windows on x86.  That almost happened when Microsoft quashed Be, Inc's innovations as "intellectual property infringements" despite their claims to the technology being spurious at best.  IIRC, Intel was a HUGE backer to that claim.  Too bad AMD was a relative fart in the wind at the time, or the OS scene might look completely different today.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Whoah ... so Linux is a "pirate-friendly" OS ? Or is every OS not produced by M$ "pirate-friendly" ?

I've been wondering if a M$ dominated world would be possible ... can Linux be crushed ? If so ... how can it be done ... better ask Bill, he's got a plan by now.

[WMD]

Whoah ... so Linux is a "pirate-friendly" OS ? Or is every OS not produced by M$ "pirate-friendly" ?

They said that if you don't put Windows on the computers, they will go out and pirate another OS, which is bad.  In other words, it's for the users' own good that they be forced into Windows.

[Xeniczone]

No it isn't good.
 
Lets say I want a computer I have done my research and decide that I like a Sony Pentium 4 630. When I goto customize I look at the OS I want Linux. The choices are Windows Home or Windows Pro... What to choose. I want neither but that isn't a choose. So if I want this computer I must spend 100 dollars for a OS that I don't even want or can I sell again because the Lisense Sticker is super glued to the side of the case and removeal in one peice is HARD to do with out damageing the case and either way it is used software and you will only get 80-90 dollars out of the 100 you spend because it is already used.
 
No, you can't build laptops. You can come very close with mini-itx boards and a lot of talent but you really can't build a laptop because the 2 main parts of the laptop the case and the motherboard are customized to work together if you have ever seen a laptop motherboard you would understand what I mean because there is no cables involed everything just slots into the motherboard.
 
In a way you can't punish Sony because the most popular game system (Playstion 2 w/ 100 million units sold) has offered Linux for the PS2, and PS3 is suppost to have a 60gig harddrive (comfermed correct me if wrong) and they may release Linux with it. Which would be cool considering the power of the Cell cpu that is in the PS3 that is one powerful computer. Yet, nothing other then the 60gig hard drive is comfermed yet.


:macos: Xeniczone:tux:

[mobrien_12]

They said that if you don't put Windows on the computers, they will go out and pirate another OS, which is bad.  In other words, it's for the users' own good that they be forced into Windows.

More specifically, MS claims that if Windows isn't pre-installed, people will pirate windows.

Then Gartner goes out and says that the reason people want Linux pre-installed on systems is so they can pirate windows.  I lost almost all respect for Gartner that day.

[Xeniczone]

Yeh, but you can't use Macintosh as a choice because macintosh doesn't use boises it uses firmwalls. Kind of like the psp.

Microsoft only wants to say that thing about pirateing because this is really what they want to say. "if windows wasn't pre-installed then people wont want windows anymore because windows cost 2x-3x as much as linux and we rip people off with our high prices. If Linux was pre-installed then we would have to lower the price of microsoft products to match the compeditor and we don't want that."

Really that is probably what they want to say.

[Aloone_Jonez]

I suppose a very small minority might do that, at least if the dual boot, but MS are totally wrong for making this assumption it's like banning fast cars because people will speed.

[Xeniczone]

I agree,

     Just because a computer is bought without a OS doesn't mean people will try to steal the os.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Didn't Dell try this once anyway? Sell a Linux PC?

[Refalm]

Didn't Dell try this once anyway? Sell a Linux PC?

They only considered it.
HP had balls and pre-installed Mandrakelinux 9.2 on some machines. It's an old version of Mandriva, but still, it's lots better than paying $ 130 extra for a Windows license.

[mobrien_12]

Dell once  sold computers with FreeDOS installed.  This was for those people who didn't want Windows, but MS insisted that all new PCs from Dell had to have some OS pre-installed.

[Orethrius]

Dell once  sold computers with FreeDOS installed.  This was for those people who didn't want Windows, but MS insisted that all new PCs from Dell had to have some OS pre-installed.

 Since when did DOS not count as an Operating System?  Did Microsoft successfully argue that Disk Operating System doesn't qualify when it's right there IN THE NAME?

[ReggieMicheals]

I believe he left out one word from that quote:
Dell once sold computers with FreeDOS installed. This was for those people who didn't want Windows, but MS insisted that all new PCs from Dell had to have some Microsoft OS pre-installed.