Say No to Pre-Loaded Windows

kltpzyxm

Interesting discussion, anyone know where I can buy an IBM (my preferred hardware) Thinkpad T61 with Fedora Core 7 (my preferred O/S) pre-installed? Or where I can buy the bits to build the laptop myself?

tomsolomon

Try these links......:D
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/25/howto-make-your-own-.html
http://laptoplogic.com/resources/detail.php?id=22&page=2
You did ask...

kltpzyxm

Hi tomsolomon,
sorry, I wasn't having a dig at you...I was just making the point that you can't always get what you want out of the box....but having said that, I suppose thats what Linux is all about, isn't it, that you never get exactly what you want out of the box from other O/S, but the linux distros normally are the closest thing which allows you to get there, and its usually free...

tomsolomon

NP m8 just thought you might be interested to know it was actually possible lol.......:D
I did migrate to Linux for a time, but had to go back to Windows due to unforseable circumstances. I still run it on my desktop though, which I did actualy build myself from scratch.

wolfman

tomsolomon wrote: »

Id expect a little better from a Penguine lover. If your a genuine Linux user like you say you are, you should be ashamed of yourself. The whole idea behind using Linux is the fact that its open source, and for a genuine Linux user to buy a machine with preinstalled Windows just to wipe it off, is most hypacritical, and goes against the whole concept.
How anyone would want to pay a large amount of money for something just to throw it away is beyond me. And besides that if you wanted a machine to install Linux to, why didnt you just build a desktop from scratch.

I can understand your point. However, the cost of Windows on such a laptop or desktop won't make that much difference to the price whether it's there or not due to the huge license agreements/economies of scale etc... I build my own desktops, but with laptops I just look for the best deal. If that means it comes with Windows, then fair enough, I just remove it. You may argue I'm paying for something I don't need, but that's what I'm being sold. If I don't like it I don't have to buy it, as you say I can build my own, or look elsewhere.

Linux is open source, but that's only one of the reasons I use it. Also building a desktop from scratch is fine for some people, but you often don't get such good value for money. I build my own but can't compete with some of the prices shops offer.

tomsolomon

Its a crying shame that Linux is so far behind Windows. Some of the distro's are realy good and very usable. I think it will be a while before it becomes mainstream though, even the hardest techies like playin games.....

kltpzyxm

tomsolomon wrote: »

Its a crying shame that Linux is so far behind Windows. Some of the distro's are realy good and very usable. I think it will be a while before it becomes mainstream though, even the hardest techies like playin games.....

I agree for client machines, but for servers, IMHO Fedora Core & Red Hat are well in front of w*ndows....

wolfman

kltpzyxm wrote: »

I agree for client machines, but for servers, IMHO Fedora Core & Red Hat are well in front of w*ndows....

Linux still has a little way to go, mainly in terms of hardware support (for newer hardware, and getting manufacturers to release Linux drivers), and also ease of use. Some distro's like Ubuntu are very easy to use, but still not quite as easy as Windows.

In terms of servers it depends what you want to host. If you're setting up a server a flavour of BSD is arguably a better choice than a Linux server distro. Windows servers are ok, and using them offers things such as AD, Sharepoint and hosting anything .Net based.

Greensprout

gremlin666 wrote: »

My question is other than putting linux on it i cant see what use it would be without an OS. Its just another case of european law gone mad if you ask me!!!!

maybe he already owns a copy of XP, in that case why would he want to buy another copy of it..

kltpzyxm

wolfman wrote: »

Linux still has a little way to go, mainly in terms of hardware support (for newer hardware, and getting manufacturers to release Linux drivers), and also ease of use. Some distro's like Ubuntu are very easy to use, but still not quite as easy as Windows.

In terms of servers it depends what you want to host. If you're setting up a server a flavour of BSD is arguably a better choice than a Linux server distro. Windows servers are ok, and using them offers things such as AD, Sharepoint and hosting anything .Net based.

Hi wolfman,
Ive never personally used BSD, but now I'll be having look at it next week...