Windows XP license: how do they get away with it?

fwor

wolfman wrote: »

I can't quite see how those relate, it's a very different situation.

Some like it, others don't. I think it's not such a bad model.

The examples given appear to be very different, but the principles are the same.

You may think the model is not so bad, but if you think about it, the model is not there to serve you as a customer. It's there to ensure that whatever route you take, M$'s OS is the only one that you will be offered.

Try this test: We know that Dell sell Linux-based PCs. So go to www.dell.co.uk or www.dell.com and try to buy one. You won't be offered anything other than a M$ OS. Now why is that?

wolfman

fwor wrote: »

Try this test: We know that Dell sell Linux-based PCs. So go to www.dell.co.uk or www.dell.com and try to buy one. You won't be offered anything other than a M$ OS. Now why is that?

Because it's the most widely used OS, by quite a margin. The average person just wants to buy a computer with Windows on it, because it's so commonly used.

And you're not forced too. As mentioned you can decline the EULA and get a refund for the OS.

And you can buy Linux laptops from Dell. However the range is very restricted. They can't release every model with Linux due to compatibility problems and support. It'll take time before it's across a larger range.

And it's often cheaper to get a Windows Dell PC anyway and just put Linux on it, rather than buying a Dell Linux PC.

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/segments/gen/client/en/ubuntu_landing?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs
(I believe the US has an larger range).

superscaper

fwor wrote: »

The examples given appear to be very different, but the principles are the same.

You may think the model is not so bad, but if you think about it, the model is not there to serve you as a customer. It's there to ensure that whatever route you take, M$'s OS is the only one that you will be offered.

Try this test: We know that Dell sell Linux-based PCs. So go to www.dell.co.uk or www.dell.com and try to buy one. You won't be offered anything other than a M$ OS. Now why is that?

I've not been on a Dell website in years. I got this in about ten seconds:
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&oc=D025N02&s=dhs

fwor

wolfman wrote: »

And it's often cheaper to get a Windows Dell PC anyway and just put Linux on it, rather than buying a Dell Linux PC.

Isn't that exactly the point that we're making? Why should that be the case if not for the way that the market has been distorted by Microsoft?

BTW - I'm not knocking MS products as such - I've already said that I reckon XP is a great (if inherently insecure) OS and that Vista will no doubt one day soon also be an excellent product.

Conor_3

fwor wrote: »

When people start to realise that some of the Linux distributions are just as good as XP and Vista, they will start to lose market share, but they have lots of cash available to help them fight back...

Sadly non of them are. I do have Ubuntu on my laptop and have been dabbling in Linux since RH7.3 times. Yes it works, yes my wifi works, I can plug in my iPod and automagically Rythmbox fires up and I've even got my 3 mobile modem running but it's far from easy and has involved a lot of hunting around on forums to find fixes for things that "just work" on Windows. I'm currently sat here with my fingers crossed hoping the hard drive cycle bug doesn't prematurely fry the laptop hard drive. The fonts aren't the best, good luck getting realplayer support so you can watch videos on the BBC News website and popular hardware isn't supported such as my Hauppauge WinTV SB stick.

It's, I'd say, 3/4 of the way there.

Conor_3

wakandem wrote: »

CONOR QUOTE : You can choose not to agree to the EULA and ask for a refund of the cost of the OS.

If I were to buy a pc from say dell and declined the EULA when I got it, would windows uninstall itself? would I be entitled to a refund from MS?

There is also something about the arrogant & rude tone of conor's posts that make me think he has some connection or interest with the great MS

Yes you are entitled to a refund from the OEM. It's not as if there's not been enough publicity about it in the past.

It's not arrogance, it's being sick of reading the same drivel year in year out. DO SOME GOOGLING and you can find out for yourself. I've read the same FUD repeated on a weekly basis since Windows 95. Do people not bother using a search engine before repeating the same old rubbish?

fwor

superscaper wrote: »

I've not been on a Dell website in years. I got this in about ten seconds:
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&oc=D025N02&s=dhs

Well you're a better man (person) than I, but that's not saying much...

I've tried to ~navigate~ through the choose and customise process and I never see anything other than M$. I'm sure if you already know in advance that you want Ubuntu then you can search and find those products, but were you actually ~offered~ it as part of the standard sales process?

I'm using FF with Noscript, so it's quite possible that something is supposed to pop up and say "Why don't you try Ubuntu instead of Vista", and it failed to do so for me!

adouglasmhor

Conor wrote: »

Sadly non of them are. I do have Ubuntu on my laptop and have been dabbling in Linux since RH7.3 times. Yes it works, yes my wifi works, I can plug in my iPod and automagically Rythmbox fires up and I've even got my 3 mobile modem running but it's far from easy and has involved a lot of hunting around on forums to find fixes for things that "just work" on Windows. I'm currently sat here with my fingers crossed hoping the hard drive cycle bug doesn't prematurely fry the laptop hard drive. The fonts aren't the best, good luck getting realplayer support so you can watch videos on the BBC News website and popular hardware isn't supported such as my Hauppauge WinTV SB stick.

It's, I'd say, 3/4 of the way there.

I am the same using kubuntu or mint. it makes me feel special though

Conor_3

adouglasmhor wrote: »

I am the same using kubuntu or mint. it makes me feel special though

I used to be in the KDE camp but I've just tried KDE4 and can't get on with it. Maybe it's because after a year out of Linux, I went with Ubuntu and got used to Gnome.

fwor

Conor wrote: »

Sadly non of them are. I do have Ubuntu on my laptop and have been dabbling in Linux since RH7.3 times. Yes it works, yes my wifi works, I can plug in my iPod and automagically Rythmbox fires up and I've even got my 3 mobile modem running but it's far from easy and has involved a lot of hunting around on forums to find fixes for things that "just work" on Windows. I'm currently sat here with my fingers crossed hoping the hard drive cycle bug doesn't prematurely fry the laptop hard drive. The fonts aren't the best, good luck getting realplayer support so you can watch videos on the BBC News website and popular hardware isn't supported such as my Hauppauge WinTV SB stick.

Well I may be clueless, as you pointed out earlier, but I managed to get a Hauppauge twin tuner card working with MythTV under Ubuntu without too much trouble. Both the MythTV Backend and Frontend packages are in the Ubuntu repositories - you can add, remove and configure them without even going near a command prompt.

But I concede that there are still a few things that can be "challenging" to do in any Linux distro (or at least any that I've tried)...