mandatory OS license (was: mac x pc (was: Audio Production Laptop))

[Pietro Bergamo]

Em Qua, 2008-11-26 às 19:33 +0100, Sergio Bello escreveu:
> On Wed, 2008-11-26 at 13:14 -0500, Trevis wrote:
> > [SNIP] This leads me to another point...
> > 
> > >
> > > On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 8:07 AM, Sergio Bello <s.bello at sintechno.it> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> I can't speak for other countries, but here in Italy one can have a
> > >> refund if he/she won't oem windows installed on the pc.
> > >>
> > >> The same is not true for macs, i suspect...
> > >>
> > >> Sergio
> > >>
> > 
> > I believe this is so in the US where AFAIK most manufacturers will
> > send a refund if you refuse the EULA upon first startup of the
> > computer. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong on that though, I'd
> > certainly like to know.
> > 
> 
> I certainly know it's true in Italy (there was a strong debate about it,
> and lots of court sentences), but not much people applies for a refund
> (oem licenses are cheap).
> I am 99.99% sure in EU it's true, also (EU antitrust showed no fear of
> MS in more than one occasion ;).
> About US, sorry but I don't know...
> 
> As an aside, when I wrote "The same is not true for macs, i suspect..."
> it was not my intention to be sarcastic and/or offensive with Karoliina.
> I simply think she has some valid and some not so valid point.
>  
> I respect Apple's products, also: my complaint with Apple is that - in
> my opinion - they took a lot from the open source community but they
> didn't return much (CUPS apart, but it was in their interest).   
> 
> Sergio
> 
> -- 
> Sergio Bello - Software Architect
> 
> Sintechno S.r.l. [www.sintechno.it]
> 
> Via Dante, 188
> 26100 - Cremona (ITALY)
> 
> Phone 0372 22942
> Fax 0372 565287
> Mobile 329 9499343
> EMail s.bello at sintechno.it
> --
> There are only 10 types of people in the world: 
> those who understand binary, and those who don't...

Here in Brazil we have lots of computers and laptops coming with Linux.
This was due to a governmental policy to try to make computers cheaper
and thus more accessible.
Unfortunately, I don't think this is true for state-of-the-art
computers. But, AFAIK, the Brazilian law grants the right of not having
to buy different products together (like having to buy the OS license
when you buy the hardware), and therefor I believe we can have a refund
or at least buy "clean" hardware.

Cheers,
Pietro