[ubuntu-za] A new laptop for Ubuntu without windows

[Casper Labuschagne]

<CAAV1Wv7yRzQ8TrntGQuNOT=cKgKsS5Ktqg_C-C2g8EaNiX5HAg at mail.gmail.com>

On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 12:03:00PM +0200, Hilton Gibson wrote:
>    This idea of activism is great but lets look at it from the retailers
>    point of view. How do they provide after sale service for Ubuntu? How many
>    of them know Ubuntu? Are we as a community willing to provide after sale
>    service and if so, what are the legal implications?

In the past I have had to send in a Dell laptop which was under
warranty and on which I had removed Windows entirely, replacing it
with Xubuntu.  

It was a hardware fault and having booted up the technician could
then proceed to a Linux login screen.  From that point forward all
the problems were my responsibility, up to the appearance of that
screen meant that whatever was faulty was in the domain of the
manufacturer.  Even the fact that the hardware concerned would boot
in Linux from a live CD and works reliably is all the Linux user
requires.

This is a good point, but I think the rule should be that
manufacturers provide the option of selling hardware without an
operating system installed.  They only cover support and warranty for
hardware, anything beyond that is up to the customer.

There is a business opportunity here - if a Linux vendor could
negotiate OEM deals with manufacturers they could in theory pre-load
the Linux of choice on selected hardware and provide a comprehensive
support contract that covers the OS.

These are the alternatives:

1) Pay the Windows tax to Microsoft.
2) Search for a laptop with no OS installed.
3) The activism route: Protest, use a legal route to claim a refund
for Windows or complain to the competition commission.
4) Find a vendor selling hardware with Linux pre-installed.

The last option is what we should really pursue.  At issue here is
really that there is AFIAK no retail vendor in South-Africa that offers
Linux as a pre-installed option.  Why there are no such vendors are
really what the ZA-Linux community should solve. 

Thanks

Casper
-- 
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          Casper Labuschagne
     casper.labuschagne at gmail.com
        http://intermark.co.za
          +27 (0)82 867 1767
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