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

[Hilton Gibson]

"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."

This seems to be achievable.




On 28 January 2013 09:26, Casper Labuschagne
<casper.labuschagne at gmail.com>wrote:

> <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
> --
> ----------------------------------------
>           Casper Labuschagne
>      casper.labuschagne at gmail.com
>         http://intermark.co.za
>           +27 (0)82 867 1767
> ----------------------------------------
>
> --
> ubuntu-za mailing list
> ubuntu-za at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-za
>



-- 
*Hilton Gibson*
Systems Administrator
JS Gericke Library
Room 1025D
Stellenbosch University
Private Bag X5036
Stellenbosch
7599
South Africa

Tel: +27 21 808 4100 | Cell: +27 84 646 4758
http://library.sun.ac.za
http://scholar.sun.ac.za
http://ar1.sun.ac.za
http://aj1.sun.ac.za
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