Computer without Windows and get money back!

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Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby viking60 » Oct 28th, '14, 01:28

In Italy the supreme court has decided that everyone is entitled to buy a computer and an OS separately. Computer shops will have to refund the cost for Windows that are added to the computer, and they must sell you a computer without it if you so desire.

I am tickled pink over this one.
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby benmc » Oct 28th, '14, 01:41

We live in hope.
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby viking60 » Oct 28th, '14, 11:51

Yes I guess New Zealand has a way to go before they get there. I have argued in the computer store that I do not want Windows with the computer, and they say that it is part of the computer so my only option is not to buy it.

Then I argued that I do not accept the license and Microsofts conditions - so I want a refund. In that case they will have nothing to do with it and want me to take it directly with Microsoft.

That is not according to the law here, where the one that is selling it to you has to answer to you, and take the fight with his supplier if necessary - that is not your problem.
In any case they claim that Windows does not cost anything when it comes with the computer - so there is nothing to refund.

This bluff has been called in Italy. Hiding the price for Windows in the total price for the computer is history there.

Somehow Microsoft gets away with it here though.
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby xboxboy » Oct 28th, '14, 13:06

Viking, as an Australian, I'm in the same boat as you. It will be a strange day our government decides against the convenience of bundling an OS with a PC as per big business wishes.

That said, I'm glad Dell are offering a linux based Laptop, even though it wasn't available locally, I got my sister to grab me one while she was in the USA. If we want more of it, we have to support programs like what Dell is offering.
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby benmc » Oct 28th, '14, 20:53

here, some online suppliers will supply a " bare bones box" -not lappys though. complete with no O/S.

still waiting for brick and mortar stores to follow suit.
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby Silver22 » Oct 30th, '14, 22:01

I assembled my own computer with advice from Tom's Hardware Guide and parts from Newegg. I'm pretty content with it and Mageia.
MOBO: ASUS|F2A85-V PRO A85 FM2 R
PROCESSOR: AMD A10-5800K APU with Radeon(tm) HD 3.8G 4M FM2 R
MEM: 8X2 G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
HD: Segate 250 gig
VIDEO CARD: ONBOARD AMD/ATI TRINITY [RADEON 7660D]
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby mgkiwi » Nov 2nd, '14, 15:49

Yes! no Windows in our house - I built our PC from parts bought mostly in December 2008, with a 2% discount from Ascent for buying everything from them. It's still going strong, with a few enhancements over the years, might get a new motherboard and other things next year but we're pretty happy with how it runs. Mageia all the way :)
Mageia 8 for x86_64, Asus ROG Strix X570-E, Ryzen 7 Octa-core 3700X, Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5700, 32 GB RAM
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby malitia » Nov 7th, '14, 21:07

As currently stands it's illegal in Hungary to sell a computer without an OS. Generally there are two workarounds:

1) Computers with 'Alibi OS'. Something the buyer is expected to change, these are either minimal linuxes or free DOS and barely functional. (my current laptop, the one with Mageia, came with free DOS.)
2) Buying parts (and maybe even paying for assembly) in a computer store. So on paper not buying a comuter.
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby morgano » Dec 11th, '14, 14:09

bring a bootable USB or CD to the store, put it into a computer without OS and let the seller sell it with it plugged in... ;)

What really annoys me nowadays is that the situation is much wors on the mobile phones, they are bundled with operating systems containing spiware, logging and update control systems manouvered by one or more large international or foreign companies, proved spied upon by spy ("intelligence") organisations...
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Re: Computer without Windows and get money back!

Postby jiml8 » Dec 11th, '14, 22:59

So, go buy an android phone, root it, and then clean it up.

It isn't easy, but it is possible. My Samsung Galaxy S5 does not spy very much on me; I removed those apps that I had no use for that were spying, blocked from communicating off the system those apps that I DID have a use for that were spying, and I have done a lot of traffic monitoring on the phone to identify exactly who my device is talking to, and why. I block everyone I don't want it to talk to.

This is far from perfect; by the very nature of the device it WILL leak information and you cannot really stop that without destroying much of its usefulness. You can, however, very greatly REDUCE that.

Hint: avoid twitter like the plague; it is collecting information about every application that is on your phone. Also, keep skype from running unless you are talking to someone; I have caught the linux version of it redhanded spying. I even built a VM just for skype, so I could use it on the desktop and when it spied it would find nothing on the system.
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