[ltp] Updates on getting Recovery CDs for T41 + rapid restore ultra

[Jan Kokoska]

I was thinking about IBM Thinkpad in particular or maybe another quality
laptop (no offense to the other manufacturer, but I am strongly
opinionated about hardware). I should not be limited in choice of
hardware by their bundles with software they decide are to be used with
it. I should be able to pick the software myself, otherwise I consider
this a cartel deal damaging customer rights and I am amazed it is not
raised in courts (after ruling M$ is a monopolist on two continents) and
declared illegal.

I am aware of the efforts of HP, they have a model or two with Linux as
well. I don't care about these minimal effors too much though, I want
operating system when buying hardware *optional*. Arguments about
ensuring use of legal software when bundling it are invalid, this is not
a legal assumption that a customer is incapable to handle it
him/herself. 

There is not going to be much choice in software until these major sugar
deals MS vs. IBM/HP/Dell etc. are broken, probably in court, because
that is the only language they understand and people can actually see
there is an option. What sense does it make to first pay for the M$
bloat and only then make a choice? I am not aware of any other global
market that is so badly mutilated by whims of a single company.

I don't have to be upset too much, as I have sorted this out for myself
and I am making a living in IT without having touched M$ bloat for
almost two years now. But I would like for other, maybe less assertive
people, to have the option, too.

Regards,
Jan Kokoska


On Mon, 2004-09-27 at 11:40 -0400, James Knott wrote:
> Jan Kokoska wrote:
> > I consider a "violation of my human rights" to have to pay for OEM XP in
> > the first place, when all I ordered was a laptop. I never used XP on it
> > after the initial boot&wipe. Not accepting EULA didn't help either.
> > Buying the hardware without M$ tax is not possible as far as I am aware
> > of.
> 
> Actually it is.  Some companies sell computers, without Windows, at a 
> lower cost.  For example http://www.angelcomputer.com/ .  They will sell 
> you a notebook computer with Linux or without any OS, for several 
> dollars less than the same system with Windows.
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