Microsoft: Don't Sell PCs Without Operating Systems

ZDNet ^ | 4/5/06 | Graeme Wearden

[steve-b]

Naked PCs: Free software supporters are angry that Microsoft is putting pressure on PC vendors not to sell machines without an operating system installed

Microsoft has urged UK PC vendors not to give customers the opportunity to buy a PC without a pre-installed operating system....

The FSF Europe is alarmed by the prospect that customers who request a base systems would risk a visit from Microsoft's investigators.

"It looks like a private sniffing service which is supposed to spy on these who do not want to pay the Microsoft tax anymore. It is an incredible piece of impudence which any politician, customer and journalist should recognise carefully," said Jakobs....

[Citizen Tom Paine]

If you have a legit copy of a MS program that you bought, why can't you install it on another computer that you own.

Do you have to deinstall it first?

[stainlessbanner]

herewegoagain

[camas]

just make your own system. all part can be bought on line

[SouthCarolinaKit]

If this doesn't define a monopoly, I don't know what does.
Are monopolistic practices legal in UK? They're not here but when has anyone seen a PC for sale with anything but either
Microsoft operating system or Apple's? Don't know how they get away with it.

[Aliska]

I might end up choosing MS Windows or the new one, but I would rather have the option to install it myself on a new computer. When your computer comes with so many things pre-installed, there is a lot of junk I do not want, and I am afraid to delete it for fear I WILL end up installing it myself. That wouldn't be that horrible, but getting everything else installed and working properly again would take a long time.

In a worst case scenario, I'm not sure I could install MS Windows so it works right or not and don't want to find out with everything else that is on my system.

Maybe they think we are too dumb to install it, but it's mostly to ensure they get their money.

[HungarianGypsy]

We have Office It is licensed for up to three computers.

[puppypusher]

What is this crap that Microsoft is foisting on the public? are they trying to force us to by PC's loaded with buggy,memory hogging software or what.

If people wish to buy a Microsoft operating system that should be up to them. They should not be coerced into buying it.

Maybe if Microsoft would make more memory efficient software that was also dependable they would have a ready market that people would not mind purchasing their products.

[Terpfen]

If this doesn't define a monopoly, I don't know what does.

So vendors can't make requests of their customers? Not that I disagree that Microsoft is a company that exhibits predatory behavior, but this isn't evidence of a monopoly, for at least two reasons I can think of.

[knews_hound]

My Company uses a few standard boxes.

With 25,000 machines, we have a licence for Windows, ect.

They allow those of us in the IT dept to use their licence for our personal machines, with the understanding that we all use our home PCs for work anyway.

So now they get two bites of the same piece of pie?

Man, what a racket.

Cheers,

knewshound

Brew Your Own

[blowfish]

In order to properly appreciate Microsoft's admonition, you have to read it with a heavy 'New York Mafioso' accent. Then it becomes much more compelling...

[RegulatorCountry]

Back to their old habits, I see.

[Dinsdale]

No problem. They will include a copy of DrDos (or whatever it's called now that it's been open sourced) with every PC.

Next subject.

I agree about buying parts. A little research and you can build yourself a much better PC then Dell ships for less. They use cheap components. Even if you buy Dell get your RAM elsewhere. They mark that up about 300%.

If you need a MS license there are plenty for sale on E-bay.

[Aliska]

Do you have to deinstall it first?

I don't know the answer to that and recently installed Adobe CS2. You have to deactivate it before you can install it on a new computer, but they say you can install it like on a laptop you own and make backup copies. But you can't be using it on both computers at the same time. How would they know unless both are connected to the internet?

I'm not sure how they know unless it can write something onto the CD. The minute I boot up, I'm online, but I could disconnect from the internet to install. I wish I understood better how and why these things work.

It's got me worried because I don't know how to back it up, don't want to purchase Norton Ghost yet, and if my hd crashes without deactivating it, I could be in trouble convincing Adobe to let me install it on a new computer. Maybe it works the same with Windows now. They probably built in safeguards in some products because so many people were/are sharing software.

[Still Thinking]

"We want to urge all system builders ? indeed, all Partners ? not to supply naked PCs. It is a risk to your customers and a risk to your business ? with specifically 5 percent fewer opportunities to market software and services," wrote Alexander.

The MicroSnott-ies must be liberals. They confuse opportunity with the desired outcome . Couldn't possibly be that someone dared make the choice they don't approve of. Affirmative action for Operating Systems!

[dennisw]

What bullcrap. Tigerdirect sells computers with no-OS. Ebay has tons of them. Even WalMart sells one. They used to sell a few. But you can buy one with Linux on it and do what you want with it. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=231791

You can buy nice bare bones systems on Ebay and Tiger Direct. Last time I bought a computer with an OS was quite a while ago

[KoRn]

Most Operating Systems that come pre-installed are so loaded full of $#*! that even the fastest PCs get bogged down right out of the box when you first fire them up.

The last PC that I bought at a retail store was so bad; within 2 minutes of powering it up for the first time I had already rebooted with a Windows XP installation CD in the drive for a fresh install. All of the applications that they put on there almost amounts to spam as far as I'm concerned.

I say just build your own! newegg.com will do you twice as good for your money than HP/Compaq or Dell.

[AlexW]

"just make your own system. all part can be bought on line"

I have not had a factory built computer since my C-64, haha
I have built all of my computers from the 8088 in 1991,
to the Pentium series.
I make changes and upgrades as I need.

[Gorzaloon]

I agree about buying parts. A little research and you can build yourself a much better PC then Dell ships for less. They use cheap components. Even if you buy Dell get your RAM elsewhere. They mark that up about 300%.

We bought two Dells. They have some "Support" programs that are forever calling hone for who-knows-what reason. Support.exe is one, and on the support forums Dell refused to explain it. All computers since have been built here with a fresh OS.

Some are Red Hat, some are WinXP. Call me "Bi", I guess..haha.

[Dinsdale]

No BSD? You're missing out.