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Why Buy a PC Preloaded With Linux?

Posted by kdawson on from the diabolically-advocating dept.

Shadow7789 writes "I have been in the market for a new computer for the past few weeks and I know that I want to run Linux on it. However, every time I look at (for example) Dell's computers that are preloaded with Linux, the question pops into my head: 'Why should I buy a PC preloaded with Linux?' They are more expensive, and it's not hard just to reformat the PC with Linux. I hate paying the Microsoft Tax as much as anybody else, but if paying that 'tax' allows companies to reduce my price by bundling with my PC products that I will never use, why wouldn't I just buy a Windows-loaded PC and reformat?"

4 of 518 comments (clear)

  1. nnig6a by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    BE NIGGER! BE GAY! States that t4ere can no longer be

  2. Re:Custom made? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    ur also a bum janitor

  3. Two Words. by jellomizer · · Score: 0, Troll

    Screw You.
    I am working on a windows box with no spell checking on it. Combined with my Dislexeia, and the fact this is slashdot not a freaking report paper. I would say Deal with it. You got the point I don't care if it is spelled incorrectly.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. The Canard of the "Microsoft Tax" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    'Why should I buy a PC preloaded with Linux?' They are more expensive, and it's not hard just to reformat the PC with Linux. I hate paying the Microsoft Tax as much as anybody else, but if paying that 'tax' allows companies to reduce my price by bundling with my PC products that I will never use, why wouldn't I just buy a Windows-loaded PC and reformat?

    I've never understood this myself. People whinge and cry and pule on Slashdot all day about not being able to buy a PC with Teh Lunix pre-installed... but what's so hard about setting up an OS yourself? Honestly, the first thing I do when getting a PC is drop in the Windows disk and reinstall, since I don't even want to look at the pre-installed crapware.

    Then there's the issue of the millions of different versions of Teh Lunix- how is a hardware vendor supposed to know, or care, what version the buyer wants? If it's teh all about teh choice... then just put in whatever distro you want, and spend the next several hours getting the "not quite ready for prime time" operating system working. And if time or frustration prevents you from getting it working, you always have the license for a real OS as a fall-back plan.

    But it seems to me that cost shouldn't really be a consideration. If people REALLY believe so much in FOSS, they should be more than happy to pay a premium over commercial equivalents. Cuz it's teh free as in teh choize, not teh free as in teh beerz.