>>>>MS has managed to make Windows synonymous with PC, and that's as much to their credit as everyone else's failings. I'm going to be buying a new PC within the next few months (a P4), I can hardly wait for that since one of my requirments will be no OS or software. I may end up having to build my own.< g >
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>>>Great minds must think alike! ;-) I plan on doing exactly the same thing, with the same game plan!
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>>What wouldn't surprise me would be if they tried to charge us extra for no software.
>
>That's happening all the time in the Linux world. Buy a PC from most vendors and you get WinXX "bundled in" if want it or not.
>It's called the "Microsoft Tax" by Penquinistas. What really bites is that M$ interprets their EULA and the UCITA to mean that you can't take your newly "purchased", unwrapped copy of WinXX and install it on another machine. Noooooooo! You have to buy a new copy for that machine and simply trow away your "bundled" copy, since you aren't going to use it on the machine it came with. Neither can you sell it on ebay, even if it is still shrinked wrapped.
>You are a "pirate" if you try to sell it. That is the dictionary reference for GREED.
>
>Dell started offering RH Linux on 'selected models' (read - older 450MHz boxes) bugt hides their URL to that section of their website so well that only persistance results in finding it. Scattered all along the trail are "New boxes with Windows XX preinstalled messages". With "friends" like Dell Linux needs no new enemies. I am going to PC vendors that specialize in selling hardware that doesn't require WinXX be installed. Luckily, there are lots of PC hardware vendors popping up that specialize in selling "Linux Machines." But, being good capitalist, they run 20-30% more expensive.
>It will require a little shopping around for components but I may be able to beat a Linux vendor's price. Either way, though, I win.

The son of a friend of mine works for Dell, and I asked him the question. He said that he didn't see why not, but to call the 800 number. I haven't done that yet. Don't want to get greedy and anxious about a new machine until it's time.

I figure that places like Circuit City, Best Buy, etc. aren't going to either be able to or want to do it, even though they advertise that you can specify whatever options you want since they simply send the order out to the manufacturer. I really don't want to "roll my own", but I may not have a choice. I certainly don't want to pay for something I've got no need of.