From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Oct 1 15:46:27 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9CF5E16A4CE for ; Fri, 1 Oct 2004 15:46:27 +0000 (GMT) Received: from mproxy.gmail.com (rproxy.gmail.com [64.233.170.207]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 430B043D4C for ; Fri, 1 Oct 2004 15:46:27 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from kjelderg@gmail.com) Received: by mproxy.gmail.com with SMTP id 79so3654903rnk for ; Fri, 01 Oct 2004 08:46:23 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.38.163.7 with SMTP id l7mr3617001rne; Fri, 01 Oct 2004 08:46:23 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.38.15.64 with HTTP; Fri, 1 Oct 2004 08:46:22 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 10:46:22 -0500 From: Eric Kjeldergaard To: "julesg@newebmail.com" In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: cc: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: assistance with the LAMAQQ 56k usb modem requested X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: Eric Kjeldergaard List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2004 15:46:27 -0000 > -------------------- > > [off topic] > > By the way, when I very recently purchased the laptop from my computer > vendor, the transaction was handled in such a way that it seemed pretty > clear to me that MS had (very likely) pushed DELL in such a way so as to > avoid the most recent gov't monopoly restrictions but still make it > unrealistic for anyone purchasing a laptop to be offered a non-MS OS > within the US. > > How many people were able to purchase their lap-top without paying for an > unwanted MS operating system? Not me, either.) > > I did mention this to a friend of mine who is an attorney (who runs a > non-MS office,) and he asked me to find out if anyone was able to purchase > (or was offered,) their laptop with a non-MS OS. > > Anyone? Though I was personally unable to get a non-MS OS with my new IBM, while I was in the market, I often would price laptops and explicitly ask the policies about not getting MS/getting MS refunded. I got the latter agreed-upon by some companies, although almost noone would send without it installed. Gateway was among the companies I got to agree to a refund after about 1.5 hours of talking to their sales people and managers/manger's managers/etc. So it may very well be possible with enough phone conversation to look at a refund for the price of the software. If you read the EULA, you'll see that it is the hardware manufacturer's responsibility in the case of OEM copies of Windows XP (a change from it being MS's responsibility in earlier versions of windows). Thought I'd send along my $.02 -- If I write a signature, my emails will appear more personalised.