Buying a Windows-free laptop

nospam@example.com (Graham Cox) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:02:15 +0100

I have recently been on a quest to buy a new laptop that does not come with Windows. If it comes with Linux pre-installed then that's the best outcome. If it comes with nothing pre-installed - which includes if it comes with the FreeDOS that some companies are now offering - then that counts as second, and if it comes with Windows but the company will allow me to get a refund for the software then that is third.

I am looking in the £300ish price range - ideally I don't want to pay more than £300 after Windows has been removed from the equation, which means that I'm looking at laptops that cost up to £400 with Windows installed and being hopeful. I'm also looking at full size laptops and not netbooks. If I decide to go for a Netbook then the Asus EeePC 1000 wins hands down and I know where I can get one from for £300 already. If I can get a larger screen and keyboard, and better spec machine, for the same price I'm going to. :)

So far, I have contacted the following companies with the following results:

Insight - Insight replied to my email within one day, which was very impressive. However, Insight can not offer laptops from stock with no operating systems, and can not offer a refund for a pre-installed version of Windows. However, they do have a laptop from stock that comes with FreeDOS pre-installed instead of Windows.

Dell - Dell US apparantly offer Laptops with Linux pre-installed. Dell UK don't seem to do this except for the Dell Mini range however. They do offer exactly 4 larger laptops with Linux, but prices range from £800 to £2000! Two chats with Dell on their Live Support Chat service both ended up with my being told to ring Customer Services. Ringing Customer Services ended up with my being transfered to Pre-Sales, who then told me that they couldn't answer my question, that I'd need to talk to Customer Services and gave me the number that I'd just rang. Additionally a post in the Dell Support forums has so far gone unanswered.

PC World - An email to PC World has so far taken 3 days without an answer. Admittedly, the first of those three days was Easter Monday but it's still not hopeful.

eBuyer - An Email to eBuyer got a response 3 days after being sent - again the first of those three days was Easter Monday - but the email just said that I would need to ring Pre-Sales. Having just spoken to them, they apparently can't offer a refund for the pre-installed Windows that comes with the computer and don't offer any computers that don't come with Windows at all.

Dabs - An Email sent three days ago hasn't been answered yet. The first of those three days was Easter Monday though.

Aria - An Email sent yesterday hasn't been answered yet

Scan - An Email sent yesterday hasn't been answered yet

Google Adsense site-specific ads are awful

nospam@example.com (Graham Cox) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:34:26 +0000

I've only just noticed, but the Google Adsense down the side of the blog here are really dreadful compared to the actual contents of the page they are on

On a page that is almost entirelly tech-related stuff, I'm getting ads for legal advise and pregnancy stuff - hardly the most relevant of stuff...

New Blog

nospam@example.com (Graham Cox) — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 13:13:00 +0100

I've decided that since everybody else on the planet seems to have their own blog then I may as well as well. Dunno how often it'll get stuff added to it, but we'll see

This site works best in a real browser - General

Buying a Windows-free laptop

Google Adsense site-specific ads are awful

New Blog