Re: Why hasn't anyone brought this up yet?

["Charles Kelly, NT*Pro" <ckelly@cpcug.org>]

  Anyone want to bet that I can't order a computer system on line and get
  either "no operating system", or a choice of two other operating systems
  from two different companies (MS is one of them).
  
  I'll agree that most/many companies don't offer this option, but I can
  prove that at least one major company does on some systems. This
  information would seem to invalidate the argument that this is absolutely
  impossible and that there is NO choice--because this is true in at least
  one instance.
  
  This is a major company and you could go their web site today and verify
  this fact. 
  
  Charles
  
  
  At 10:33 AM 11/10/97 -0500, Jeffrey C. Ollie wrote:
  >The same goes for Gateway 2000, pretty much.  I just tried to configure
  >a system from their web page - you couldn't tell them not to
  >install/include an operating system.  On some of the systems targeted
  >for business you can choose between NT or 95.
  >
  >Dana Newman wrote:
  >> 
  >> I have read just about all of this list for the last three weeks,
  >> and haven't seen anyone bring this up yet.
  >> 
  >> Here's a for-instance:
  >> 
  >> Go to any Best-buy and tell'em you want to buy a Compaq Deskpro.
  >> Tell the store manager you won't buy it unless the disk is "clean" and
  >> you
  >> want a discount because it doesn't have any software on it.
  >> You get two answers:
  >> 1. They won't do it
  >> 2. They will tell you you can delete the software after you buy the
  >> machine.
  >> 
  >> Call the Compaq corporation at any 1-800 number you can find,
  >> and request the same thing you did from it's retailer(s)Â  (ie;
  >> just a machine, NOT the software).
  >> 
  >> Just like their distributors:
  >> 1. They won't do it.
  >> 2. They will tell you that "software is a value added feature,
  >> not included as a cost of the machine".  This is to infer that
  >> the Microsoft Windows 95 software they are forcing down your
  >> throat IF you want to buy the Compaq MACHINE... doesn't cost
  >> you anything.
  >> 
  >> Bullshit!
  >> I'm mad as hell... and I'm not gonna take it anymore.
  >> 
  >> As a consumer I do still have a choice.  That choice is
  >> to not purchase the Compaq machine I wanted, but to
  >> purchase a machine I don't prefer from another vendor.
  >Attachment Converted: "c:\EUDORA\Attach\smime1.p7s"