- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1365909/get-your-windows-license-refund-now
cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1365909/get-your-windows-license-refund-now
Sure, but deal with it before buying it. This is something that should be handled at EU level (or another entity that supervises fair trade) anyway, pressure them to put it into law. Buying such laptops and later demand refund, unless supported by dealer/manufacturer, is not a proper way IMO. Do not get me wrong, I’m with you, it’s just the way that doesn’t seem right.
Ok. But for people who need a laptop today, they don’t have the luxury of waiting for us to live in a more just world. They have to deal with the world we’re currently living in, and this is a fair way of registering our frustrations with the OEMs about the state of affairs they’ve put into place.
Framework, Tuxedo, Apple are just some options.
I mentioned two of those above, and the third is one of the six I was thinking about (alongside System76 and Slimbook, etc; Pine is getting out of the game for the time being, iirc). I own a Framework and love it, but none of them are mid-range brands. None of them ship worldwide. Apple is…well, arguably worse than Microsoft, and they literally only have one mid-range laptop SKU. Likewise, Acer and HP (and maybe Dell?) each have, like, one laptop that will ship without an OS.
This is what I’m saying. Trying to buy a laptop without Windows installed means accepting that you’ll either be buying at a higher rung on the pricing ladder (not that it’s never worth it, but not everyone can afford to climb), or you’ll be buying a disposable machine.