> If they're not doing so voluntarily, yes. A computer vendor, like any > vendor, has a group of people which should have a synchronized view of > what they are selling and supporting. The more complicated the picture > gets, the more flavors the products have, the more resources they need > to maintain that. It sounds simple when you look at your own single > request, but it becomes a mess when you hear all crazy things people are > asking for. So I understand why they say no. > > They have the right to bundle Windows as they see fit, and we have the > right to buy what we want. Since Linux users are a drop in the sea > (someone said 0.5%?) asking for a non-Windows computer is in almost all > cases equal to "I'll install some cracked Windows I have". > > As for getting a refund, I'm really not sure that will work in a larger > scale. It worked once, basically because Dell's main concern was to > finish the story with as little noise as possible (that didn't work...). > But let's face it: If you buy a travel package including hotel and > flight, you can't get a refund for the hotel, and surely not for the > price the hotel alone would cost you (unless the hotel doesn't meet its > promises). And everyone knows you can get an hotel and a flight > separately. And yes, there are some hotels which you can get a bed in > only through a package deal. > > The laptop and the OS are bundled as a package deal, and you know it > when you buy the laptop. Before the installation, your asked to "contact > the manufacturer or installer to determine their return policy for a > refund or credit" unless you approve with the license agreement. Their > refund policy can be 0 NIS as well. Exactly as you won't get a refund if > you choose not to sleep in the hotel, which you got bundled with the flight. > > To summarize my view: If there will be a demand for Linux or non-OS > laptops, don't worry. Someone will supply it. But as long as this is > something very few request, it's in a line with "I want a laptop > manufactured in Dolphin-friendly countries" or something like that. Yet > another annoying customer. >
The hole here is that he is not expected to read the Windows EULA until it is explicitly presented to him at first boot. He could _then_ decide to reject the license and contact Dell. It also says, explicitly in the license, that the end user has the right to deny the license and request a refund of the _software_. Dell may decide that they would rather cancel the entire transaction than refund just the software. Let them decide that. -- Dotan Cohen http://what-is-what.com http://gibberish.co.il א-ב-ג-ד-ה-ו-ז-ח-ט-י-ך-כ-ל-ם-מ-ן-נ-ס-ע-ף-פ-ץ-צ-ק-ר-ש-ת ا-ب-ت-ث-ج-ح-خ-د-ذ-ر-ز-س-ش-ص-ض-ط-ظ-ع-غ-ف-ق-ك-ل-م-ن-ه-و-ي А-Б-В-Г-Д-Е-Ё-Ж-З-И-Й-К-Л-М-Н-О-П-Р-С-Т-У-Ф-Х-Ц-Ч-Ш-Щ-Ъ-Ы-Ь-Э-Ю-Я а-б-в-г-д-е-ё-ж-з-и-й-к-л-м-н-о-п-р-с-т-у-ф-х-ц-ч-ш-щ-ъ-ы-ь-э-ю-я ä-ö-ü-ß-Ä-Ö-Ü _______________________________________________ Haifux mailing list Haifux@haifux.org http://hamakor.org.il/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/haifux
