Buy laptop without OS

[cartisdm]

I'm in the process of starting my own small company. I'd like to purchase a new laptop for one of the owners in the business. Personally, I'm a fan of Dell computers and I've heard they are now releasing laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed.

I am going to need to run Microsoft (yea yea I know), however I have a license already through MSDN Academic Alliance and can get a copy of Vista Business for free. How can I go about getting a laptop, without an operating system installed (which in theory should reduce the price dramatically). Or, if I get one with Ubuntu installed, do you think there's a possibility it would have trouble being compatible with Vista if I installed it myself afterwards?

Have any of you bought a laptop from a commercial business without an OS?

[damis648]

If you but a computer with Ubuntu, it should have no Vista compatibility issues, besides the ones it has even when you get it preinstalled, ;-).

[cartisdm]

If you but a computer with Ubuntu, it should have no Vista compatibility issues, besides the ones it has even when you get it preinstalled, ;-).

Haha, good one. Too bad the business world is currently embraced by Microsoft so the rest of us have to follow suit

[howefield]

How can I go about getting a laptop, without an operating system installed (which in theory should reduce the price dramatically)...

I think it might even make the laptop more expensive taking it without windows ;)

Simply for the fact that vendors can make money by pre-installing all sorts of software of dubious worth, eg time limited trials of anti virus programs, ect, ect that the software companies pay to get pre-installed.

You take that away and the vendor margin drops through the floor ;-)

[Trav1s]

www.newegg.com has some laptops without OS. I have read good things about the Asus models...

[brunovecchi]

I bought an OS-free MSI laptop a couple of months ago.

[cartisdm]

Went to Best Buy, bought a display model Gateway 15in laptop.

3gb DDR2 Ram
2ghz Centrino Duo Processor
180gb Harddrive
Vista Home Premium Installed

Not top of the line, but will certainly meet the needs for what it will be doing. Only $499 ($799 listed price) thanks to Best Buy not having one in stock and I complained that the display model "had some scratches on it." Thanks guys for the input!

[SomeGuyDude]

I think it might even make the laptop more expensive taking it without windows ;)

Simply for the fact that vendors can make money by pre-installing all sorts of software of dubious worth, eg time limited trials of anti virus programs, ect, ect that the software companies pay to get pre-installed.

You take that away and the vendor margin drops through the floor ;-)

Yep. Smash fifty pre-installed programs on there, most of which are trials, and vendors can have the computer cost less. It's like the ads in a magazine.

That's why Ubuntu isn't a cheap alternative pre-loaded on a PC with the same specs.

[cartisdm]

Yep. Smash fifty pre-installed programs on there, most of which are trials, and vendors can have the computer cost less. It's like the ads in a magazine.

That's why Ubuntu isn't a cheap alternative pre-loaded on a PC with the same specs.

It came with A.R.C.H.I.E., best buy's Demo software. Reset itself every 2 minutes after you stopped moving the mouse. Added bonus, can't be removed without the CD. HA! Can you say fresh install? Now it's Ad-free, trial software free, and ready to go!

[uberdonkey5]

Basically, pricing is a bizzare thing with computers. For example, I wanted to buy a laptop through my university (because we could get it tax free). However Dell sold the laptops to the university at a price which was more expensive than those being sold to individual users at the time (on the internet at least). The tax free cost was thus more than buying it personally, with tax. When I asked them, they said that they actually sold many computers on the internet at a loss. When I suggested that universities were effectively subsidising private users they tried to avoid answering this directly, he he. (not dissing dell, I think they are great, I'm sure every company does the same).

Probably best thing is, find the specifications you want (and a trusted seller with dependable components) and just try to get the best bargain you can, operating system or no. Unfortuantely as well, the dell I wanted didn't come with Ubuntu pre-installed, so I got a vista version, then wiped it off (this is the crazy thing about windows market domination... I had to pay (Bill Gates) for software I didn't want and had to go through the effort of getting rid of it)... you know, windows is like one of those plastic bags someone gives you for a single item in a supermarket out of habit and you have to demand 'no, I don't want it!'

[god0fgod]

Haha, good one. Too bad the business world is currently embraced by Microsoft so the rest of us have to follow suit

No you don't.

[use a name]

I have a license already through MSDN Academic Alliance and can get a copy of Vista Business for free.
Which you are not allowed to use for commercial activities.

[mips]

Yep. Smash fifty pre-installed programs on there, most of which are trials, and vendors can have the computer cost less. It's like the ads in a magazine.


Copy the restore CD to HD and use nLite to remove all the crap they pre-install + whatever you don't want from the OS itself and you have yourself a nice clean&lean restore cd ;)