Laptops without operating systems?

[acstech]

As some of you know, I sell computers. Mainly desktops, but I have sold some C90S units before, and they work well.

Problem is, that a lot of my customers are wanting laptops. And I would like to sell them. However, there are a lot who want something cheaper, in the $500 to $1000 range.

Typically in the desktop world, I would put something together, install the OS, configure it, and sell it to them. If they're adventurous, hate Microsoft, or just cheap, I'll put Linux on it. Works great.

The problem is, that essentially all laptops come with Windows pre-installed! So I can either live with it, reinstall it as I see fit, or try and reconfigure whatever crappy version of Windows it comes with, or eat the cost of the Windows license and install Linux. At that point, most of the value I might have added goes right out the window and they might as well just go buy the thing from Newegg. Hey, at least I can still fix the thing after the warranty period, right?

Anyway, I wonder if anyone knows of a good source for either cheap barebones laptops, or a source for laptops without operating systems preinstalled? As crazy as it might sound, I'd like to start selling preconfigured Linux laptops.

[Paul S]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

Dell offers a line that has Ubuntu Linux pre-installed:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/s...=19&l=en&s=dhs

They also offer something called freeDOS, but I don't see any laptops offered:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/s...=19&l=en&s=dhs

[arneson]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

Get together with the one laptop program.
Here is the machine:
http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/start/
It's brilliant and the second one's free.
I've been giving away laptops since before they existed.
Carried the RS PC-1,2,3 and 4 pocket computers around.
When the more powerful item came out I had no use for the older stuff.
If you were to buy a windows license then obviously you can't give a computer away.
So I keep a good collection of restore disks and always check for a restore partition.
When the stack of good useable laptops gets high enough to fall over it's time to give some out.
I have a mental dissorder that doesn't allow me to 'sell' anything.

[Paul S]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

I have read reports of a poor keyboard design for the OLPC unit. Keys become stuck, or are actived when a nearby key is pressed.
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?si...76255&from=rss

It also runs it's own version of Linux. I don't know if you can install anything else, maybe Ubuntu.
[url[http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Ubuntu_On_OLPC_XO[/url]

Hmmm... It looks like Microsoft refuses to be left out of this one:
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/20...-or-not-w.html

[Paul S]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

There are three Lenovo Thinkpad laptops that have Linux installed:
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...ing%20System_1

But they have the Intel GMA graphics chip in them.

[kikkoman]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

Asus, HP and MSI sell a few models here that have only FreeDOS installed.
Acer has a handful with Linpus Linux (most of them are new Aspire One models that use the Atom CPU). the price difference (to Vista Home Premium) is ~85€.
I have no idea about availability in the US though.

[linuxguru]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

Dell has notebooks (Vostro 1400, 1500, 1510) in some markets that are offered with only FreeDOS installed. These are usually a bit less expensive than similar configurations with the M$ tax.

Also check out this Youtube video to see how one Indian State (which is purchasing about 100k+ notebooks for resale to students) tested the durability of the notebooks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5TF3gA43wA
http://www.geek.com/elcot-tests-lapt...walk-20080702/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/2008...pcworld/147775

They asked the sales reps (who weighed over 85 kgs each) of Acer and Dell (the only qualifying notebooks) to perform the "Firewalk Test" on their own notebooks and videotaped it!

[Paul S]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

Dell has notebooks (Vostro 1400, 1500, 1510) in some markets that are offered with only FreeDOS installed.

Only the Vostro 1510 seems to be available anymore. I found it under the Small Business section. It doesn't have any option for OS other than the various versions of Vista. This is in the USA section.

[Paul S]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

I compared the Dell Latitude D530 (Vista) and the Latitude D530N (FreeDOS). The exact same system is only $30 less without Vista.

At least we now know how much Dell pays for Vista Home Basic.

[Junk Parts]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

My Latitude C640 came to me second hand. It didn't have anything on the Hard drive at all. I used my XP Home disk from my Desktop and it worked out just fine. I did got to Dell.com and download all the patches and fixes but now I find that I still need a dell resourses CD for this unit. Some functions just don't work as of yet. Maybe I'll go to Dell.com and see if I can get them to send me one.

[i4004]

Re: Laptops without operating systems?

a lot of the hp models sold here comes with freedos.
contact hp and ask.

there are also some lenovo models.

>As crazy as it might sound, I'd like to start selling preconfigured Linux laptops.

why crazy?
although for users that like to tinker you might have more support work..heh...
for those just wanting to surf etc. linux should work.

so there'll be a move towards this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook

if many of your users need full pc and have many friends with win machines, then you may have a problem when they try to do something that's easy on win, and hard on linux(anything including comand line will be).

btw. depending on the laptop hardware you can have problems finding good linux drivers, i believe.
i mean, that problem exists even with laptops on windows...