Desktop Linux is Windows piracy aide (Silicon.com) [LWN.net]

Desktop Linux is Windows piracy aide (Silicon.com)

Posted Oct 1, 2004 7:26 UTC (Fri) by hingo (guest, #14792)
In reply to: Desktop Linux is Windows piracy aide (Silicon.com) by alq666
Parent article: Desktop Linux is Windows piracy aide (Silicon.com)

I find it hard to believe that people who can get linux pcs would not be able to get pcs without an OS installed directly, given that few major distributors offer PCs without windows pre-installed.

You live in the US right? Out here in the rest of the world it is quite common for shops to sell bare bones computers, especially smaller shops. In fact, the arrangement MS has with OEM dealers in the US is illegal in the EU. So the problem is not how to find a bare bones computer. I guess the reason these Asian shops install Linux, is that it would be suspicious if 10-40 % of all computers sold would be without an OS. And then I remember reading that in some countries with rampant piracy it is illegal to sell computers without an OS, so you have to add Debian or DR-DOS to any package to be clear.

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Desktop Linux is Windows piracy aide (Silicon.com)

Posted Oct 8, 2004 17:24 UTC (Fri) by giraffedata (subscriber, #1954) [Link]

I guess the reason these Asian shops install Linux, is that it would be suspicious if 10-40 % of all computers sold would be without an OS. And then I remember reading that in some countries with rampant piracy it is illegal to sell computers without an OS, so you have to add Debian or DR-DOS to any package to be clear.

Here's another explanation, maybe even simpler: It costs next to nothing to put a copy of Linux on the bare system before you ship it, so why not?