Dell To Offer Windows-Less PCs

An anonymous reader submits: "As a follow-up to the Slashdot story Dell No Longer Selling Systems w/o Microsoft OS, News.com is reporting that Dell will sell systems without Windows. Microsoft's new licensing terms stipulate they can't sell PC's without an OS (hence the removal of the NoOS option), so Dell will be offering FreeDOS as an option for some computers. It will come with the computer, but not installed, so that users may install any other OS that they wish. It's a very creative interpretation of Microsoft's licensing terms, and one I imagine Microsoft didn't have in mind."

Wonder how many Lawyers it took

[Trichrome]

How many lawyers does it take to find a loophole like that?

What we'll be hearing...

[x311]

"You can take my life, but you can never.....take.....my......FreeDOS!"

Dell should take the moral high ground here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Instead of doing what Microsoft does, and interpreting every contract to the letter, Dell should have gone with the SPIRIT of the contract, not the letter. If everyone started to do this, the world would be a much better place.

This interpretation of their license agreement can only lead to more money for the lawyers!

Re:Go Dell!

[Col. Klink (retired)]

> Who appointed Microsoft as the regulatory agency for the computer industry anyway?

Bill Gates.

Re:Two key points from the article

[unoengborg]

As the systems costs the same with or without windows,
it's easy to figure out the real value of windows

Re:Go Dell!

[rknop]

I saw your message with .sig attached:

Bill Gates.
--

-- He's dead, Jim.

If only!

(OK, I don't really wish him dead. I just wish him and every other Microsoft exec and lawyer to retire to a quiet life of recreation and contemplation, out of the public eye and completely away from the computer industry.)

-Rob

Re:The obvious move

[gabec]

kinda like those AOL CDs? ;)

Re:The obvious move

[jeffy124]

Get this --

FreeDOS is GPL'd!!! That's REALLY showin it to MS!!

Re:Wonder how many Lawyers it took

[hoop33]

It's also a lot easier to support FreeDOS than Linux . . . .

FreeDOS!

[Eil]

Ha! Of all the systems they could have shipped, especially to include Linux and the *BSDs they picked FreeDOS. That's just funny. Okay, the dumb little Dell kid just got a slight bit more tolerable in my mind.

Re:Go Dell!

[argStyopa]

I thought this is what the /. community believed in? If you buy a product, since you've paid for it, you can do anything you like with it.

Why shouldn't the same hold true for MS? If they've bought the Justice Dept, then they can use it as they wish.

Is a government agency open-source or GPL?

Re:Go Dell!

[Xenographic]

That's like exiling Napoleon. They'd just come back, stronger than ever, and be radioactive and fire-breathing, to boot.
---

I'm pretty sure that you mean Godzilla... Or did you say Napoleon to avoid being sued by the people who just went after Davezilla?

Must buy PC

[Tablizer]

Dell wouldn't sell me FreeDOS unless I bought a PC also! Thus I have to pay for a PC just to get FreeDOS from them. Those Bastards!

Re:So the real question is...

[cloudmaster]

Yeah, it'd be as interesting as last time MS went to court...

MS: "We're not guilty of evil things."
Court: "Yes, you are. Change stuff."
MS: "OK, we'll change stuff in such a way that nothing changes."
Court: "OK, you have until the end of time to make said changes. We'll keep pretending to argue so lawyers can make more money."
Lawyers: "Yay!"