News Italy bans the 'Microsoft Tax'

From a support perspective, there is good reason to pre install Windows - it's a baseliner.
Many moons ago I would build and sell PC's locally, I wouldn't consider selling a barebones package or installing anything but Windows. Doing so would cause no end of issues to deal with (it was bad enough with Windows).
If a company wishes to offer barebones, or Linux then that's great, but it should be their choice.

Consumers wishing to buy a PC without an OS, or alternative OS, have lots of choice (maybe not from the big high street chains) but the option is there, especially online (from barebones to component level).

I would only agree with the ruling, however, if it were found that MS were pressuring these companies to preinstall Windows.

 

Yes but Dell etc buy the cheapest knock-off crap they can lay their hands on. They don't care whether the 1GB HDD is any good as long as they can say it's 1GB. Same with all the components they use. They don't care whether they actually work well together either.

I can build a PC the same spec as an off-the-shelf Dell and it will be cheaper AND faster.

 

If someone wants to buy a computer from me without an os, that's fine, I will offer support for hardware, but not software, unless they are willing to pay for software support

 

That's true, for desktops. However, for laptops is the exact opposite.

Why not giving the customers choice? A company could always sell desktops and laptops with Windows as default, but if, and only if, a costumer asks to ship with no OS, they should discount the license.

 

@ Gareth...

He might love building small form factor budget pc's. Does he get money off build cost if willing to pay to build such a machine?

liked your comprehensive rules!

 

Even if you don't cost for building it you still couldn't get close, the OS takes up around 40% of the build cost.

 

Exactly.

Gareth did the math on the previous page and he came in at £3 below Dells price, now the cheapest any Windows ever was legally was £20 when they had some promo around Windows 8 launch, so even with that promo price you would still end up £17 in the red.

Then add in the cost of disposing of packaging material the components came in, cost of assembly, cost of packaging the finished pc, cost of storing the finished pc until it sells, cost of advertising it to potential buyers, the fees for accepting card payments and so on...

You'd easily end up £100+ in the red.

 

I'd buy one for that....
Heck I'd buy two.

 

What even Windows 8
Quick someone get Xir a stretcher, i think he maybe coming down with something.

 

The latest version seems to be able to work like Win7 for desktop people (what it should have done in the first place), so yeah.