China shipping 'naked pc's'..

[baldrick.777]

is to stop - thanks to Microsoft!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadge ... oblem.html

I just don't get why Govts can't just raise the royal finger to Microsoft. How does Microsoft get this much power that it can tell a huge manufacturing nation like China that PC's have to have THEIR OS installed??

Must have been one huge donation!

[nomko]

It is not only China. In The Netherlands we have the same "problem": All desktop systems and laptops you buy in stores (except for Chromebooks and Apple) are equippes with Windows while the Dutch law prohibits tied sales... In other words, to our law(s) a desktop system and an operating are 2 separate products which has te be soled separate.... I always wondered why i can't buy a bicycle and a spare tire as 1 product (most cars come with a spare tire...), i always have to buy a spare tire separate from the bike, while desktop systems/laptops by default are sold together with an opertaing system???

[excollier]

I really cannot speak lowly enough of Microsoft........there aren't words for them.
Having said that, their virus and malware infested customers' computers provide a nice little earner for techs.
Long live Microsoft!!

[Pierre]

The problem, therefore, starts with computer makers, Singh says, since "convincing them to ship every PC with Windows pre-installed is difficult." Margins on PCs for a company like Lenovo Group Ltd are "near single digits,".

The result is that up to 60 per cent of PCs shipped in the emerging markets of Asia, says IDC research manager Handoko Andi, have no Windows operating system pre-installed - so-called 'naked PCs', which usually instead carry some free, open source operating system like Linux. That compares with about 25 per cent in the region's developed markets like Japan and Australia.

Huh - have never seen any "Naked PCs" anywhere around these local PC outlets. ..
- did get several at a local auction house, that were 2nd hand & the hdd had been wiped.

[Flemur]

You can get a refund if you don't use Windows:
http://gwa.tumblr.com/post/213975024/ge ... ws-license
...from the hardware manufacturer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_o ... ft_Windows

[OrangeShark]

I like how 'naked pc's' include a PC installed with Linux. Piracy is a really big problem in China though. I worked in a lab before with several people from China and they always seemed to be pirating and installing software on their lab computers, it was such a problem and headache for the guy who had to maintain the computers...

[DrHu]

• Microsoft has always been in the mass marketing business; and that hasd helped us all by pushing down hardware prices..

• Although it didn't do much for MS own software suite pricing until recently with Google and other online office equivalents
• Apple and Adobe aren't quite in the samew mass market category, and their prices also stick high
  --again alternative for graphics web pages or other design documents exist, although not a commercial choice for paid designers (usually)..

In the case of CHINA it was the pirated MS OS and software that was the problem: China told Microsoft they would TRY and cut down on Piracy for a better $price deal on the real item(s)
--they got a deal, I am sure of that..

For Linux OpenOffice/LibreOffice was always an option
--and the OS itself was freely available, with many choices offered

Naked PCs are relly own useful for those who don't care about the OS provided or want the least cost price..
--if they can get it..

Often enough a promotion on a windows OS product will be as cheap as a small source provider of naked PCs, and just as useful
--you can always try out the windows OS being included as well as any office suite promo offers or other software..

[shengchieh]

Huh - have never seen any "Naked PCs" anywhere around these local PC outlets. ..
- did get several at a local auction house, that were 2nd hand & the hdd had been wiped.

You can see some links in my long list in my website (signature) _> retailers -> Linux pre-installed vendors (desktops, servers, laptops, tablets) .
There are a handful of retailers that sells barebone. Try pricepc and thebookpc first.

Sheng-Chieh

[Pierre]

"You can get a refund if you don't use Windows:"

that's been done here too - but not often enough
- it's not well known, that it IS possible. ..

[excollier]

How about some compensation for having to use Windows for years.........?

[wanderer7]

Lenovo said it reached an agreement with Microsoft in June of this year to ensure that Lenovo PCs sold in China would come pre-installed with a genuine Windows operating system.

I guess this will happen only inside China, outside the country "naked" PCs will still be sold, right? This is just a temporary solution for MS though. What's next? They'll pay companies to sell their OS? Then they'll pay us to buy windows? How greedy they can be?! MS is making billions and they still complain about not getting "enough money" from developing countries. Disgusting.

I just don't get why Govts can't just raise the royal finger to Microsoft.

Sometimes they do: http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/20/technol ... index.html

[namandixit]

Replace China by India in that article and most of it still holds true. Majority of people get their PCs assembled in hardware shops, get either Ubuntu or a pirated version of Windows installed, get cracks for all nessecary softwares (MS Office and such), nobody's using Windows 8 (many people are stiil on XP) and DOS/Linux/Bare Metal laptops can be brought as easily as Windows ones. Developing markets have their own breaths and heartbeat.

[RacerBG]

The Bulgarian government also have the same MS problem. Fortunately here most of the new PC's are shipped with FreeDOS, Ubuntu or no OS. Only *some* laptops are shipping with Windows 8.1 and some with 7 SP1.

** Lenovo is good example of Windows based laptops even here.

[DeMus]

It's not only the governments who have to change their attitude, it's also the pc manufacturers. But, when they do they won't be able to sell PC's anymore because MS will cut them of. But what happens when they all stand up against MS, what will happen then?

Something really has to change. Here in Holland, as nomko said already, it is prohibited by law to tie sales: PC + software. But, as always, MS can do what they want. Why is that? Why is everyone so afraid of this one company?

Yes, you can get a refund when you don't use Windows. Any idea how that works? What you have to do to get some small amount, while even have to make costs to get it? It is ridiculous that you even have to do that, it's a world upside down. When I buy a computer I want to buy a computer, I don't want to buy software. When I want to buy software, I do that. It should not be forced upon me when I buy a PC.

To prevent all this I buy a PC at a on-line hop where I config the PC myself; I choose all the hardware components myself and don't choose any software since I will install a Linux distro on it. But not many people can do that, so theyhave to go to a shop in town and buy a PC of the shelf including the operating system.

Politicians should really wake up and do something about it. This has been going on for way too long.

[PatH57]

my 2 cents

it's also the pc manufacturers

it's due mostly to MS strategic pricing on bulk licenses and OEM licensing.
Also most major companies get a "huge" amount of Marketing fundings from MS.
And you have to get everything WHQL certified ,witch is not such a bad thing for end users as they can put some pressure on the manufacturer in case drivers don't work as expected (at least they have the feeling that they can)
My own PCs run open source but when I have to order more then a hundred at the time I want to be sure to have someone to talk to and kick ass if it doesn't work.
Same goes for server environment, I do love linux and use it for HPC or farming but for anything mission critical I always make sure to have a support and maintenance contract with someone (OS and software). Again it's just about liability.

[wanderer7]

Same goes for server environment, I do love linux and use it for HPC or farming but for anything mission critical I always make sure to have a support and maintenance contract with someone (OS and software). Again it's just about liability.

That's why Red hat and SUSE exist (and now Canonical) - for mission critical situations, when you actually do need contracts and paid support.

[Jedinovice]

One of the reasons MS gets away with raw intimidation is sheer financial stamina. When Microsoft integrated IE into Windows 98 the Department of Justice in the US fined the company $1 million dollars a day for monopolistic practices.

MS just paid the money and carried on. "We're making a $Billion a day! We laugh at your feeble fines!"

When they were forced to go with Windows 98SE, Netscape were dead and IE was the browser of choice and Microsoft dominant reasserted.

The good news is that the MS stranglehold is weakening but it will be a long time before the giant is tamed. I mean you just TRY getting non-techies to switch from Windows, no matter how bad it is. I also predce Windows 9 will lead to a resurge of Windows as happened with 7 replacing Vista. It wil be along time before Microsoft are toppled but... it is happening.

Oh, and while Apple are making headway, they are just as nasty a Microsoft. See their pricing policy and long history of suing anything that moves.

I am so glad Linux is now desktop ready. Now I am on Mint KDE I can't see myself going back.

[Pierre]

The good news is that the MS stranglehold is weakening but it will be a long time before the giant is tamed. I mean you just TRY getting non-techies to switch from Windows, no matter how bad it is. I also predict Windows 9 will lead to a resurge of Windows as happened with 7 replacing Vista. It wil be along time before Microsoft are toppled but... it is happening.

with win_XP now off-line, - they need to produce a winner O/S - to replace it. ..
- it's the usual 'bad one' - 'good one' cycle - with each 'good one' their sales go up even higher.


- - > anyone ever succeeded in getting a "non-techie to switch from Windows" ??.

[RacerBG]

- - > anyone ever succeeded in getting a "non-techie to switch from Windows" ??.

Here we have success! The reason of course - my friend was with exausted laptop thanks to Windows 7 and after a few days blah, blah, blah how Linux is better than Windows he said "well then, I will try your distro (Mint 14 back then)".

He was simply amazed how fast Linux was compared to 7! And he is not a technie guy. He is kind of adventurer that's all. Then he attracted his sister to use Mint and one friend of him too. This is the Linux plague you know.

[Jedinovice]

- - > anyone ever succeeded in getting a "non-techie to switch from Windows" ??.

Here we have success! The reason of course - my friend was with exausted laptop thanks to Windows 7 and after a few days blah, blah, blah how Linux is better than Windows he said "well then, I will try your distro (Mint 14 back then)".

He was simply amazed how fast Linux was compared to 7! And he is not a technie guy. He is kind of adventurer that's all. Then he attracted his sister to use Mint and one friend of him too. This is the Linux plague you know.

Horrah! And there was much rejoicing.

Personally though, I've given up. Even when I get someone to convert they always go back to Windows. (Bear in mind that I live in Indonesia where it is unusual for a laptop to have legal software on it. Everyone pirates and so the price compensation from Linux does not register. "I can get Windows 7, office and photoshop for $20 so why do I need Mint?"
Lack of hand holding support is the other killer. Did get one Pro video editor to adopt Mint 16 and kdenlive on his laptop, mind. But he has technical skill. Still, his totally non-techie wife will testify that Mint Linux KDE is easier to use than Windows.