Is it at all possible to get a system today without an OS pre-installed? I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing this option and some advise would be greatly appreciated. Avoiding the cost of an OS is not an issue - I will still need a license of some sort; that is a given. It is the OS aspect of the considerations that I am most interested in, rather than the hardware build itself. I could build a desktop on my own or go to a shop to have one built to my specifications or I could buy one from an OEM. Most of all I want OS flexibility.
Depending on where you are, it's easy to find "freedos" laptops. I do not know about US, though. Here in EU you can find them in any local amazon.
@dogbite Tnx. I have looked on Ebay and Amazon for hardware - laptops, desktops etc (I too do not live in the USA). I really do not know if there is a real advantage (or disadvantage) to not having an OS pre-installed. If I buy from an OEM, I would like to see more options when it comes to the OS. It is very seldom offered as an option any more. That is I would like it to be an option (which includes no OS). They do not even offer downgrade options on the new devices. If I wanted it pre-installed I would like it to be a choice. I fully expect an OEM to modify the chipsets to their advantage - it keeps you tied to the current release of that hardware. They have EUFI and BIOS setup pre-reqs that can be a pain too. It is a very tightly controlled environment that forces you to buy new to take advantage of technology improvements. This can not continue. It is also apparent that these guys need to change their business model going forward - they are stuck in a time warp. Their business will continue to shrink if they do not offer users more flexibility. Well maybe that is wishful thinking. Here is a link that is interesting, but do the OEMS have the balls to stick it to MS (my guess: nope)... http://news.softpedia.com/news/micr...appening-behind-the-closed-doors-494454.shtml
The problem is that when you buy a machine with Win you pay some bucks for the OS even if you ditch it because you do not need it. 90% of computers come with Windows and in general if you want/need a powerful machine there is no way to find with without OS (I bet it's impossible to find something over i5/4GB RAM). Said that, I am so happy to get my new Lenovo without any OS...I do not like Windows and I would have trashed my money.
That would be an ideal scenario for me ! As others have said , there is always a "built-in" price factor if your new machine has a pre-installed OS. In theory you should have saved some money on the purchase price on account of that. Better still , you are NOT being forced onto W10 ..... Oh Joyous Day ! It sounds like an ideal opportunity to grab yourself a nice user-friendly , well-proven and matured Linux Distro ..... totally free .... and no license issues .... what's not to like ? For people who are coming from Mac or M$ there are Ubuntu and Mint , respectively. " The world is your lobster " .....
@emmjay I don't think this is specifically what you're looking for but maybe it'll help. There are linux and 'without-OS' computer vendor lists available. I've not done business with any of the individual businesses, as of yet. Still exploring. https://www.debian.org/distrib/pre-installed http://www.gnu.org/links/companies.html http://lxer.com/module/db/index.php?dbn=14
@wshrugged. Checked out all those links and I am also still exploring. I have read some posts on OEM forums (HP and Lenovo), but they are old - mostly around 2009-2010 time frame. Unfortunately the fanboys and haters got in there and hijacked the threads. It seems no-one can have a grown-up discussion on this subject (except here, of course) without the haters and fanboys blasting away.
In that case I'd go that route for maximum freedom. It also has the advantage of using a local computer shop instead of shipping from far away.