Are Dell's ever sold without an OS?

My mom wants to buy a new laptop so I was helping her look around.

At a local hypermarket, I saw the new Dell Vostro 1014, being sold for 2100SR ($560), which is a good deal here.

After looking online this looks to be a solid laptop, but there is one thing I'm not sure about.

At the store, they mentioned that the laptop comes with no OS.
Now I'd like to know if it is possible they could get these laptops directly from dell, or a Dell retailer without an OS, or if there has been some tinkering then re-sealing to remove the OS, because I don't want to buy a laptop that has been opened before.

I can install an OS with relative ease, but just want to make sure that its possible to get a laptop like this (new) without an OS.

Specs: Core2Duo 2.1 GHz, 2GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, and intel Integrated Grpahics

 

There are a number of Latitudes that you can get right now with FreeDOS (effectively no OS), and such has been the case for at least a year or two now. At the moment (at least on the US site), such an option is not available for the Vostro 1014, but this may vary from country to country. I wouldn't find it surprisingly if Dell offered something like the Vostro 1014 with FreeDOS.

So to your answer your question: yes, Dells are sometimes shipped without an OS.

 

So then its likely that the 3rd party selling it got it directly from Dell, as long as the box is officially sealed by dell?

Thanks alot Commander

 

You can try call them, there is at least a possibility that they* will do it for you.

*don't know who you should call


edit: missed the hypermarket part

 

Yeah, if the box is sealed, I would imagine the machine has never been touched. I don't think retailers have the ability to open and close those boxes without making it look like such.

 

They (the hypermarket) don't do that

I don't have any trouble installing an OS, I'm fairly tech savvy myself

I just wanted to make sure that the laptop could come from Dell without an OS as most laptops are shipped with an OS

Just wanted to make sure

Thanks for your replies guys, time to post and FAQ

 

It couldn't hurt to check the local Dell website and see if the Vostro 1014 is offered without an OS (or with FreeDOS). It seems a bit strange to me that a standard-fare electronics retailer would offer a computer without an OS, but it's possible, especially if this is a speciality shop where customers are more likely to be interested in that option. But if this seems to be the only place in your country where such an option is available, I'd be a bit suspicious.

 

Its not normal for laptops to be sold like that, and its not a specialty shop, so I was wondering.

Also, there is no local dell site I can access.

Just checked the Vostro Middle East site, and the 1014 isn't listed. That isn't weird though because Dell doesn't sell directly here only through 3rd parties