Dell Customer Gets Windows Refund

Dell Customer Gets Windows Refund for returning unused copy of Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2.

This might be of interest to people who install Linux on laptop or for businesses that already have windows cd.

 

I wonder how that works, because it isn't the sealed CD that's of value - the OS is already loaded, so there isn't any way of Dell knowing if the OS (and consequently the product key) is "unusued" or not. Seems to me like Dell won't be doing that often.

 

Good point.
Interesting people call this "microsoft tax". A windows OS bundled with the purchase of computer on which the buyer intends to install a different OS.
http://tuxmobil.org/ms_tax.html

Dell does offer Servers and some desktops with no OS installed on them. In my old company we used to buy those and after getting them we would use a custom disk-image to install everything. A faster, easier and foolproof process.

 

Hm...this would make for a definate killer deal next time something like that 30% coupon pops back up...

Is there any more info other than the tuxmobil link?

 

Ya I'm waiting for that 25% or 30% coupons....I have a Windows XP Pro OEM (dell) CD already. So I don't need another Windows OS bundled with purchase of laptop.

I don't know any other links but from the comments on OSnews link it appears that other people were able to do this too.

 

I agree. I wish that vendors would allow buyers to opt for no OS pre-installed. That would be great even for some Windows users who don't want the bloatware, and are anyway going to install the OS fresh.

I know this will never happen for the three major vendors. One imagines that they get a tremendous profit by being in bed with Microsoft. Anyway, they probably imagine that Linux users don't exist (like me, I don't exist).

 

OEM XP is tied to the motherboard of the computer you got it with, so you can't transfer it to another machine. You can transfer as many times as you want with retail.

 

Its a Dell OEM CD. So should be ok to transfer to other dell system. As I understand if i try to use it on non-dell system then i will have to go through the activation process.

 

OEM copies are tied specifically to the motherboard, not to the computer builder. Yes it would probably work because it is a dell, but it would still be against the EULA.

 

Just checking, has anyone tried getting a Refund or asking the Vendor (dell, hp,.) to send you laptop without the OS and adjust the cost accordingly.