How can I order thinkpads without OS License?

Are there anyways to order a thinkpad without OS license or Return the OS license after I receive the laptop and get my money back on the OS License fees? A call to take out the OS license? I have my student academic OS License I get anyways.

I saw posts about PC-DOS licensing, but thats not an option atm on the website now tho.

 

Call and ask. Post the information here.

 

That would have been nice to know before I ordered my T400. I ordered it with Home Basic because I have a copy of Vista Ultimate waiting to go on the laptop.

 

Some university websites (including mine) are offering the PC Dos option ($63 less than Home Basic), but I have never seen it on the main Lenovo storefront. I read a story about a guy that refused the License for Windows, fought it, and eventually got his money for it ($100?), but that was a lot of effort and he only won because some news outlet picked up his story.

Your best bet is to deal directly with Lenovo, you may need to sign an NDA to get them to agree, or just suck it up and pay the Microsoft Tax.

 

What does your University website look like? Is it an incarnation of the EPP site but for your specific institution?

 

It's not too disimilar. It is Lenovo Direct PSA/IUC for Ohio, specializing in Institutional sales. Prices are comparable (maybe a shade less, but I doubt it) to EPP. 3 year warranties tend to be standard. The main problem is they lag on posting products there. I had to configure my x200 over the phone because it took a while for them to post it. They still don't have the x200s or x200t models, or the W series, but prices are good on the models that they do have.

 

I had seen it on Lenovo config page. They also had P9500 and other options then.

 

I was going to ask this question too. =]

 

any luck on this??

 

Yeah, I'd be very interested in any angle on this. I tried to order an X301 when they had a momentary glitch on the webform that allowed PCDOS at $-174.00 from the default of Vista business (it failed to be accepted at the checkout process). I also tried going through Lenovo sales on the phone to get a non MS option (nothing, PCDOS, or any Linux... I'm just blowing it away anyway), but that went no-where as I expected. MS put on the pressure to get Vista onto the masses, and the hardware vendors are complying.

More than the price, I really hate giving MS another sale of an OS which I don't want. That's just wrong. It doesn't reflect market demand. The feedback is incorrect -- I hate their product and don't use it, but they'll never know that; they just see another sale... hey it must be another happy customer.

I'm sad that so many people quietly and easily accept this... just buying the cheapest one when you're not going to use it. And of course this is what the Lenovo rep suggested, being ever-so-helpful. Great, I love paying for junk that's just in my way. Well I must love it... I keep doing it with every laptop, right? Ugh!

 

Microsoft gives better pricing I think when all the machine come with an OS installed. A few like yourself get hosed, but the majority probably benefit from the practice because they want a copy of Windows.

 

Well at least they could have offered the choice for microsoft OR Linux!
**** you'll be saving more than 50bucks if you took a free OS!

 

You can't do this.

I've tried returning the vista license without using it or agree to the terms, lenovo refused claiming they had a non-refund policy in their sale terms.

I haven't found any way to configure it with PC DOS.

 

Doesn't it cost Lenovo more money to get the Windows licenses, and more time to install before shipping? I can't wrap my mind around why you would not offer the option of getting a computer without an OS. You can ship it quicker, and both you and the customer save money.

 

http://www.linfo.org/microsoft_tax.html

simply as tax. Lol, technology life, microsoft rules.

 

If you don't pay the tax, how is lenovo going to jump on the boat with windows with their bloatware? It goes hand in hand...

 

The way it works is that Microsoft has private arrangements with each company -- everyone has a different price for Windows. If they play by MS's rules, they get a lower price. If they don't, they have a higher price. So now if you're a company that sells laptops, and you allow alternate OS's, your competitors can offer a similar laptop+Windows at a lower price. Who's going to sell more if everything else is roughly comparable?

And the number of PC's sold with Windows versus the number you'll sell without are much larger, so even though you save some hassle and get some extra sales of free-OS machines, it still doesn't make up for losing all the competitive preinstalled-Windows sales.

If Microsoft sold products normally rather than toeing the monopoly line, this wouldn't be a problem... but then they wouldn't "sell" nearly as many Windows licenses. See how they can decide what OS is good for everyone and make it happen? Doesn't matter if people don't like Vista... you're going to have to swallow it. Consumers don't have choice. I don't use their crap and I still end up buying copies against my wishes.

Also note the fiendish way they handle their EULA. They need to allow the option of returning the OS, but they leave it up to the company which sells the machine (this will also be part of their agreement with the companies -- that they handle returns), but there is no process for it! Companies don't have a way for people to return Windows. And in the rare cases they do offer a "refund" it will be directly from the company coffers, and MS will still effectively have a sale of that license and have the money for it. They've always been the slimiest business. Brilliant, but not benefiting any but themselves.

Lenovo was offering other OS options until recently. September seemed to be when everyone's sites became plastered with "... recommends Windows Vista...", and when Lenovo dropped support for other options... and XP became a recovery option rather than default install. I guess that's about when MS refreshed their deals, with the summary being "if you don't push Vista, you get this incredibly painful price".

 

Thank you for the information. very good point

 

And who will pay for the linux support?