# Buying a cheap laptop without Windows: Is it worth it?



## Rahim (Jan 10, 2011)

*Buying a cheap laptop without Windows: Is it worth it?​*
*www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00349/IN09_LAPTOPS_349977f.jpg​
A cheap laptop with a reasonable level of hardware, but no Windows operating system: bargain hunters can often find offers of this type on the internet. They are definitely worth checking out -- presuming you have the patience to work with alternative operating systems such as Linux and have time to perform installation.

The decision to forego Windows is the reason for the noticeably low prices of these offers. Manufacturers can save themselves the license fees that they otherwise must pay to Microsoft for each installation of Windows.

“The low-end laptop market in particular is so hard fought that manufacturers will grab for any dollars they can save,” explains Elmar Geese, chairman of the Linux association in Berlin. In place of Windows, the laptops come either without an operating system or use a pre-installed variant of the typically no-cost alternative operating system Linux.

For the user, that means a bit of extra work and acclimation.

Simply installing Windows from the old computer is generally not an option. Most Windows installations are tied by license to the computer with which they were sold.

Axel Pols from the German IT industry association Bitkom views devices without operating systems with some skepticism. Laptops have come to be so affordable that there’s no real need to go without an operating system, he says.

It’s important to look at more than just the price. “You should give careful consideration before making a purchase about how big your laptop should be and what it should be able to do,” says Pols.

Those considerations then form the basis of a purchase decision.

Does it absolutely have to be a Windows computer? No, says Geese.

“Mature Linux distributions like Ubuntu can now completely replace Windows.” Given that certain conventions have established themselves in recent years across all operating systems, there’s not even a great deal of acclimation needed. Macs, Windows, computers and even smartphones are all remarkably similar to use in many ways. “Linux distributions aren’t reinventing the wheel in this regard,” Geese says.

The decisive point for Linux laptops is finding the right “distribution.” To say a computer “works with Linux” is a misnomer, since there’s no such thing as a straight Linux version to be installed. Instead you have to opt between different software packages based on Linux, known as distributions.

Popular variants include for example Ubuntu, Open-Suse, Debian and Mandriva. All contain a variety of software to accompany their graphical user interface: a browser, an email program, a multimedia player and office packages are all on board from the start. Many distributions can be downloaded for free off the internet.

Many providers make it difficult for users to determine which distribution is actually installed on the laptop. For Thorsten Leemhuis, editor at Germany’s c’t computer magazine, this is an important weakness in these offers: “Just stating ‘Linux’ doesn’t help you at all,” he says.

Many devices come with a version of the Linux OS that doesn’t work on the device at all. One example is the Linpus distribution, a stripped-down variant that is primarily intended for the Asian market.

Normal users should probably stay away from those offers, Leemhuis recommends. “The interplay between computer and software has grown very complex. If they’re not optimally attuned to one another, you’ll quickly have problem.” Regardless of whether you’re using a Windows or Linux distribution, the key is a stable and sensible installation. If you are just looking for a machine that works, then it’s a better idea to avoid devices that still need a real operating system installed onto them.

The Hindu Article Link


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## gagan007 (Jan 10, 2011)

Linux is noob friendly. I know I could not have said this line some 10 years ago, but the scenario has changed drastically now. Installation may still be a little complicated for Linux but usage not...Such kind of offers will also help popularize Linux among the masses.


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## Rahim (Jan 10, 2011)

I believe the majority of humble guys like me have very basic requirements: web browsing, music, movies, emails, social networking -  which is taken care off by any Linux distro.

The claims in the article might be true 5 years ago but is redundant now and makes me angry. One doesn't have to have a wrestling match with Linux to work with it.

Hardware compatibility has improved, which is a milestone imo.

More and more companies are joining the OSS band-wagon (Broadcom did recently).

Guys just love to hark that competition helps consumers with choices  and quality products but don't sing the same tune when it comes to Operating Systems. So sad.

Bundling PCLOS/Mint with these laptops would be a great move if we still think installing linux by the user would be tricky. I find it no brainer with new installers.


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## celldweller1591 (Jan 12, 2011)

Bundling Ubuntu with Laptops & Netbooks would be better imo !


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## abhijangda (Jan 23, 2011)

Buying a cheap laptop without Windows: Is it worth?? No, IMO.
If you compare the prices of laptops with or without Windows Pre-Installed, then you will see its just the difference of few thousands of rupees. I think Digit has wrote an article on this Google vs Microsoft (or something like that) in previous year edition( I think Nov or Dec 2010).
Also most of the buyers just prefers Windows as compared to Linux. B'coz they are completely noob.


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## pauldmps (Jan 23, 2011)

OEM Licensing is cheap & the laptop with pre-installed Windows costs only a couple of thousand bucks more than the hardware part. Actually it saves much cost of buying a licensed version of the OS. 

All in all non-Windows laptops are not "cheaper" than pre-installed ones. Of course you can save a couple of bucks & pirate, I would rather get the genuine OS with the laptop.

About Linux, while I agree it has developed very much from what it was a few yeas ago, it still cannot compete with Windows.


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