Crumbs
Rich T finds some tasty titbits you might have missed in the week's news
Wednesday 8 November 2006, 3:26 PM
Linux die-hard unbundles Windows
I do like it when users stick up for their rights, so this story made me chuckle this morning.
This IT professional has taken his rights to the Nth degree, but good on him anyway.
In case you missed it, a programmer from Sheffield has claimed a refund from Dell for the provision of the Windows operating system.
Being an open source die-hard, Dave Mitchell didn't want Windows (despite being supplied with it on his Dell laptop), deciding instead to install Linux.
Mitchell argued to Dell that you only have to pay for Windows if you use it, citing Microsoft's End User License Agreement (EULA).
He clicked 'I do not agree' in the Windows boot process, taking photographs of every click, finally receiving his refund of just over £55 on Tuesday.
Mitchell is almost literally one in a million for achieving this - it's an extremely unprecendented move and one which Linux supporters have been fighting with for years.
Maybe the Yorkshireman is a little on the fickle side, but one of the reasons it's such a rarity is that many vendors won't issue refunds unless the whole PC is returned.
And the situation is further complicated by variations within the EULA.
But now he has achieved it, it will be fascinating to see whether any other open source fans (presumably Dell customers) decide to follow suit.
This IT professional has taken his rights to the Nth degree, but good on him anyway.
In case you missed it, a programmer from Sheffield has claimed a refund from Dell for the provision of the Windows operating system.
Being an open source die-hard, Dave Mitchell didn't want Windows (despite being supplied with it on his Dell laptop), deciding instead to install Linux.
Mitchell argued to Dell that you only have to pay for Windows if you use it, citing Microsoft's End User License Agreement (EULA).
He clicked 'I do not agree' in the Windows boot process, taking photographs of every click, finally receiving his refund of just over £55 on Tuesday.
Mitchell is almost literally one in a million for achieving this - it's an extremely unprecendented move and one which Linux supporters have been fighting with for years.
Maybe the Yorkshireman is a little on the fickle side, but one of the reasons it's such a rarity is that many vendors won't issue refunds unless the whole PC is returned.
And the situation is further complicated by variations within the EULA.
But now he has achieved it, it will be fascinating to see whether any other open source fans (presumably Dell customers) decide to follow suit.
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