[conspire] No more GNU HP Minis

[Ruben Safir]

> 
> Back when (with friends) I was running Windows Refund Day, our
> experience (however) was that we could say "Dude, buy from a more
> enlightened manufacturer", but would just hear back "But I want a
> $MAJOR_BRAND_PRELOAD_MODEL without Windows."[1]  
> 

HP is not just any brand.  They've been out there with a GNU/awareness
and support for a long time and despite Don's acessement of the cycle of
GNU offerings, it looked like they were heading in a direction of making
significant GNU offering available, and would make money of them.

For what it is worth, I checked these machines out carefully, and looked
at dozens of Netbook offerings.  The HP models that had GNU on them not
only were preloaded GNU boxes, which is what I want to buy, but it was
the best hardware I looking at, especially the keyboard.  It is head and
shoulders better than any of the other netbooks that have been released.

> In vain would we point out that $MAJOR_BRAND_PRELOAD_MODEL doesn't come
> that way, that it _might_ be ruled an antitrust violation but not today,
> that we couldn't wave a magic wand and bestow instant enlightenment on
> $MAJOR_BRAND, and that their options were basically buy the preload and
> sell the OS, _or_ buy the preload and spend months arguing for a refund,
> _or_ buy something else.
> 
> I got really rather tired of that discussion.


None of this is going to change until the major dealers make GNU systems
available for the public in large quanities.  That should be the goal
because after spending time in court over Windows EULA refund debates,
and DMCA trials, and pouring over the anti-trust findings, and the
seeing results, THIS CHANGE can NOT happen through the courts.  Change
doesn't come through the courts, and it is not going to come through
Emperor Linux etc.

Change will only come when a major player decideds to complete with GNU
in the consumer based market...something that Redhat, IBM, Novel, VA, at al
have refused to do.

Ruben

> 
> 
> [1] At least it wasn't "But I want a $MAJOR_BRAND_PRELOAD_MODEL with
> Linux preloaded", so I guess I should count my blessings.
> 
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"> I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.<
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt.  I guess you missed that one."

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