Take a holiday from Kansas ("Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore") and come to India where netbooks with free OSes are relatively common but do cost more than in USA!

"Kansan" sounds cute, though -- like the China Town of Kansas

Haven't read the whole thing but I would just get one of ebay, easypeasy.

I suspect the OS is installed on the drives before the machines are even assembled.

Evo2.

Maybe OP can buy one here in Jakarta...PC, netbooks, laptops without OS (or FreeDOS) are available not in every store off course...even you can have test unit checked by bringing either your own live cd or live usb.

HTH

Isn't that how linux systems are installed or can be installed? It seems that it would be fairly simple to automate the install process of Ubuntu, or any other linux distro for that matter. Also, if I am not being too presumptuous here, many linuxers would be more than happy to "give" a company any script or iso that would automate the installation, therefore they wouldn't have to customize anything, nor pay for the customization, as well.


If this is the case, and taking from what eliott678 said before, then that would probably mean that they connect the HD's to a larger system and therefore automatically install the OS's, or using something similar to dd to copy the systems to each and every HD. Again, I can't see this being any more different or difficult than what can be done with linux already.

Why bother when they can pump out Windows machines by the thousand and keep 99% of their customers happy?

Sure, it would be great for non Windows users, but we are a very slim minority, it doesn't make sense from a business standpoint.

You could always get refunded if you dont plan on using the OS that comes with the netbook

check this out for more info:
http://www.theopensourcerer.com/2009...for-amazon-uk/

Funny that this should be so difficult an issue. The Apsire One is sold here in both flavors with the Linux one at less than half the price of the Windows one. No guesses why. No support for Linux though. So what? Just wing it.

Mine already has Fedora 11 on it. Why not buy it directly on line from the manufacturer?

I wanted to register because I too was looking for a netbook without an OS, so that I could install whatever I wanted.

May I just say what a horrible douc*bag (yes, I use the star ironically) I think the initial responder, tredegar, is.

I mean seriously. A perfectly valid question to ask, and such a meanly-worded response.

Like tredegar (I think), I live in the UK, and had never heard the word "Kansan", but with a quick Google search it was possible to figure out what this meant.

And what's with this "use a local store" rubbish? Everyone buys online, there's nothing unethical about doing so and it's safe to assume a poster on an internet forum was simply asking about netbook models and online retail outlets.

Gawd, some people make things SO difficult for others.

I'm still none the wiser as to the best netbook to get without an OS, I don't think it's safe to assume that *every* vendor is in bed with Microsoft to the extent that they wouldn't even offer a machine without an OEM OS.

I'd therefore most appreciate any (kind, sensible) responses on this subject, perhaps something a little more timely given this thread is old now.

tredegar: douche.

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/subcatego...20-%20Netbooks

is where I got my 3 Netbooks from. Just dd Windows to external storage partition. I put my XP on a 8 gig SD Flash drive (after Updates and stuff) with PUDD using Puppeee.

Cheap and I have owned these for a while and they come with a warranty. No unincluded OS though. Whether it be Xandros or Windows. Easy enough to install what ya like. I run AntiX on mine.

Oh yeah: refurbished list below
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/ViewProdu...=Netbooks/Mini

A couple of other sources I look at also

http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=1208

Edit: the $199.00 Emprex comes with Ubuntu preinstalled

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...ks&Order=PRICE

unfortunately. all come with operating systems installed.

Edit again: I am partial to the Asus EEEPC Solid State Drive Models myself.

For the UK folks

http://computers.shop.ebay.co.uk/Lap...4&_sop=2&_sc=1

Having a netbook ship with only BIOS is extremely rare, if not unheard of. You could try a company which sells a Linux distro pre-installed like System76. I think Lenovo had a netbook with openSUSE installed.

You may have to buy a netbook with Windoze. If you want your money back you can refuse to accept the license agreement and call the company, although they tend to be idiots about this sort of thing and it will probably mean making a trip to small claims court if you want a refund for Windoze.

I found that due to economics of scale it was cheaper to buy one with windows. Since everyone stocks the windows models I would have had to special order a non windows one and that is extra cost.
WRT tothe loacl shop, sure they are nice for parts to make a normal desktop but you can't really assemble and pick and choose parts of a netbook, they are all one single board inside to keep size and cost down so you can't get anything different than you would online.

Indy452, misterlhq,

Getting back to the original question; yes, you can buy a netbook with no OS. Depending on where you live. There are other factors which make the thing difficult or expensive. For these you have to shop around. You may also safely assume that "all" vendors are in train to Microsoft. It's called money buys the whiskey. Alternatively Linux would've been a monster long ago.

However; I suspect the real motive for the question is to avoid damage and expense - like buying new again after having busted it. You can buy anything with an OS and then wipe it. Trick with Linux is you have to know what you are doing, but unless you do something really without thinking you cannot bust it. Go to Linux Online and even if you do not install Gentoo, do read everything you can get there.

Oh yes, oneupmen haven't cracked it yet.