Comments on: One at a time http://macslow.net/?p=148 stuff happening on macslow.net Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:09:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Equiliberate http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-97269 Equiliberate Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:22:01 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-97269 i just got a refund for windows vista from HP in the U.S. - and it was not so easy!!! read the full story if you have the time, here: http://digg.com/microsoft/How_I_got_a_Windows_Vista_refund_from_HP i just got a refund for windows vista from HP in the U.S. - and it was not so easy!!! read the full story if you have the time, here:

http://digg.com/microsoft/How_I_got_a_Windows_Vista_refund_from_HP

]]> By: Universal Cynic http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-56424 Universal Cynic Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:23:05 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-56424 We're lucky in Malaysia. I helped my sister in law buy an Acer notebook - no MS - only Linux. Almost every model has a Linux counterpart. Then my wife bought an HP notebook - FreeDOS. The MS version they don't even sell because no demand. I just bought a Lenovo - PCDOS7. They sell without MS - you have option to top-up to get Vista Home Premium. You know why? Because people don't want to pay for MS stuff - they just pirate them, use company legal enterprise license, or like me, go Linux. In fact, MS had to offer a special deal for Malaysia only: less than US90 for a Vista Home Premium. Hehe, better US90 than nothing at all, eh? We’re lucky in Malaysia. I helped my sister in law buy an Acer notebook - no MS - only Linux. Almost every model has a Linux counterpart. Then my wife bought an HP notebook - FreeDOS. The MS version they don’t even sell because no demand. I just bought a Lenovo - PCDOS7. They sell without MS - you have option to top-up to get Vista Home Premium.
You know why? Because people don’t want to pay for MS stuff - they just pirate them, use company legal enterprise license, or like me, go Linux. In fact, MS had to offer a special deal for Malaysia only: less than US90 for a Vista Home Premium. Hehe, better US90 than nothing at all, eh?

]]> By: Lukasz Wisniewski http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31425 Lukasz Wisniewski Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:28:05 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31425 Congratulations! This is actually a piece of useful information for me as I try to avoid paying obligatory MS-Tax :| For the whole past month I have been e-mailing HP Customer Service in Poland if I could get a Vista refund after buying one of their laptops - no response so far :| Dell in Poland seems to ignore the general public, see http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/74918/Start_offering_DELL_products_to_the_general_public_in_Poland ...then we have Lenovo laptops so I think I will give them a try... here or in not so remote Germany ;) Unfortunately, at the time being, the only rational solution seems to be buying some ugly-looking, yet powerful barebone laptop. I reckon you didn't get actually a full refund because money you got came from Lenovo not Microsoft. "I've cost Dell £50, not Microsoft, which is a slightly annoying," said Mr Mitchell. He encouraged other people to try to get a refund and wondered if Dell's policy on which operating systems it offered on laptops would change if enough people tried. full story >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6144782.stm Following article may also be interesting for you: http://www.linux.com/articles/59381 ""You didn't pay anything for Windows." Since the price of Windows was included in the price of the computer, they may try to argue that you didn't pay anything for it. This one is easy to debunk. Windows costs money -- everyone knows that. Once you establish that Windows does indeed cost money (and you can't get it for free) then the only remaining issue is how much you paid. Since Microsoft contracts out with hardware vendors, there's no actual way to know how much Windows costs a given retailer. This being the case, I was asking for the price of an OEM copy of Windows XP Home SP2 that I found on Newegg, which was $89. In the end they gave me $52.50. I don't know if this is really how much Windows costs, but it's a non-trivial amount and I can well imagine that one of the world's largest computer makers can get a good deal on Windows licenses from Microsoft." Known workaround how to check the actual price: "So you say OEM is only 10$?! Alright then, can I order 100 copies?" Congratulations!

This is actually a piece of useful information for me as I try to avoid paying obligatory MS-Tax :| For the whole past month I have been e-mailing HP Customer Service in Poland if I could get a Vista refund after buying one of their laptops - no response so far :| Dell in Poland seems to ignore the general public, see http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/74918/Start_offering_DELL_products_to_the_general_public_in_Poland …then we have Lenovo laptops so I think I will give them a try… here or in not so remote Germany ;) Unfortunately, at the time being, the only rational solution seems to be buying some ugly-looking, yet powerful barebone laptop.

I reckon you didn’t get actually a full refund because money you got came from Lenovo not Microsoft.

"I’ve cost Dell £50, not Microsoft, which is a slightly annoying," said Mr Mitchell. He encouraged other people to try to get a refund and wondered if Dell’s policy on which operating systems it offered on laptops would change if enough people tried. full story >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6144782.stm

Following article may also be interesting for you: http://www.linux.com/articles/59381

""You didn’t pay anything for Windows."
Since the price of Windows was included in the price of the computer, they may try to argue that you didn’t pay anything for it. This one is easy to debunk. Windows costs money — everyone knows that. Once you establish that Windows does indeed cost money (and you can’t get it for free) then the only remaining issue is how much you paid. Since Microsoft contracts out with hardware vendors, there’s no actual way to know how much Windows costs a given retailer. This being the case, I was asking for the price of an OEM copy of Windows XP Home SP2 that I found on Newegg, which was $89. In the end they gave me $52.50. I don’t know if this is really how much Windows costs, but it’s a non-trivial amount and I can well imagine that one of the world’s largest computer makers can get a good deal on Windows licenses from Microsoft."

Known workaround how to check the actual price: "So you say OEM is only 10$?! Alright then, can I order 100 copies?"

]]> By: Hendric http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31418 Hendric Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:07:16 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31418 Hi MacSlow, I would'nt assume that Lenovo pays 87€ for a Vista license. Manufacturers usually get substantial rebates, since they buy in thousands/millions. Furthermore, the OEM's produce the installation media and handbooks (if any) on their own, which may further reduce the cost per license. Therefore, I would say that 30€ is a fair deal! Hendric Hi MacSlow,
I would’nt assume that Lenovo pays 87€ for a Vista license. Manufacturers usually get substantial rebates, since they buy in thousands/millions. Furthermore, the OEM’s produce the installation media and handbooks (if any) on their own, which may further reduce the cost per license.
Therefore, I would say that 30€ is a fair deal!

Hendric

]]> By: MacSlow http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31240 MacSlow Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:29:12 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31240 @ pirast: Hm... that would be € 57,- still missing. I don't have the time to enforce those with a lawyer at the moment. But unpleasent it is! @ pirast: Hm… that would be € 57,- still missing. I don’t have the time to enforce those with a lawyer at the moment. But unpleasent it is!

]]> By: pirast http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31239 pirast Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:15:35 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31239 hm, Windows Vista Home Basic OEM costs 87€ at Amazon.de. Basically, you can get a complete refund. At least an Italian citzen got one (and a French one, too), see http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/98083 (sadly in German). Could you please also send the PDF to me? Martin hm, Windows Vista Home Basic OEM costs 87€ at Amazon.de. Basically, you can get a complete refund. At least an Italian citzen got one (and a French one, too), see http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/98083 (sadly in German). Could you please also send the PDF to me?

Martin

]]> By: MacSlow http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31233 MacSlow Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:14:16 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31233 @ M. Pomme: I got € 30,- back for a "Windows Vista Home Basic"-license. That was the only "pay for"-software bundled with the notebook. @ M. Pomme: I got € 30,- back for a "Windows Vista Home Basic"-license. That was the only "pay for"-software bundled with the notebook.

]]> By: M.Pomme http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31222 M.Pomme Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:20:47 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31222 Good job..! May I ask how much did you get back ? And was there any other software bundled with it which you could reclaim the fee for ? In several occasions I've seen that the vendor would offer you a refund of about 20€ or 40€ just to get you off his back... (take a look at http://detaxe.org if you can read french) Good job..!
May I ask how much did you get back ? And was there any other software bundled with it which you could reclaim the fee for ?
In several occasions I’ve seen that the vendor would offer you a refund of about 20€ or 40€ just to get you off his back… (take a look at http://detaxe.org if you can read french)

]]> By: MacSlow http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31219 MacSlow Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:17:24 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31219 @ Rob: Send me an eMail to mirco at ubuntu cot com and I forward you the PDF. But this one only applies to Germany. Your name implies that you're not a native german and not likely to be living in Germany. @ Rob: Send me an eMail to mirco at ubuntu cot com and I forward you the PDF. But this one only applies to Germany. Your name implies that you’re not a native german and not likely to be living in Germany.

]]> By: Rob J. Caskey http://macslow.net/?p=148&cpage=1#comment-31215 Rob J. Caskey Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:47:05 +0000 http://macslow.thepimp.net/?p=148#comment-31215 Can you post up a scan of this form? I didn't seem to get a copy in with my latest Lenovo purchase. Can you post up a scan of this form? I didn’t seem to get a copy in with my latest Lenovo purchase.

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