“Order yours today and get enough case badges to share with 10 other friends!”

So that means you will get 10 badges in addition to the one stuck on your new Zareason computer.

They are stick-on badges, but by the phrase “stick of” I assume they mean you will get 5 or 10 of them to stick on your other machine, give to friends, etc.

And why should anybody need to put up with a nag screen just to keep their PC that they have already paid for running properly?

Well, that made me chuckle. I mean, the very idea that running Windows 7 may sound crazy to some.

@Steve: I understand very well the arguments of scale that make Dell cheaper than ZaReason or System76. I also understand that means companies like those 2 have to compete on another field (basic service level & a more personal treatment for example).

I bought my current desktop from somebody I know who was willing to investigate finding a motherboard etc. that matched my requirements *and* worked with Ubuntu/linux. I’m sure a similar PC from Dell or HP would have been cheaper, but… they didn’t sell one.

@aikiwolfie: a good & rather lightweight antivirus for Windows is the German “AntiVir”, and if you don’t mind a “nag screen” during updates, it’s also free…

That said, the lack of usability in Windows means I prefer linux/Ubuntu.

@Jef (who didn’t show up yet, but I’m sure he will ): The brand recognition thing is one of the ways that ZaReason & System76 “pay back” to Canonical currently. I doubt it’s beneficial for them to pay Canonical for OEM services at this moment, but they can pay back this way.

Additional security software also costs money or time or both. If you buy a Dell running Windows you will get a trial copy of McAfee. It’s a time limited trial copy. After 90 days or so it times out and you need to shell out more cash to keep the PC you’ve already paid for running properly.

To add insult to injury McAfee will not uninstall without wiping the hard drive clean. I’ve tried it on several Dell PCs. The uninstaller always manages to find a problem that stops it in it’s tracks. Norton could be even worse. In the past it’s had accusations that it leaves behind spyware that reports back to Microsoft.

Then theirs system maintenance. Why is it that the Windows registry always manages to get corrupted or bogged down with orphaned entries? Shouldn’t the OS looks after the registry rather than allowing just any application access? Registry hives are vitally important to a Windows system after all.

I personally prefer the Linux approach to security. The extra cost is worth the quality. And speaking of costs. Windows 7 upgraders with relatively new PCs are facing a major upgrade bill. Pay at least a few hundred pounds/dollars for a new PC or nearly as much for a retail copy of Windows 7. Upgrading Ubuntu is free. 9.10 is free and 10.04 will also be free.

The Windows 7 sums just don’t add up.

For me, Linux isn’t about a big “price” advantage over Windows. Instead, it’s about a reliable alternative to Windows. And I’m actually willing to pay a little more for an Ubuntu system vs. a Windows system if it means I get personalized, reliable service. And in the case of ZaReason and System76, I’ve always received good, solid service.

On paper, Linux-based systems should cost less than Windows-based systems, simply because of the OS cost. So maybe I’m crazy for opening my wallet slightly wider for a system preloaded with Ubuntu. But I’ll continue to do it for peace of mind.

P.S.: I also plan to run Windows 7 real soon. This may sound crazy, too, but I think a strong offering from Microsoft will inspire the Linux camps to continue innovating as well. I look forward to putting Windows 7 through its paces.

I would look into dell in any case … they also sell new laptops:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I guess $489 for an Inspiron 15in doesn’t seem bad. They also have some Ubuntu notebooks in the outlet some times.

Hope this helps!