ITinfo: Trade In Windows, Get A Refund

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Dump Windows, use Linux

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Trade In Windows, Get A Refund

by Dave Murphy
ISSN 1535-3613

Where do you want to go on February 15th? If it's to the bank, join a small group of Linux users who have initiating the first "Windows Refund Day" this Monday, a U.S. holiday.

The grass-roots initiative demands that Microsoft refund Linux users who have purchased PCs with Windows 95/98 installed but who have uninstalled the operating system and never used it, opting to use the UNIX-like Linux instead.

All copies of PCs sold with Windows come with an end-user licensing agreement that states that, if the user does not agree to the terms of the agreement, they can request a refund.

Australian Geoffrey Bennett, argued via email with Toshiba Corp. over four months seeking a refund for his unused Windows operating system. He eventually earned a full refund for the software. Then in a turn that's earned him international fame, he published his exact steps on the Internet.

Information posted on the Windows Refund Day Web site explains that all participants must be polite but firm as they descend upon Microsoft offices and the purpose is not to complain about Microsoft products.

Linux, developed by a Finnish programmer Linus Torvalds in 1991, is still maintained by Torvalds and a group of worldwide programmers. It's available for free on the Internet or for a minimal fee from commercial vendors who include a printed manual and CDs. I recommend the Red Hat Linux. Buy it at Beyond.com for less than $35.

I use Linux for one of my office file servers and I'm prepared to recommend it to some of our clients and members as an alternative to upgrading Novell NetWare and Windows NT, especially when upgrading only to ensure Y2K compliance.

The percentage of Linux-based PCs sold in the U.S. is small compared to Windows installations, but International Data Corp. recently said Linux is the fastest growing network operating system and 1998 server installations were growing at a faster pace than Windows NT.

Beyond.com
Windows Refund Day
Linux Online!
Linux Mall

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http://itrain.org/itinfo/1999/it990213.html
updated February 13, 1999