How can you buy without the OS pre-installed when you buy a cheap laptop about $400? So if you want to install Windows Ultimate yourself, and want to avoid having to pay for a Windows Home Premium pre-installed but you won't use anyway, is there a way to buy a laptop that doesn't have an operating system installed but comes with the latest core? (I'm under the impression maybe if I just buy a 3 year old cheap laptop it might not be powerful enough to run Windows 7 on it?)
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How can you buy without the OS pre-installed
- Thread starter piatti
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Not really. The only time I've seen that option is on high-end custom gaming laptops. Most laptops are boxed and preloaded with an image. So it would require special treatment and work to not put an OS on.
So no, you cannot buy a laptop without an OS, new anyway.
So no, you cannot buy a laptop without an OS, new anyway.
you can always upgrade
With Win7, or maybe it was Vista, MS started offering an "Anytime Upgrade", which basically unlocks features of the 'higher' editions.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/windows-anytime-upgrade
I would agree that you will have trouble finding a $400 laptop that is offered without an OS. that is usually something that businesses want to buy because they already have licenses and prefer to use their own images (with no bloatware), so it's more likely to be on the business class computers. @ $400, you're in the netbook market.
With Win7, or maybe it was Vista, MS started offering an "Anytime Upgrade", which basically unlocks features of the 'higher' editions.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/windows-anytime-upgrade
I would agree that you will have trouble finding a $400 laptop that is offered without an OS. that is usually something that businesses want to buy because they already have licenses and prefer to use their own images (with no bloatware), so it's more likely to be on the business class computers. @ $400, you're in the netbook market.