Lenovo imposes gag for Vista refund
Shhh, or everyone will want one
A CZECH PUNTER who bought a Lenovo PC didn't want the preloaded copy of Windows Vista, but Lenovo demanded that he sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before he could receive a refund.
Despite having invested significant time negotiating with Lenovo to obtain a refund for the Microsoft operating system he didn't ask for and wouldn't use, Kamil Páral decided not to accept the money if that meant he would have to submit to Lenovo's high-handed demand.
Instead, he wrote a complete account of the barriers Lenovo forced him to hurdle in order to negotiate the refund in the amount of CZK 1,950 (about £65, €78 or $130) that he believed he was due.
The Czech Linux enthusiasts' website ABC Linuxu published his story, and its editors and owner decided it was only fair to compensate Mr Páral with an author's royalty equal to the amount of the Windows Vista refund that he had declined to accept from Lenovo under the gag order it sought to impose.
ABC Linuxu rewarded Páral's perseverence in the hope that more PC purchasers will follow his example and that a growing number of buyers' refund requests "will lead to an improved relationship between IT manufacturers and end users, so that it will be possible to order any computer without a preinstalled operating system from Microsoft."
We agree that would certainly be an improvement. The Microsoft tax needs to be abolished. µ
L'Inq
ABC
Linuxu
Comments
That's it?
That's it? So he didn't keep pursuing the case? No progress will be made if people just give up when faced with unacceptable demands which may not even be legal.Gag on this..
HA! Let's see... Promise not to tell and get my $130 I shouldn't have neded to spend in the first place, or eat the cash and tell EVERYONE! Hmmmm.... Easy choice... Help everyone who also didn't want the preloaded OS.Good on ya Kamil! (Bet Lenovo didn't see THAT one coming.) ROFLMAO!!!
If everyone wanted to be spoon fed they'd buy an Apple. At least Apples OS is stable and works pretty much as advertised. LOL!
Me? I like lottsa choices so I'll stick with my Linux install and windows can sit and wait till play games time. (no DRM, No BSOD, No viruses, No malware, No make my puter run slower than it should)... Linux and OSX... The only true operating systems left....
Quite sad really cause Vista could have easily been so much better than it is.
Like getting laid off
If you want your cookie you have to promise not to tell the world the company you did business with/ worked for, how evil they are. Something like a nondisparagment (sp?). I had to do this for the insurance company me worked for. Talk about a conspiracy against the public. (if Hill chick had gotten in you would have felt it) ahh but I didn't mention their name:)The Microsoft Tax
"The Microsoft tax needs to be abolished."It will be. The Microsoft Tax will become a Microsoft Rent. Microsoft are moving towards a system where you pay them monthly for your software. People aren't upgrading fast enough so they see a monthly charge as the best way to get around this. If you're paying the amount anyway, you're more likely to upgrade. Upgrading your Microsoft OS helps the computer hardware industry too because of the ever increasing hardware requirements. Not paying your rent will result in an OS with minimal functionality.
Good
Good for him, I like to read stories like this.Operating system should be made as optional choice but...
...I think that MS still is afraid of buyers who would by a computer without operating system and then download a pirate copy of (MS) one. And this would be most probably true. So big manufacturers won't dare to sell computers without operating system (or they make wery restricted sales of linux laptops) because someone could see it provoking piracy which would make MS mad. So the conclusion is that software piracy is hurting linux communities also.So if you thing Windows is the best operating system, then pay for it you twit
Makes you wonder why people give a PoS about the EU
This guy has more guts than all the pussies in the European Parliament and European Commision together.Windows is free on brand name computders
I am a self employed computer service guy. I am unable to compete on price building computers for my clients. Basically all of the crap ware that the branded computers have preinstalled pays for Windows. When I build a computer I can just about match the cost of hardware against the store price. When I have to purchase Windows that adds anywhere from US $100 to US $300 to the price of the machine.That sucks
Well since I love Vista he is missing out lol.I am running Vista 64 bit and its rocks! Solid with no issues and never crashes or locks up!
Very impressed. He should give it a shot before he and everyone says they HATE Vista.
How you can hate something you never used? Just a general comment since it seems most people who hate Vista never gave it a shot.
Whats next?
Seriously, if I buy a refrigerator, I do not get to choose which color it's lights will be or any of that things. the model of the refrigerator would decide that. just as much as the type of screen on a laptop.why doesn't he demand he gets a 20" screen on his notebook? the model is sold as advertised, why doesn't he order a brand less laptop then?
And what is stopping the, ahem, less good people of the world to buy a notebook, ask for the money back, but still run vista?
It is only because the buyer of the notebook is such a tool, he has a lot of choice, why go for a vista model then?
Bloody sigh
Since it's become abundantly clear that whenever you mention vista hired hands post that vista is nothing but great isn't it time people that manage comments and messageboards started to weed those posts out? What's the difference between their spam and the spam we use spamfilter for? I'm pretty tired of all that BS, and the worst thing is, dumbasses buy into it an start to parrot the idiocy without even getting a cheque.well
I am running Vista home premium and it sucks! unestable with a lot of issues and cant be running for more than one day and a half thay without needing an restart... ant it crashes or locks up a couple of times in a week! well at least it runs relatively smooth... but only because I have 3Gb of ram!"How you can hate something you never used? Just a general comment since it seems most people who hate Vista never gave it a shot."
well everybody has used it... it comes preinstalled in every system, and there are'nt any sound drivers for xp in my dv6700 so downgrading isn't an option...
and yes I hate vista, not only because the restore dvds dont work and I cant even format my computer (errors at burning), but because I didnt wantred even to give it a try and now Im stuck with it until I buy a dell studio in mid 2009 (at least those still support xp)
Not a good story
Lenovo has a good selection of linux pcs at reasonable prices. Why is he going after lenovo because he was stupid and bought a windows pc?auto-script
1) Comment how <manufacturer/retailer/developer> sucks2) Mention how <sheep/intelligent/morons/talented> people use Mac's
3) Point out personal superiority because you use a flavor of Linux.
whats the point of the gag
why are they asking him to shut up for, even if other people wanted to take vista off. they don't loose any money in doing so, because they don't have to sell that copy of vista, so they still have the copy of vista he didn't want, so whats all the fuss about? no one looses no one gains.People should be able to choose if they want a OS or not, why does issuing a gag on 1 customer prevent that, this just sounds stupid to me
Refrigerator light
If you want a different colour light in your refrigerator (I'm not sure why), you just fit a different colour lightbulb, or have the supplier do that for you.Really...
There's a clause in the Windows' EULA that entitles a user to a full refund if they refuse to accept all of the terms of the license. That being said, Mr. Paral is entitled to his money.However, it's not the point of the article. Should it be legal that he be gagged to get a refund? Why would you place a gag order in the first place? What exactly is Lenovo trying to hide?