I can only speak from my experience supporting Compaq and IBM business
grade PCs, but the VAST majority of those machines normally came with
Windows preinstalled and only the Microsoft "Certififcate of Authenticity"
license booklet included, and no OS installation media, under the license
we had. Compaq DID include a postcard with some machines that would let
you send in some money to obtain the media for a different OS, if the
one that the machine had shipped with was unsuitable.
This was true both at GE (which used Compaq and IBM machines), and at
IBM, (which only used IBM machines, of course). This sticks in my mind
because the other techs were always on the lookout for installation disks,
and I only recall seeing one or two machines arrive with one, typically
special orders, (not one of our usual machines). On our license we could,
however, order installation media for US$10-15, but rarely did. At GE
we came up with our own image to upgrade the machines, and at IBM they
had a standardized image for the whole region.
I recall reading about a year or so ago that Microsoft was trying to
prohibit the shipping of installation media for any of its operating
systems with a new machine, to prevent piracy, but I don't know if they
ever followed up on that. I have seen the shrinkwrapped, (but no box)Microsoft
license booklet and Windows CDs, which had obviously come with new computers
and were being resold separately, offered for sale at mom-and-pop shops.
At GE there was no process in place to donate old equipment to charity,
and it was usually sold off to employess or destroyed. At IBM there was
supposed to be a process in place to sell old equipment to employees,
but nobody wanted to mess with the paperwork. It usually got sent up
to Raleigh to be destroyed or re-allocated. Here in Atlanta there's a
law against dumping electronic equipment in landfills, so we had to pay
to have old stuff hauled off.
For a brief time I worked with a charity, and was in charge of a whole
warehouse of old PCs donated by businesses to be refurbished and shipped
to schools in third world countries, but the guy appointed by the board
of directors to handle the money turned out to be a major league con
man, and left us high and dry. The organization folded soon after, and
the warehouse was closed.
BTW, I've been lurking here for ages, I first joined the list about the
same time Pippi/Yolanda did, I just haven't had much to contribute before
now. It's a great list, I miss it when it's quiet.
Ron Glasgow
Atlanta GA
USA
---- "Samuel W. Heywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> This is the case with some applications software. As far as
> the OS is concerned, the computer comes with the OS pre-installed
> and one copy of the OS installation media is provided with each
> computer.
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