ISTR an FSFE newsletter lauding a French user enforcing their right to buy a
laptop without Microsoft Windows. So, please, whatever you do buy - don't
pay 'Windows Tax.'
Because the keyboard on the netbook I bought secondhand earlier in the year
gives me wrist pains in extended use I bought a Gluglug X60s in late October.
I'm still absolutely delighted with it. So I phoned Francis Rowe at Gluglug
to find out what he does for overseas warranty support. He said he tests
extensively before shipping so out of the over one hundred he's shipped so
far only two have later developed problems. With both it was RAM. The users
in question replaced the RAM themselves with his remote support. He also
said major things like the LCD display would be RTB.
From my own past I know IBM branded machines are _designed_ with maintenance,
often by the end user, in mind. So the hardware maintenance manual is still
available on line[1] and things like the keyboard, hdd, and RAM are what IBM
calls CRUs (Customer Replaceable Units). Changing them is a doddle compared
to most other laptops.
If French PC shops are like UK ones then it would seem you'll only have to
ship to Gluglug when you would be waiting for your local dealership workshop
to get parts anyway. Unless you're lucky enough to live somewhere close to
the French equivalent of Novatech, and you wouldn't be asking if you were.
So I don't think your warranty support argument is as strong as you seem to
think it is. And definitely once out of warranty having a PDF of that manual
will put you in a better position than with many cheap laptops.
The Gluglug X60 is the only RYF laptop in existence, so, as I have told my
friends, it is therefore the best laptop in the world. Further even when
they don't agree with my principles on software freedom, they do agree the
X60 is proof that second hand quality is better than new of the same price.
Nothing even at twice the money is made to the build quality of the X60 these
days.
Software freedom will come to naught if we're not prepared to 'put our money
where our mouth is' and buy RYF first, explicitly compatible second, even if
we have to save up extra money. Hardware manufacturers will continue to be
reluctant to cooperate with or be helpful to the free software community
until we can demonstrate a monetary incentive for them to do so. That starts
with our individual purchases today. Which rather takes me back to the top
of this post - whatever you do, don't make our problem worse by indirectly
giving Microsoft any money when you buy your laptop.
[1] http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-62866
