ReactOS selling computers in stores

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classicgamelover85
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ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by classicgamelover85 »

Okay here's a strange idea I just had. I know ReactOS is open source and free, but to help it make a bit of extra cash perhaps you could get into the pc industry? Make computers too call yourselves a new brand name and sell your computers with your OS pre-installed on it. I'm not sure how all this works. I mean, how did Gateway start as a gateway computer? Or an Emachine as an emachine computer? Or Asus, or Toshiba? or HP? ReactOS could call their computer manufacturer name ReactPC? Its a stretch of an idea but it might help out. I don't know. Or this idea is completely stupid... not sure which way this topic will go... hopefully you guys find it brilliant :mrgreen:
SomeGuy
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by SomeGuy »

There was a day a loooooong time ago when a bored student could make money building IBM clone computers from prefab parts. (look up Michael Dell) But those days are long gone. The barrier to entry is too high for that kind of thing. Plus ReactOS's compatibility is still too low to be acceptable for most people.

But perhaps one day a manufacturer of limited function mobile/tablet type devices who doesn't want to pay a Microsoft tax or bow down to Google will see ReactOS as a viable option.
classicgamelover85
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by classicgamelover85 »

So you do know what I'm talking about? Cool then. My thing is, I would prefer to walk into Best Buy and buy a computer with ReactOS preinstalled. My concern is that I would have to support Microsoft by purchasing a computer with Windows preinstalled. I HATE WINDOWS! After ReactOS is acceptable, I no longer want to support windows in any shape or form! I don't want to have to walk into a Best Buy and buy a comptuer with windows just to clear it and put ReactOS on it... to me that's a waste of money. Its like what? 100 to 200 dollars for a copy of windows? Depending on version type. And why spend that extra 1 or 2 hundred when I don't actually intend on using windows? That don't make sense to me. I'd rather buy a computer with nothing on it. But I have never seen computers sold in stores with no OS on them... so I just hope Best Buy would have machines that have no OS as soon as ReactOS is well known to most people. Perhaps people will start making a high demand for computers with no OS installed on them.

And I also don't like MAC just cuz its too different. But I know MAC is more stable than windows and more secure.
SomeGuy
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by SomeGuy »

It is about $300 for the "ultimate" retail version. And one thing normal folks don't usually see is that their cheaper OEM licenses are not transferable! And that is enforced by activation. You can't just take your hard drive with OEM Windows out of one computer and put it in another computer (even if all the drivers match up). It will usually deactivate and tell you that you are an evil pirate! (Some OEM motherboards have some trick that lets you move between identical model motherboard but retail motherboards do not have that, and moving to a newer motherboard is out of the question)

Apparently the retail (non-OEM) doesn't deactivate when switching motherboards, but it still (i think) phones home to make sure you aren't using multiple copies.

Yea, yea, you can usually call up MS and beg for them to reactivate your OEM copy, but they won't do that if your changes constitute a "new computer".

Kicks people like me in the butt because I require having hot spare non-OEM machines around, and can't rely on being tethered to a phone/internet so our friend Bill will graciously reactivate. (Pro/Ultimate Retail should work in that scenario but it still seem risky)

Thankfully, ReactOS will never, ever, ever have that issue!!

Also, you will never see a pre-built machine with no OS in someplace like Worst Buy or Walmart. Some on-line places will do that. And around here we have a really nice store called Microcenter where you can just walk in and buy a motherboard, CPU, RAM, case, power supply, hard drive, video card(s), mouse, keyboard, and monitor, put it all together and have a machine with NO WINDOWS TAX!
milon
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by milon »

This isn't exactly a solution, but more of a workaround: You can get refunded the cost of Windows if you don't boot Windows and install something else on the system. http://www.google.com/search?q=ms+laptop+refund+linux

Disclaimer: I haven't read much into this or ever tried it myself, but I've read about others who got their money back from MS.
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jonaspm
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by jonaspm »

And I also don't like MAC just cuz its too different. But I know MAC is more stable than windows and more secure.
Windows is more secure than Mac, but Microsoft doesnt know how to configure it
Z98
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by Z98 »

Any OS is only as secure as the user using it.
classicgamelover85
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by classicgamelover85 »

Z98 wrote:Any OS is only as secure as the user using it.
I agree. I used windows with no firewall or AV and I haven't had a virus in forever ago. I've been using this computer just fine for a few years no problems. Its just cuz I go to my usual everyday websites that are always safe and secure. I don't browse around often to other sites that may contain viruses or whatever. I'm really curious where ReactOS is going to go with virus software. Or security and how their security UI will look. I like the UI of Comodo.

I know how to build computers so I could just build one and download ReactOS on it... but I guess I prefer buying it cuz I can never seem to build a computer the way I want it to be. I usually build it slower than I wanted. Like this one I'm on now, its much slower than I expected it to be. Its got 4 core Amd, 1GB or video. For now, ReactOS don't support the newer hardware.

But if ReactOS were to start their own hardware industry and manufacture their own parts like microsoft did with gateway, then I think it would still help getting the word out about their OS and people will buy it in stores. Not the OS, but their computers that they manufactur. This way the OS remains free. and at the same time, people will be finding out about ReactOS.
milon
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by milon »

classicgamelover85 wrote: I used windows with no firewall or AV and I haven't had a virus in forever ago. I've been using this computer just fine for a few years no problems. Its just cuz I go to my usual everyday websites that are always safe and secure. I don't browse around often to other sites that may contain viruses or whatever.
That's a VERY unsafe practice, especially with a Windows platform. (I could make an analogy relating viruses and human behavior, but I shall refrain.) Also, how would you know that you don't have any viruses? You have no way of detecting them. I really hope you don't do anything financial with that computer, like online shopping or banking. o_O
classicgamelover85 wrote:I'm really curious where ReactOS is going to go with virus software. Or security and how their security UI will look. I like the UI of Comodo.
Antivirus is beyond the scope of the ReactOS project. The project aims to create an operating system that is binary compatible with Windows NT. The goal is that you'll be able to install any Windows anti-virus software on ROS such as Avast!, AVG, Norten, etc. The same likely goes for firewall software, although newer versions of Windows have some level of firewall ability so ROS may one day have a mild firewall ability too.
classicgamelover85 wrote:I know how to build computers so I could just build one and download ReactOS on it... but I guess I prefer buying it cuz I can never seem to build a computer the way I want it to be. I usually build it slower than I wanted. Like this one I'm on now, its much slower than I expected it to be. Its got 4 core Amd, 1GB or video. For now, ReactOS don't support the newer hardware.
Maybe your system is underclocked? The last computer I build had a 2GHz processor, but it was set to run at 1.6GHz (I think) by default. A little BIOS tweaking was all I needed to run the system like I wanted. =)
Of course, the other solution is to examine what you're running on the system. And don't just use Task Manager - lots of things can hook into existing processes and therefore don't show in Task Manager. Use something like Process Explorer. (Maybe your system is slow because it's infected with something?)
Z98
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by Z98 »

Assuming that's not a typo, he has 1GB of RAM. Firefox and Chrome would be more than happy to chew through that 1GB by themselves.
Dave3434
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by Dave3434 »

not true i'm using firefox 15.0.1 and i'm only using 431mb of ram under windows xp pro.
Haos
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by Haos »

On a few tabs, perhaps yes. My buddy at work is using FF15 as well - on 20+ tabs it chews up over 1.3GB of RAM (32bit XP Pro).
Aeneas
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by Aeneas »

Guys, the problem is... read how much the Respberry Pi cost to make, and then you will know why the idea is purely illusionary. You cannot get 30kEUR... let alone a million or two. No offense here, it is just, ReactOS is a) something "very special" - few people actually have any clue of LINUX, DESPITE marketing hype from, basically, ALL major companies, b) the Raspberry Pi was a "surefire" thing, a ReactOS PC it would be even tougher!
classicgamelover85
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by classicgamelover85 »

First of all, to the inexperienced, yes they have virus problems. Viruses are obtained when visiting unsafe websites that contain them. I've been going to the same websites for over 3 years now. if I ever DO get a virus, i just wipe my hard drive clean and reinstall windows. No big whoop--cuz no, I don't do anything financial on this computer. So no hacker would be getting ANYTHING valuable anyways from me. all my financial stuff is on a flash drive which I only plug into a computer that is NEVER HOOKED UP TO THE INTERNET :) Indeed. So, its all good man. I'm clean :D
I have 4 gigs of ram and 1 gig of video memory. Its a gpu. Dedicated graphics. The RAM is dual channel. Processor is 3.0 ghz quad core. All is running at max speed. I know for a fact, its the mother board's system bus speed. ITS TERRIBLE!!! I hate it, I'm going to be buying a new motherboard here one of these days. See, this one was a bargain board. Never buy bargain boards. I can't even have more than 2 hard drives plugged into it, cuz according to the REP i spoke to at the manufacturer, he said i was "Over loading the motherboard with 2 TB of hard drive space" I was like "What? are you kidding me???" I thought that was pretty weenie of them to design it like that but whatever. :roll: Anyways.
The only virus protection I do use is Comodo. I like Comodo. The only time I browse the net anywhere outside my usual sites, I go to a different computer with comodo installed. Its my dad's POS computer that runs so slow... can't even listen to music on it. With its 300mhz processor--its a crapper machine. So that's why I don't mind wiping the drive clean when I do hit problems. Its all on that little computer it all happens. Windows XP isn't all that safe... I guess windows 7 is safer? Pah, no! Windows just sucks. Anyways. That's my response.

The motherboard was only 29 dollars. I guess I got what I paid for... I'm going to save up for a KICK ASS BOARD! I'm looking at one that's like $399.00. I'm sure that one will be a piece of fresh air after experiencing this crappy board I have now. oy!
Z98
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Re: ReactOS selling computers in stores

Post by Z98 »

Word of advice, if you're going to badmouth a piece of technology, be prepared to defend your position well or be prepared to get ripped a new one.
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