Comment 719 for bug 1

2 Conrad:
I just posted something like this on that thread on our forums while voting "sort of...". When I was discussing the thing with one of my "Windows fellas", he said hi likes the idea and suggested something practically the same approach, so nobody would probably object against this since everyone would have a chance to try GNU/Linux without any risks and return for the OPTIONAL (this part is the most important thing from all I have said - BUNDLING ANYTHING WITH PRE-BUILT COMPUTERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE NOTHING MORE THAN JUST ONE OF THE OPTIONS, LEAVING IT'S USER TO BE THE ONE TO DECIDE WHAT'S IT GONNA BE!) Windows license if he finds the alternatives don't suit his needs.
By the way - I don't have any personal experience with these practices, but pre-installing probably means something similar to the first phase of Windows XP installation procedure when the installer lets you create the partitions and then copies itself to the installation one, since the second phase starts with accepting the EULA, which is a formal agreement between you and Microsoft, so the hardware vendor doesn't have the right to express your approval with it for you...

I don't have any objections against bundling or pre-installing stuff as long as I'm free to get the same hardware without the burden of license fees for system I'm not gonna use, but which nobody is willing to sell the machine without or return the money!

2 jawahar & nottRobin:
Sure thing. Starting official ubuntu jabber server with conferences like <email address hidden> and letting the users know they're there with lots of other users willing to help novices with any issues in real time could solve a thing or two. I'm already doing something like this by actively assisting all the people I convinced to switch so consider me in.