Laptop buying advice forum: Suggestions needed to buy a Laptop

And can dash the would be buyer's hopes of lower cost and more.

As to your other questions, you would shop and see if you find offerings of what you want for that price range.
Bob

laptop without an OS on less you buy a boutique brand Sager or Prostar. A place like Exotic PC where they configure the systems themselves they offer system with no OS. The reason is the other have agreements with Microsoft and must have Windows. I know some companies did offer Linux machines but you better checks with Dell or Hp and the other vendors.

The price for OS is

No OS = 0
Win 7 Home Prem. = 80
Win 7 Pro = 140
Win 7 Ultimate = 190

When you buy from say Best buy, Newegg, Amazon you get as is PC that OS and components can't be altered by the retail. The OS is installed in factory with the licensing agreement and price built into the computer.

The last desktop I purchased was a Gateway loaded and form the beginning the Graphics card didn't reach it's potential resolution that was documented in the manuals. Support would just blow me off. I upgraded the OS from WIN 95 to Win 98 with a retail version from Office Depot. Well finally the Graphics card would only display 640x480 resolution and I called support again and they asked what OS. They then asked if I purchased the OS from them and I said no. They said call Microsoft since I didint buy windows from them. What is did is researched the graphics card Gateway put in the PC and went an purchased it on my own. WOW is was able to achieve the resolution the was documented with the system.

The laptop I bought from Sager with no OS. It had a graphics card issue under the warranty coverage period. They didn't ask which OS is had and asked me to remove the HD and they would test with their own. The probelm turned out to be the GP which was part of the mobo so they replaced it and shipped back to me.

I sent my Acer back for warranty work this past summer. When I called it is I asked do I need to remove the HD. They said no and send the system restore DVD's. They said they aren't responsible for lost data and you responsible for your own backup. I was't worried about lost data but I was worried about personal data.

That is one advantage of getting a laptop without an OS is the warranty. If you do get a system with an OS and you want to cahnge the OS MAKE RESTORE DVD's in case you have to send it back you can restore it to what you got itr was. The acer i talked about I added a SSD drive and moved the HD to the 2nd bay. When I sent it back for warranty work I removed the SSD and put the HD back as the boot drive. I also had chenges the wireless card so i had to install the driver on the HD to get on my wireless network before i sent it for repair.