Replacement for WIndows

by PCRefurbMan - 11/3/11 8:46 AM

In Reply to: Windows 8 by fenitrarefer

I'm loading Refurbished PCs with Replacement for Windows. As far as I know it's the only OS designed for Refurbishing shops. The install is completely automatic and it comes on a system restore disc we can send home with our customers.

We looked at using Ubuntu, but the new Unity desktop is awful. There were also a few legal issues with Canonical owning the Ubuntu trademark.

We used to install XP, but it was very time consuming: Install the OS, track down the right drivers for incorrectly installed (or not installed) hardware, run the updates, and hope it works when it restarts.

WIth R4W I pop in the disc, turn on the computer, select the option to restore the PC, and walk away. 15 to 20 minutes later I return to find the disc ejected and the computer off. Just remove the disc, turn on the computer and make sure it's Online. I can install R4W in about 40 machines an hour. The only thing preventing it from being more is my lack of physical setup space. Currently we are setting up all the PCs we'll move in the week in just a few hours. A task that used to take my tech help all week + sometimes overtime to accomplish. The cost savings in staffing alone is about 1,600 a week give or take (over 6,000 a month).

If Windows 8, or Ubuntu could do this, without licensing restrictions. And run with just 256MB of RAM. I'd definitely offer them to my customers. R4W, like Ubuntu, is Debian based.

I forget the odd URL but you can find the R4W homepage by googling: webpath r4w