[GRLUG] Some Viruses Come Pre-Installed

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> >  How would one find out if a computer manufacturer has applied for the sort
> > of waiver described in your post? Is there an online database/clearinghouse
> > for such things? (Applying for waivers of that sort seems like a very
> > Microsoftian thing to do. They certainly have the manpower and the money to
> > waste on it.)
> I don't think it effectively matters.  If they wanted to make a fuss
> about it, the commission's decision could be challenged on either
> clause.  We all know Windows isn't required to make a laptop function
> properly, and I think it's provable that allowing Microsoft a waiver
> is not in the public interest.
> IF they refused warranty repair because of Linux (which I've only read
> news articles about - later updated to mention that the laptop had
> indeed been repaired, accompanied by an apology)

I think that these make the news in part because it is so obviously
stupid.  I've twice had laptops repaired under warranty that never for a
minute ran Windows,  nobody said boo.   Both times it was for
motherboard replacement.   In both cases I "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda
bs=512" three times before shipping it [by removing the drive, etc...],
so obviously they never tried booting it from the installed HD or didn't
care that it didn't boot.   Almost certainly a real repair shop has
better diagnostic tools than does-it-boot.

Actually, they must be pretty used to this since anywhere concerned with
PCI/DSS and other standards/regulations doesn't send laptops out for
repair without scrubbing the drive in some manner.   So there isn't any
reason for them to know what OS you are or are not running.

-- 
Adam Tauno Williams, Network & Systems Administrator
Consultant - http://www.whitemiceconsulting.com
Developer - http://www.opengroupware.org