Linux.com

I'm not sure if this is still true with netbooks, but it is with laptops and desktops: the additional "software" (read: garbage) that comes with them was paid for by the companies that make it as a form of advertising. So the apparent price of a laptop loaded down with this, at best worthless garbage, and at worst adware or spyware, is the Windows computer costs the end user less at the point of sale. Notice I saw at point of sale, because as soon as they get home and start having problems (either because of that software directly causing problems, or the antivirus software going out of trial period, or whatever) then they have to get someone to "fix" it for them. Maybe they pay someone, maybe they just nag a family member or friend, but the end result is that it costs someone time. And I for one, am sick of it being me! That cost needs to be factored into the cost of a new computer, and it never is. You can teach people to use GNU/Linux at least at a basic level fairly quickly, but it takes far more time to teach them what software they need and what software they don't need on a Windows box. And most still won't understand it afterwards.

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