I think if you buy in high enough volume you can buy devices from OEMs without a Windows license. I bought my ThinkPad that way and it cost about $100 less than

I think if you buy in high enough volume you can buy devices from OEMs without a Windows license. I bought my ThinkPad that way and it cost about $100 less than the version with a Windows license. I only got this deal over a project that procures hardware for universities and students. They offer a limited amount of models with a price that is about 20 - 30 % lower than retail. I guess big companies that order in the same volume get similar deals.