I don't think so. It's definitely a starter for many people, to have the convenience of 'a Linux' which has been optimised and tested for the hardware it's bein

I don't think so. It's definitely a starter for many people, to have the convenience of 'a Linux' which has been optimised and tested for the hardware it's being shipped on. An advanced user can choose to wipe it and apply their own. It's functionality no different from a blank drive. That said, it's possible from some places to buy laptops without OS.