It's more complicated than that. See my earlier answer: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5659110 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5659110 In any case,

It's more complicated than that. See my earlier answer: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5659110 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5659110 In any case, you're not buying two separate products, you are buying one, integrated product. The thing you think you want does not exist. No OEM says "Hey, I'll make a laptop and then decide which OS to load." Their business is making Windows laptops. If they were designing, qualifying and building Linux laptops, they'd have to charge you a lot more, and you wouldn't pay it. That's why no one does it.