How to avoid paying 'Windows Tax' on your next PC

Unfortunately for many avid Linux users, most new computers - laptops or desktops - ship with Windows, which means that part of the price you pay for your new machine is spent on an operating system which you plan to eradicate as soon as you turn it on. Nobody likes seeing money go down the drain, so how can you avoid gifting your hard-earned cash to Microsoft when you buy your next PC?

Ask for a Windows refund

When you buy a new Windows 7 PC, it is possible (although often difficult) to obtain a Windows refund from your manufacturer, as long as you don't accept the terms of the EULA - basically it's best not to go through the Windows setup if you plan on doing this. Instead, try sending a polite email to the manufacturer explaining that you do not plan to use your copy of Windows and asking for a refund for it. What they do about it is completely at their discretion, but the more persistent you are, the further you are likely to get!

You may need your Windows serial number, and the manufacturer may ask you to send your machine back to them so that they can remove Windows (this seems to be a policy in the case of Acer hardware) but again, persistent negotiation may get you out of this situation. Best of luck, and let me know how you get on in the comments!

Get a non-Windows machine

The easy way to avoid the customer service pass-the-parcel described above is to simply buy a machine without Windows pre-installed; be it one without any OS, or one that ships with a Linux distro. Many custom PC manufacturers give the option of not having an operating system. If it's a desktop you're after, why not try building your own? A quick Google search will pull up thousands of guides on how to do this, and you tend to spend less on components than you would on an equivalent spec pre-built machine, even without taking Windows tax into account.

Chris Kenyon of Canonical recently revealed that Ubuntu is set to ship on 5% of all PCs sold next year. Unfortunately though, many systems are only shipped with Linux distros due to their budget performance - because they simply can't handle the more resource-hungry Windows. Some manufacturers, however, build their hardware specifically for Linux - take a look at System76 - these guys make desktops, laptops and servers that ship with Ubuntu, and they range from Intel Atom powered NetTops to liquid-cooled i7 beasts.

How about something a little different...

Just this morning, Linux Mint announced the MintBox - a mini PC which bears resemblance to a wireless router. In fact, it's a dual-core PC with ATI Radeon graphics, up to 8GB RAM, USB 3.0 outputs and two HDMI outputs. And of course, it will ship with Linux Mint!

The MintBox

If you want something even smaller, check out the credit card sized Raspberry Pi, or even smaller, the USB stick sized Cotton Candy, which runs Android or Ubuntu for ARM.

The Cotton Candy

So there is no shortage of ways to avoid paying for the OS you never wanted in the first place, at least until the fabled 'Year of Linux on the Desktop' rears its head!