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I just realized, when I got my HP laptop I've never even booted its default Windows install, but MS still got paid. I'd rather have that money to go HP so the laptop could be made better. Insane how they're getting paid for nothing, almost like a tax. HP could just have offered an OSless option, but no. A silly world we live in.

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> HP could just have offered an OSless option, but no.

At HP-scale, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the money for a Windows license does go to HP.

I expect the major vendors, today, have fairly equal bargaining power with MS over unit license costs, in the volumes they're buying.

HP offered FreeDOS as an OS option.

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