Hi, I've been looking for an ultraportable laptop to run Ubuntu Linux on, as a more portable alternative to my current Dell that breaks my back each time I take it with me. Seeings as I don't need Windows I was hoping to avoid the Microsoft tax by buying a barebones laptop that doesn't come preloaded with Windows, i found something good here: http://www.rkcomputer.net/store/index.php/action/item/id/181/ (System76 have the same one, but they don't ship to Europe)

But by the time I loaded the options I need, and shipped it to Belgium, paying the VAT and postage it all adds up and takes weeks. It turns out I can get a Macbook 13" delivered free in 3 days with a US keyboard (requirement), and it looks a lot nicer too.

But of course, even though I just want to run Ubuntu on it, it comes preloaded with OSX. Has anyone heard of a way of avoiding the Mac tax, like the way people request a Microsoft rebate by not accepting the Ms License?

I don't want to migrate to OSX because I run all my servers on Linux and by using it daily I learn a lot about the OS, and I have become addicted to the Opens source way of helping and getting helped.

I'm not really worried about the financial cost of a bundeled Mac OSX, but am looking for a way to show Apple that the fact that they bundle OSX on all their hardware is no better than the way MS get Windows preloaded on all consumer PCs.

I'll start by sending this question to their customer service and see what they say...

Richard