When buying a laptop, one of the alternatives that stores are giving is to buy it without an operating system. The clearest advantage is that this represents savings in the pocket of the outgoing buyer, but in the long run it can have other complications.
Laptops are today a fundamental part of our lives and are one of the most used electronic devices worldwide. Many future owners are surprised when they hear about a laptop without an operating system. Are they worth it or is it better to discard the initial savings?
Reasons to buy a laptop without an OS
Laptops rise and continue to rise in price without stopping. And, for now, it does not seem that the situation will be different for next year. For this reason, it is very possible that you have considered buying a new laptop, but this time, without an operating system installed as standard. More than anything, because you can save a good pinch on its price.
Within the entire laptop market, the truth is that we find a significant number of computers that come without an operating system. Basically, because this way it is cheaper than if you had Windows 11 or Windows 10. More or less, the difference we can save is between 100 and 200 euros less, something that we can notice and a lot in our pocket.
Does it matter so much that it doesn’t have an operating system? It is possible that you have never considered it if you have never seen the need to buy a laptop without an operating system. However, the fact that it does not have the Windows label does not mean that we will not find software on the computer. Basically because the different manufacturers come to install an operating system called FreeDOS.
Specifically, we are looking at a free and open source version of Windows MS-DOS. Although, it is different, since it works through commands and does not have a graphical interface. So it will not be of any use to us to use it constantly, especially if we do not have great computer knowledge. All this is because the different brands cannot sell a laptop without an operating system of any kind, so they add this option, after reaching an agreement with Microsoft not to sell empty computers. We do not always find this alternative, but the truth is that the vast majority of manufacturers use this software because of the ease of installation it requires and, above all, because it encourages users to finally purchase the Windows license.
Advantages and disadvantages
Now that we know this important information, it is time to see the advantages and disadvantages of buying a laptop without an operating system. This way you can clear up any doubts and, of course, be clearer about whether it is worth buying a device without software already installed as standard. Therefore, these are the three benefits it has:
- It’s cheaper: This is a clear advantage of buying a laptop without a system. More than anything because we managed to save, as we told you before, between 100 and 200 euros, which is what the official Windows license usually costs.
- You can choose freely: Another clear point is that you will have the opportunity to freely choose the OS (operating system) you want to have on your PC and you will not have one to be tied to. We are talking about Windows, but you could perfectly end up installing a Linux distro.
- Customize settings: It will be a good alternative if what we want is a personalized configuration for the laptop.
After knowing the three advantages, it is time to check the opposite side, with three major disadvantages that you cannot ignore:
- Complication when installing the operating system: If you are one of those users who does not have technical knowledge on the subject, you may find yourself in this situation. It is not that easy to install the operating system you want on your laptop on your own.
- paid installation: Whether we like it or not, we will have to pay later to install an operating system if we have not finally managed to carry out the process on our own.
- Using the laptop: First of all, as soon as you turn on the device you will not be able to use it easily, since you will have to make a series of adjustments to make it functional. And, with this, the time you will have to invest in the computer will be much greater. Also, keep in mind that you won’t be able to use it for everything if you don’t master the free and open source operating system that comes standard.
