a preloaded version of linux/unix on it for a realtively low price. I am looking to spend anywhere from Free-$800. I want to make sure its upgradeable so after i learn linux/unix/scripting and one of the programming languages i can update things and make them better. Assembly is not a problem i can assemble it myself, if for some unknown reason the computer comes in pieces or w.e So if you have any ideas or see something that might help me please by all means post it here. Thanks in advance, Dustin.

I was looking for the same thing about a year ago, the only preconfigured PC's I found were running Linspire which I really wasn't interested in. Due to my work schedule I no longer have time to build anything so I ended up buying a Dell SC420 server with no OS on sale. It's certainly no gaming or graphics box, but for $320.00 I got a decent box with a 2.8 P4, 80GB SATA HDD, 256MB DDR2, and a standard CDROM. It comes with eec ram so I pulled that stick and went with 2-256MB sticks of PC2-4200 and added a CD burner. I think I only have about $440.00 total into it. It started out as a box to learn Linux on and has become my main home PC. Dell no longer sells the SC420, it's the SC430 now and it's usually on their small business website for $6-700.00 for the cheaper celeron set-up. BUT, they recently had a sale for the 2.8 P4 with 1GB of eec ram and 2-80GB HDD's for $499.00. You have to watch for their sales. I usually get flamed for saying I bought a friggin' Dell, but I haven't had any problems with it for almost a year and the price was definitely right for what I was looking for. As far as adding an OS, I've been through Yoper, Ubuntu, two versions of Kanotix and I'm currently running PCLinuxOS. I'm also thinking about a dual-boot with one of the BSD's. I've made plenty of mistakes along the way, but the truth is they've made it pretty easy for us nOObs to muddle through an install. Hope this helps.

You are aware that in the 'spirit of innovation', Microsoft has banned any OS other than Windows XP from being preloaded onto a computer.

Are you talking about on Dells?
Wrong http://www1.us.dell.com/content/prod...=04&l=en&s=bsd
Or in general. Which would be an even sillier statement.
Pray tell how M$ could ban anyone from anything not directly
involving their own IP? or do you mean that M$ no longer wants to sell versions of windows OTHER than Xp? That may be slightly true but hardly surprising...

They would pull their Windows OEM license. This would be rather bad for the company, because most people wouldn't know how or care to know how to use UNIX. I've seen people think that the entire computer was rubbish just because Windows wouldn't work. In fact, Wal-Mart sold really cheap computers a while ago, that were running Linux a while ago. Linux was removed from the computer, and Windows was put on.

It's rather unfortunate, but it seems that Windows XP is a requirement for Dick and Jane aoluser's computer. No offense to AOL users, of course. So if Microsoft pulls your OEM license, then that company would be in trouble if they wanted to market to the general public.

Penguincomputing.com does sell computers with Linux pre-loaded, of course I don't know how much they cost.

IBM HP DELL all sell them preloaded. The machines from Walmart had linspire on them(Originally a SUN partner microtel made them with lindows), Fry's electronics still sells them. I think the issues you are discussing may be a few years old and not really valid any longer. I could easily see M$ threatening people this way at one point.
OEM Licenses are transferable if you know how to go about it as well...

The local Fry's has a desktop unit with linspire preloaded on it. They put it on special every couple of weeks for $179.00. Not sure if they offer the same thing nation wide but take a look locally for it.