White-Box Notebooks from AOpen

Just about any moderately tech savvy person wishes they could purchase a notebook computer without the extra software the OEMs load them up with. Even if you do want some of the bundled software, you generally can't pick and choose the apps you want - or even decide to load only the OS. Nowadays, all you usually get is a "recovery disk" that loads all the bundled software to put the computer in the state it was in when you bought it. The irritating thing is that you know the software isn't free. It's included in the price you paid for the thing. For those of you who want to decide for yourself what goes on the hard drive, AOpen has announced that it is planning to introduce a series of white-box notebook PCs for its build-to-order channel partners. Specific configurations have not been finalized, but AOpen is currently planning on tailoring the new line of notebooks to corporate users. AOpen will pre-configuring everything in the notebooks except hard drives, CD-ROM/R/RW drives, and memory, all of which, the company says, will be offered through its channel partners. AOpen plans on formally announcing the notebook line-up with specific models and pricing in the summer of 2001.