Linux on older laptops

[Luke-Jr]

On Tuesday 03 January 2006 00:19, Richard Piper wrote:
> Just curious Luke, how far do you take this belief? Do you only run
> computers which work with a free-as-in-freedom BIOs as well?

If I had that choice, I certainly would. Ditto for firmware and hardware.

> I used NDISWRAPPER because it allowed me to move to GNU/Linux without
> forcing me to buy new hardware.

Wrong phrasing/thinking: It isn't the move to GNU/Linux that would have forced 
you to buy anything-- it was the manufacturers of the unsupported hardware.

> The way I see it: the drivers aren't immoral; the company's decision to
> not open source the drivers was immoral.

And your decision to buy the device and use the drivers is an act of support. 
Now, obviously if you were given it or had already bought it, that doesn't 
apply, but you're still sacrificing your rights and piece-of-mind (who knows 
what backdoors these drivers might have?) by using them.