Its very easy to get a computer with what ever hardware configuration you want, you can go on-line and configure it with all possible permutations and combinations. Except for one.
Its very difficult to buy a hardware of your choice without Windows. What if you want to use Linux? What do you do? You may still end up paying for the Microsoft Tax, even if your Windows partition is just sitting there and doing nothing.
Solution: Buy a hardware of your choice and apply for a refund. Yes its possible, may not be very easy but definitely worthy a try. Venkat Raghavan managed to get a refund on Windows. Read his blog and enjoy your refund.
Now if more and more people start doing that, not that Bill would become a popper but vendors would give us Linux users a choice.