This link regarding “User paid to uninstall Windows XP” http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/technology/6144782.stm
is interesting, though I would advise anyone who wants to buy a machine on which to run linux to purchase it without the OS being pre-installed at all (even if it is not yet activated). I did this with Dell 18 months ago and the disk arrived ‘bare’ as requested.
(thanks for the link Dave)