White box (computer hardware)
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In computer hardware, a white box is a personal computer assembled from off-the-shelf parts. The term is applied to systems assembled by small systems integrators, and to homebuilt computer systems assembled by end users from parts purchased separately at retail. With standardization of form factors and connectors, a whole range of cases, motherboards, CPUs, hard disk drives, RAM and other parts can be obtained individually at many computer shops and assembled at home with a minimum of tools and technical skill. Alternatively, the shop itself may assemble components into a complete machine at a modest additional cost.
Similarly, the term white book is a notebook computer assembled from off-the-shelf parts.
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[edit] No operating system
Some white box machines built by small systems builders, and all homebuilt systems do not come with an operating system, so the user must install their own. They can usually purchase a copy of a mainstream operating system at any electronics retailer or they can download a distribution of a FOSS operating system such as GNU/Linux or BSD from the Internet. Purchasers of white box systems supplied with an operating system should check the validity of any software installed carefully, since a legitimate copy of a commercial OS repesents a surprising fraction of the cost of manufacturing such a system, and there is a thriving trade in forged copies of operating system discs.
While some people purchase white box systems because they prefer to choose their parts or because it's cheaper, others do this because they want to use their own operating system rather than a pre-bundled OS such as Windows or Mac OS X. Others refuse to pay the so-called "Windows Tax", the fee levied on hardware provided by a manufacturer which is bundled with a Windows OS.
Aside from the cost of Microsoft Windows, some other companies add their own software to the machine, such as shareware (e.g.: WildTangent games), spyware[citation needed], adware[citation needed], and software for dial-up ISPs (e.g.: AOL.)
[edit] No restrictions against modding
Many major software and hardware companies have restrictions to prevent consumers from modifying electronic devices, or modding, despite the fact that most of these companies did not build the parts that make up their products. The advantage of modding is that parts manufacturers can sell direct to retailers or consumers.
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