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    Please Explain: WHAT IS BLOATWARE?

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by IUcandi, Jul 14, 2007.

  1. IUcandi

    IUcandi Notebook Evangelist

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    Hope its not too much of a retarded question!

    WHAT IS BLOATWARE?
     
  2. Snakize

    Snakize Notebook Geek

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    There are no retarded questions, just retarded people.
    Umm.. bloatware is just the crap software that is preinstalled when you get a laptop from the main brands. Some of the software is just basicly junk that you would probably never use, however sometimes certain bloatware they install is actually quite good. Hope i've answered your question.
     
  3. sanpabloguy

    sanpabloguy Notebook Deity

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    To me, bloatware is different. Bloatware is software that uses large amounts of computer resources and slows down other applications. Folks have their own opinions as to what is considered bloatware. Some candidates for bloatware are MS Office, MS Windows, or Norton Antivirus/Internet products (newer versions seem better about this).

    Another, similar group is what Snakize referred to. That's called crapware. Unnecessary programs that are part of many new computers (free trials for AOL, or MS Office, or an anti-virus program). Many users feel that the only software that should be on a new computer is the fully-functioning software that is part of the purchase price.
     
  4. TechIsCool

    TechIsCool Notebook Consultant

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    Definitions of BLOATWARE on the Web:

    * A sarcastic term that refers to software that has lots of features and requires considerable disk space and RAM. As the cost of RAM and disk storage has decreased, there has been a growing trend among software developers to disregard the size of applications. Some people refer to this trend as creeping featuritis. If creeping featuritis is the symptom, bloatware is the disease.


    * Software bloat is a derogatory term used to describe the tendency of newer computer programs to use larger amounts of disk space, more CPU power and/or more RAM than older programs. Software exhibiting this tendency is referred to as bloatware or, less commonly, fatware.
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloatware


    just look it up dah
     
  5. IUcandi

    IUcandi Notebook Evangelist

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    thanks for all the help :)
     
  6. FGLRXandYou

    FGLRXandYou Notebook Consultant

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    Extraneous, clunky software that slows down a computer, often with lots of start-up icons or other annoying features as such. Frequently they're little more than ads that the OEMs pre-install.
     
  7. mcs6

    mcs6 Notebook Consultant

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    Could you guys list all the bloatware that I'll probably have on my new notebook? I have a Gen 3 XPS desktop which didn't come with any really, so I dunno what to look for.
     
  8. lottdod_1999

    lottdod_1999 Notebook Evangelist

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    anything norton
     
  9. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

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    Anything you didn't install yourself.
     
  10. 1stStrike

    1stStrike Notebook Consultant

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    id suggest you do a fresh install. wait, is the bloatware on the restore/vista cd too?
     
  11. bmwrob

    bmwrob Notebook Virtuoso

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    All of that junk is bloatware. Other "favorites" of mine are ISP offers and various bundled media players - ugh.