Do lenovo products come with a lot of bloatware?

I just ordered a x201 and realized I might have to spend hours reinstalling a ton of stuff. I realize all the drivers and programs are likely online at lenovo's site.

I read most of the vista clean install guide and was wondering:

If I do a clean install with Windows 7 and then redownload essential Lenovo driver's and progs, will I have full functionality of Fn keys and other buttons?

I am just concerned there is some irreplaceable functionality (aside from the hidden partition drive being wiped) like some hidden CPU voltage regulator or stuff.

 

A lot compared to consumer laptops? Not to the same extreme. There are lots of guides for doing clean installs on here and you should have no problem finding the appropriate drivers and such. However, if you would like, you can simply uninstall some of the programs rather than doing a completely fresh install.

Really just decide once you get the laptop.

For features such as power management, there is both a driver and the software program so you couldn't necessarily be removing some important functionality by uninstalling just the program. Just ask when you receive the machine about what you're unsure of install or whether you need to figure out if it is 'necessary' or not.

 

not really bloatware like the sense of those installed on Sony laptops, but just lenovo softwares that some people don't need.

 

hours?   not at all.   TVSU will automatically install drivers and software for you (and in the correct sequence) and you can choose exactly what you want installed.

Lenovo Support & downloads - ThinkVantage System Update

 

There's a lot of useless thinkvantage crap.

 

They don't come with bloatware, but apparently they come with stuff some consider to be crap. I myself like all the Thinkvantage stuff and leave it on, unlike typical bloatware where the only people who leave it on are people who just can't be bothered to get rid of it.

 

The non Thinkpad laptops come with a mountain of crapware. It's enough to make you go blind. :/

 

You don't have anything to worry about. In fact, even if you don't have the drivers installed, many of the Fn keys will still work, like the brightness controls, you just wouldn't have onscreen notification when you press the Fn keys.

Nothing to worry about. All the drivers are on the website, and System Update can install all the drivers you need. And the Thinkvantage software can do full system diagnosis and can figure out if you have a driver problem or not. The only thing you won't get with System Update (that I learned the hard way) is that it doesn't do BIOS updates.

 

running TVSU under 32-bit OSes will show BIOS updates when available.   since you're running a 64-bit OS (per your signature), TVSU won't provide the .exe BIOS update app because the update app itself (winphlash.exe) only works in 32-bit environments.   because of this, 64-bit windows OSes or any flavor of Linux require the use of an ISO image.

 

I have Win 7 64 bit on mine and TVSU gave me a bios update

 

that is one of the reason why i don't run any TVSU, because of the unsuspecting bios update issues.

 

What's unsuspecting about it? It gave me the update and successfully updated it? In 4 years of using TVSU I have never had it give an an update that was something other than benign or beneficial, and it has always given me all applicable updates.

 

they must be coming packaged with a 64-bit installer.   i never update my BIOSes with .exe files so this info is news to me.

 

i did not state that the bios update was not beneficial or anything, but sometimes my laptop freezes during middle of some updates, and i don't want my laptop freezing during a bios update. Just a personal preference.

 

... no that would be bad.

I have Win7 x64 and recently did the Bios upgrade via TVSU and it went OK. What I like about TVSU is that I drive it through the process so when given the option of a Bios update I was able to shut down, restart, and then run TVSU again to get the Bios update after a "clean" boot. I haven't had any lockups to make me not trust the x201s yet... so all good.

Regarding bloatware - the only bloatware (as I consider it) was Office 2007 trial, symantec trial, and of the Lenovo software I removed the air-bag drive protection ( I have an SSD).. and one other I cant recall. The Lenovo applications seem to be of the "bolt-on" type rather than the "octopus with fingers into all corners of the OS" type (*cough* symantec *cough*) so I'm confident that uninstalling them actually does remove them and I didn't feel the need to strip down with a clean install. I made sure that when I first booted the new laptop I didn't run any of the trial software so it never installed fully.

 

Bloatware? Now you mentioned it, they do come with Windows... (ducks)

 

I ran 32 bit Windows 7 with System Update and it never showed an updated BIOS was available.

 

Now you've doggone donnit, sunny boy. *pulls out flamethrower* Now whatcha got to say for yourself? *pulls trigger, laughs maniacally* Bwahahahahaha.

 

i trust thinkpads, but not so much the OS running on it.