Bloatware Article on Cnet

There is an intesting article on Cnet concerning bloatware installed on PCs and laptops. I know there have been quite a few posts concerning it. I have been amazed lately by how much is on some of the PCs and notebooks I have seen seen recently. My T42 had none although that is a pricier machine so you hope there is less. The Z61m I am doing the review on has very little as well except for Google desktop, but the N100 had quite a bit. Here is the article anyway. It is interesting reading:

Link

 

good article, it is truly a problem that I don't know how you get to go away if mfrs are making money on it. You know why I really like it though? He links to this forum as a place to discuss and gripe about bloatware . Thanks Tom K.

 

Bloatware isn't a new thing. I remember the desktops of the mid 1980s that had lots of junk on it even then.

It's one way, probably, that has kept the prices of computers down (just like sponsorship for a race car), and has ALLOWED the prices of computers to drop with each passing quarter. Luckily we know what to do to get rid of it.

 

I dunno...I think that OEMs are simply making as much as they can. Most all components are produced in China and similar countries, and thus are pretty damn cheap to begin with. I'm pretty sure Michael Dell would sell advertising space on his mom's forhead if he thought there was a market for it.

Either way, I agree that it's good there is a resource like NBR that can assist people who might not know what to do to "fix" their new bloatware-filled machines.

 

I am sure that for some newbies, those crap programs are actually used. Most users that have any virus protection installed, started as bloatware or trial. I use Nero only because it was bloatware and I became used to it.

 

I think there's something important that we're all missing here...that story has a link to us

Look at the link for "discussion forums" in the first few paragraphs.

 

Feel the love from Cnet. =)

I don't think bloatware lowers prices on computers that much. Look at some of the notebooks you pay a premium for but don't come with much bloatware. It's the economy stupid really is what it is. Like was said, newbies do use some of the software that comes with it. AOL, Nero/ Roxio (I flipping hate Roxio), Norton Anti-Virus, Microsoft Works, Google Tool bar. I wonder the percentage of users who only have or like the programs because that's what there computer came with. I've heard a relative who bought a new desktop say 'Cool! look at all the stuff already on it!'

 

Awesome, linked right to the forums. Why thanks Cnet.

Bloatware is a problem . .not so much the potentionally helpful programs, such as Antivirus trials for the majority of the people that don't have them, but the free music trials, and especially AOL . . useless junk. More and more PC's desktops look like an advertising space. I don't honestly know how people deal with all of it if they don't remove it. Slows down the PC drastically in some cases.

Fortunately, as posted, the more you pay for a mainstream machine (or rather, the higher-end models) have less of it, for the most part. And, if you buy third-party like I did, you get absolutely no bloatware. I only had two programs on mine which I use frequently - WinDVD 5 and Nero OEM Burning suite. No trials, free stuff . . clean Windows.

I'm not really sure what most non-technical people think of bloatware . . interesting thought.

Chaz

 

i think it would be helpful if there were a good reformatting guide for people to follow to get rid of all the bloatware....

 

SG created a great guide to reformatting/reinstalling XP on a Dell in the Dell forum:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=42340

 

does it work for other notebooks other than just dells?

 

Wow that was a nice link Cnet. I wonder how many new users we will get now. lol
Tim

 

pretty much.

if you've ever done it on your desktop, it's the same procedure. the only caveat being with a lot of the new "watch-a-DVD-without-booting-into-windows" features appearing on notebooks, you have to be careful if you want to preserve that functionality

 

I was so happy to see my Latitude with literally one program to get rid of: Google desktop/toolbar.

I did inadvertantly delete my smart card configuration program (not that I need it).

Oh, yeah. Back to the point of referring back to the www.Notebookreview.com website was awesome! I personally have a preference to this site and it's affiliations compared to other 'peer to peer' forums.

 

suprisingly, my Inspiron 8100 that I bough around 6 years ago had hardly any bloatware on. No trial programs, no rubbish at all. It came with programs that were fully valid and useful.

 

As much as I like cnet, I visit once perday for tech news, I find thier site full of advertising.

 

i see it as more of aslap in the face then anything useful. from the time i spent heavily interested in mp3 players, and hanging out on dapreview.net ive learned that in most cases cnet is nothing more then veiled advertising. maybe there other sections are better but i know untrained monkeys WOULD write better reviews than james kim and the other ipod fan boys in their mp3 section.

 

desktop on a system we bought for work upon first boot. HP whored themselves out pretty well with this one.