Bloatware: Vote for my MS suggestion!

We all hate it anyway.

https://windows.uservoice.com/forum...rage-manufacturers-to-use-ms-signature-instal

Maybe it'll never happen, partly beacuse this won't go to the right place at MS, but I really want to share my main complaint about preinstalled Windows.

 

Computer vendors get paid for those programs being installed (like commercials on TV or even ads on this website) and with razor thin profits they already get, some of them could go out of business, if they couldn't get this extra income, or computer prices would need to go up. I'm also not sure if I like an idea of MS dictating what is preinstalled on vendors computers. If I was going to send petition to MS, I would rather kindly ask them to fix their installer/uninstaller so it properly removes ALL parts of installed program and ALL registry entries. As a matter of fact I just bought new computer and I had no problem to delete all the bloatware (some I actually run once to see what it is lol). Spending half an hour to delete all the remaining pieces and registry entries of Norton, that uninstaller left behind for example, that's what made me upset, to say it mildly and I'm still unsure I got it all out.
To make sure you understand my point: I agree with you about bloatware preinstalled on computers, I don't like it either, but it would be mere inconvenience if it could be deleted properly, as it should, but it's not and I see that as a main problem and I blame MS for this. As a matter of fact, for that reason I prefer to use portable apps as much as I can.

 

My thought is: If an OEM wants to fill computers with bloatware and keep on making Windows computers look bad they have to pay for it. They're making money on something that mostly hurts MS alone in the long run. If I'm right about this, why should MS let this happen? I know OEMs makes money from adding bloatware, and of course it's not easy to change this, but that's not a reason to just let it be, is it?

I'm not talking about whether it is easy to uninstall bloatware. The initial impression of a new computer shouldn't be that you have to "repair" things first, by uninstalling bloatware, or, reinstalling Windows. It's unacceptable.

There's a reason for why Microsoft Signature exists in the first place. Unfortunately, it's out of reach for most consumers.

 

I don't want to argue, but:

You said it yourself , it reflects computer and it's maker, not the Windows, at least that's the way I see it. And the more I think about it, the more I hate an idea of MS dictating what's preinstalled on vendor computers, if I don't like bloatware on HP, I'll look at Dell, or Clevo etc., where MS has virtual monopoly in OS, so there is really no choice and they already showed how much they care about customer feedback, for example the saga of start button in Win8 (when they realized people kept using start button in prerelease ver of Win 8 instead of using new metro, they took the start button away). Now, that Win 8 sales are less than stellar, they finally turn around and promise fixes in Win 10, but still it will take 5-10 yrs before it's all good again. Sorry, I rather deal with many different vendors and their antics, even as bad as Lenovo's fish mess. BTW Lenovo promised no more bloatware by 2016, except for antivirus, so there is your solution, it fixed itself.

 

Why is it out of reach?

 

The cost premium due to the OEM not getting paid to include bloatware, presumably.

 

That's not the case. Laptops like the XPS 13 are actually cheaper from the Microsoft Store. Their prices are never above the ones announced by the OEMs. They also have lots of sales.

 

Maybe that's not much of a problem if you still get the same programs included, only not installed?

I dunno, but in how many countries can you actually buy a Signature laptop?

My point is that you shouldn't have to buy from a specific store, or in a specific country, uninstall bloatware, or reinstall Windows.
Everyone who buys a Windows computer should get the same experience of it like a Signature buyer does, no matter where they bought it. This would make Windows look as good as possible for all buyers, and this would change the general impression of Windows in the long run.

 

The ironic thing is that you have to buy Apple products (I am sure that is what you're comparing the Windows laptops too) from specific stores and in specific countries. Microsoft sells these computers online and is opening more and more Microsoft stores around the world. Microsoft can not and should not tell manufacturers to uninstall "bloatware" as it is a source of income to the manufacturers. OS X comes with bloatware too, what do you call the whole iWork suite, garage band, iMovie, iTunes, iBook and all that other stuff. You may not use it, I certainly don't use it, but it's there. Besides a lot of expensive laptops (those that are sold at similar price points as the MacBooks) do not come with bloatware so it's all about choice here.

 

No, at least not in Sweden. You can buy it in stores similar to Best Buy. But either way, it doesn't matter, because you still get the same experience no matter where you bought it, so it's not a good comparison.

In USA and Canada, yes. UK has THREE models. Germany none, Sweden none. But why should you have to buy from that store to get Signature?

Even if it makes Windows look like a second grade OS? Not that it's my opinion but I'm sure some people sees it that way. MS aren't very good in making their products look as good as they actually are.

The question is, do they run in the background and show these annoying popups all the time?

That price premium on those models does not reflect the lack of income from bloatware.

You still don't see my point. You shouldn't have to do something extra to get a bloatware-free Windows computer.
I'm not talking about what choice I have presonally, I'm talking about what EVERYONE should get when buying a computer.

 

What do you mean by that?

 

Those models doesn't cost that much extra because the OEM didn't get money from bloatware. They are premium models for other reasons.
I have no idea how much money bloatware can give OEMs per unit, but it must be less than $5?

 

It's still money that they need else they would not offer bloatware. There is a reason why even within the same company some products get more bloatware than others. Think lenovo with their thinkpad products that come with far less bloatware than the other products. Bloatware is advertising and companies make a lot of money off of advertising. They don't put that software there just to piss you off. More expensive machines do not come with Bloatware. If you bought something with the same price point as the Apple machines (That always has stuff like iTunes, Air Display etc running in the background) you would not get bloatware. Taking bloatware away from budget PCs just cannot be done. It is one of the reasons why budget PCs keep low prices. When you buy a Surface Pro 3, a Razer Blade, Alienware or even a Dell XPS 13, you do not get bloatware. I do get your point and I am not making it about your personal choice. It is just that what you want is not realistic. The best thing that you can wish for is for Microsoft to open more stores in other countries.

 

Indeed, my M6700 came with one or two Dell utilities which are not necessarily bad and a trial for some AV. That was it, no desktop shortcuts, no other program trials, etc. Thinkpads also come with LEnovo utilities, an AV trial and not much else in the way of bloatware.

General cheap consumer notebooks are riddled with it though.

 

Actually, first of all what is bloatware? Personally I hate Norton, caused me more troubles than all the viruses put together, so to me it is bloatware, but many people use it all the time and find it very useful. My laptop came with killer network and related programs, since I don't game online it is bloatware to me, had I've been playing online I may find it indispensable.
On the other hand I hate MS Bling and block it from start, metro interface in Win8 to me is way beyond bloatware (if I want to use phone interface I use my phone or tablet and since I don't like that interface much, it's one of the main reasons I still buy computers) and it can't be deleted or disabled, MS office is a bloatware and I have not used it in at least 5 years, despite working in office. Microsoft Media Player is bloatware, it can't even play 4k video from my 1.5 yr old phone, where VLC or MPC will play it without a skip. So, yes MS Windows comes with tons of useless bloatware on it's own and MS should never ever dictate what should be installed on new computers. If you don't like particular vendor, find one that sells without bloatware. You can even buy a laptop without any software preinstaled at all.
And most important, at least some people have to find some of the preinstaled bloatware useful, otherwise it would make no sense for companies to put it there.

 

If MS thinks that bloatware hurts their image (which I'm not sure they do) they have to get rid of all the bloatware. Everywhere.
It doesn't help MS much that Signature computers are available as long as most buyers shop elsewhere.
It is possible that my suggestion isn't realistic, but I think the general idea is. Trying to make windows 10 the best OS ever coming from MS, and yet still allow bloatware is two steps forward, one step back.

There are of course different kinds of bloatware, the ones I hate the most are those that runs in the background for no reason, sits in the taskbar tray, autostarts, and shows popups. For instance, I don't care that Paint is included. This is not me trying to shave off a few megabytes.

 

I think most people would agree that bloatware is pre-installed software or trial software not found in a regular Windows install, typically unwanted or unused by the end-user, but not always.

Your opinions about the Metro interface and MS Office, etc. are just that: opinions.

 

Agreed, there is no fixed definition of bloatware.

Some consider utilities from the OEM as bloatware, others don't, but at least, those are put there for other reasons than money.

Program trials are however put there for monetary reasons and those are the ones people usually agree about being bloatware. I certainly do not mill all the links to eBay, trial AV and other software trials that came on my previous laptops. OEMs will continue to put those there.

Regarding Microsoft offering lower prices than some OEMs and the signature edition, I'm sure they get those laptops at a discount from the OEM due to buying in bulk and they may not even come pre-installed with a copy of Windows and Microsoft just installs the signature image on it themselves. I don't know how they do it, but just like the OEM, they can very well decide to charge whatever they please for it to an extent.