Is junkware a Dell thing or MCE thing?

I am planning on getting myself a laptop pretty soon and the e1705 looks good to me (so long as i dont find it too big). Anyway my question is about this junk software that is being discussed on this board. If I just got the XP instead of the MCE when i ordered would I still have the same problem? I ask because I am rather a noob when it comes to hardcore stuff and I would be scared to reformat myself.

Thanks for the help.

 

Its from Dell.

 

If you use the XP disc from dell, you'll get a clean install, but MCE does have some junkware like ESPN on it. Home and Pro will not contain any kind of junkware. MCE contains some junkware by default but this is not from dell. It is a problem with MCE.

 

The only junk that mce installs imo is in the shared folders. Basically a couple gigs of random movie/music/video samples that I didn't even know about till wierd songs kept showing up in wmp There's also a few stupid games that come with mce (otto and somthing else), but they're small and basically harmless.

 

LOL, i guess i should restate my post. MCE does have some software on it that some users think is junkware or that it is installed by dell. Things like ESPN software. As far as I know, this is part of MCE.

 

So if I get the XP Home Edition I won't need to reformat?

And are there any worthwhile aspects to MCE?

 

Not entirely true. If you get a dell, you'll need to reformat no matter what in order to get a clean system. The only way you might not need to reformat is if you don't buy through Dell's Home, but instead buy the Inspiron 9400 through small business. I know with the latitudes, they don't have any knd of junk ware, but I'm not sure about the Inspirons that you buy through Small Business.

What I meant about the MCE Vs. Home/Pro is that MCE has some software that naturally comes with it, and some users feel like this is junkware. Here is a brochure about the different types of software that come with it:
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...4823-A18A-7C83374AA825/mce2005RG_addendum.pdf

With XP Home and Pro, that is a different story. You don't get any type of software that you would consider junkware. You just get the standard XP programs like paint, I.E., etc. MCE has the extra software because it is the Entertainment software where as Home/Pro are the productive software. In reality, MCE is the same as Pro with a few additions - mainly the extra software.

 

So why would I need to reformat if I get XP Home Edition? Don't people do it to get rid of those MCE programs?

 

No, typically they do it to get rid of stuff like the 8 bazillion toolbars and free trial everythings and "helper" programs which are often just annoying.

 

No matter what XP version you buy from dell on your Inspiron, you will have a TON of junkware. This is why most of us reformat as well as Dell tends to do some strange partitioning.

If you buy XP MCE and reformat, then there is some additional software that comes with MCE which some users don't like. This software only installs with MCE, not Home/Pro.

To answer the question of your topic - it is both. Dell includes a ton of junkware on all their systems. Yet MCE also has some depending on the user preference. So if you order an Inspiron, you will recieve a lot of junkware and will most likely want to reformat. When you reformat (assuming you bought MCE), you'll have a clean system, but you do get some software that MS feels like you would like or use.

 

I just bought an e1705 (its still being built), it has MCE. Is it pretty easy to get rid of the software and videos and stuff for someone who sort of knows what there doing?

 

supposedly when you are reformatting, you'll come up to a section that says do not press any key because it is installing the applications. If you press a key, it will not install the applications. I'm sure you could also just go through the add/remove programs to remove the standard MCE software.

 

Ha, awesome, easy enough.

 

I thought MCE was based off XP home, not pro.

and on both MCE desktops we bought for work no ESPN stuff was included. Both were HPs and came with tons of junkware installed though.

 

Well, thats HP, they might do things differently.

 

You can remove the stuff you don't want. Follow that with a registry cleaner and that means you can keep the things you do want, like a DVD Player, the appropriate drivers,...etc.