When will manufacturers understand users?

This is maybe a little bit of a rant but also a request for information.

When will manufacturers understand that users want to know what the software on their PC is for? When will they realize that there's plenty of firewalls (as well as standard Windows utilities) that reveal what software is running? When will they start publishing descriptions explaining what that software is for? *WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF?*

Today Comodo firewall, on my new (2 months old) Toshiba laptop popped up a warning about the unrecognized GFNEX service. Searching the Net all I can find is that it's ASUS software, possibly for managing the hotkeys-and possibly for other uses, too. So what's it doing on my Toshiba and why won't either ASUS (if that's who produces it) or Toshiba (who installed it) tell anybody what it does? I don't think it's paranoia to believe that they have a reason for hiding this information. It might be paranoia to believe that the reason is because it's spying on me-but if it isn't then I can't think why they don't explain it.

Does anybody know what the GFNEX service does and why it would be on a Toshiba laptop? Thanks.

 

Usually, the companies who manufacture your machine, in this case you have an asus, so Asus makes money off that bloatware so its profitable to them to include that junk. However, that certainly does not apply to all software found on the computer that came installed already. Some of it maybe just have been included due to users asking for it. Nonetheless, its easy to uninstall once you use your machine and overtime you find them.

 

Wrong-I have a Toshiba, just as I said. Also (to ian82) I've found that blindly formatting a machine ends up costing me several hundred dollars, either by losing software I actually want or by spending the time to track down drivers I need. I've found it's more cost effective to remove only that which I don't want-but it's also more frustrating trying to figure out what this stuff is, particularly what runs in background.

 

Haha it's sad that it's come to this but standard new laptop procedure for me to gather all drivers before I get the machine and just format and install what I want as soon as it arrives.

 

This. Usually a day or two before the pc arrives I do a bit of research on drivers for the model and keep them on a flash drive, ready to go

 

I usually boot up and make system restore discs only in case I decide to return or sell my laptop.

 

What he said! ^^^

Gary