why do companies load computers with bloatware?

As the title suggested, why do companies load computers with bloatware?

 

To make money, why else?

Also, this conversation has been had so many times in the past, that it really isn't a fruitful topic for a whole new thread; we'd all be better off if you just used the search function.

 

LOL! You're a comedian!

 

That is if the search function works. LOL
Personally, I would want manufacture to load as much bloatware on my computer as possible to lower the cost. It would be great if I had a "ad supported" laptop which I can get for free. Then all I need to do is install a clean OS and I get my free laptop without compromises.

 

From what I gather, a lot of companies put in trialware / bloatware / crapware to possibly advertise their product. In doing so, a company can promote its product to the new user and hope that the user will click on "use trial" or some button of that sort. It costs very little for a company to put a trial on the computer that takes up HDD space at the scale a large company such as Dell or HP does. For a company like Microsoft, who probably gives $10 or $20 or something to one of these large companies, all that they need is for 5% to 10% of the trial-using audience to get aggravated enough that they will go to their local computer / electronics shop and buy the full version of whatever the program may be (Office 2007 is a notable example... it seems to pop up everywhere as trialware). If the program costs $500 for a fully licensed version, then that's $500 - $20 (for paying a company to put on the HDD as a trial) = $480 gross profit. (note: gross means profit before paying for development, programming, labor, time, etc.) If you're a software company, and you can align with a LARGE computer company that can put your program onto its computers' HDDs at a scale that makes it financially viable... then you can do so and hope enough people buy the full version (which means you had a good enough product to overcome the trialware, and it sold itself). At the end of the day, a great product sells itself, be it free, opensource, a trial license to full version, etc.

Another reason, perhaps tied to the original part of this is that it reduces cost to the user as far as getting the computer. If all the bloatware is included, then it costs less out of pocket for the consumer as some of the overhead is subsidized by the software companies (who provide some software free... even with ads and whatnot... another way to make the consumer to get the full version). For many users, the aggravation of this bloatware outweighs the aggravation of the time and energy it would take to make a clean install of the OS to eradicate the bloatware. Companies know this, and they make the bloatware provide "bang for the buck" (in the companies' eyes) to instill the impression that there is "value added" in the free games and whatnot as well. While it might cost an extra $100 or so to get the computer without any bloatware, and from some companies you have to get a Linux OS or order from the small business division, long-term it's well worth the agony to do so... at the end of the day, who wants to help LARGE over-grown companies more than they already are helped? This reason, among others is why people go to either small companies that don't employ bloatware, the gaming divisions of companies (where those divisions know people will look elsewhere if they see surprises), or in some cases custom-build the computer (providing ultimate control over what goes into the computer).

Lastly, bloatware is installed because most people just don't do a clean format of the computer beforehand, and apparently enough software company beancounters caught wind of this and decided to use it as a "sticking point". Even though the "enlightened souls" of forums such as this one may read guides and learn the intricacies of their computers at various levels, many people just leave their computer in "store-bought" state and just work from there, never bothering to free up what is increasingly becoming "double-digit" numbers of gigabytes. Fortunately, a slowly increasing number of companies are coming to the conclusion that bloatware is often not welcome, so companies offer sometimes at an extra charge the service of "bloatware removal". This idea is unethical (charging to get LESS stuff), yet most people who want bloatware removed see it as "well they're doing me a service, so I'll grin and bear it" when for a small amount of time they could do it for free. (Think of that "we fix your performance up for $69.95 with our easy software!" concept, but with bloatware... for a little time and effort, you could do the same thing for FREE!)

It is because of this that bloatware is almost like software's double-edged sword. It's good in that it shows novice users "demo software" that they may be interested in and companies hope that they will like the demos enough / find enough use in them to buy the full version (free money and advertising for the demoware company), and yet it's bad because some trials will NEVER get used, and once the trial run is up... if the user has no interest in the trial yet has documents obligated to the demo... either an alternative program has to be found that can read the documents (MS word to OpenOffice.org), or the document has to sit in a restricted state where its value is severely limited on that particular computer. To me at least, it's a money making ploy where a company is willing to take a small hit in revenue by putting crap on, in the hopes that enough people will buy the proper version to counter the small loss through aggravation of one form or another.

I guess Frank Zappa was right... "We're Only in it for the Money" is the computer industry and software industry's mantra after all

 

Because not everyone is savvy enough to format and reinstall.

 

for their normal commercial clients they do. for their corporate clients they dont usually. even dell doesnt. their optiplex lines have ZERO bloat other than thier dell wallpapers. the dramatic difference between a consumer dell pC and their corporate client PCs is ridiculous. thinkpads used to not load a any bloatware either other than their own thinkpad utilities, but i hear recently there is microsoft office included, but I dont know if that is cause microsoft is adding it to the windows vistas or not.

almost all other commercial products will be full of bloatware.

 

100% true, usually business machines are exempt... Thanks for clarifying this I was only working on the premise the OP was dealing with "home-use" systems.

 

my asus didnt really come with a lot of bloatware either, just their own utilities and drivers (which is annoying like hell.. i got like 80 process running at start up).

 

Windows Vista 1 CD makes the whole clean install a little easier. But it does seem to be an evil conspiracy.

Step 1. Include manufacturer software addons like power management and accessibility tools

Step 2. Slip some outside party trial software in there

Step 3. Stop providing any OS CD whatsoever

To me Sony Vaios win the award of notebooks with a ton of bloatware. I am also including all of the useless "Vaio" crap they put on the machine too.

 

Just do a clean install and your bloatware will be gone. Check your respective manufacturers forum for specific instructions.

 

Bloatware is basically a way for people to advertise their software, and since they're paying to have it pre-installed, it lowers the costs for consumers. If companies are able to provide the same hardware at lower costs than their competitors, they will do it, which is why all major OEMs have bloatware on their consumer notebooks.

While annoying, bloatware actually ends up helping me. The cost of buying the notebook is reduced, and I have the knowledge to do a clean install and end up with a bloat-free notebook that costs less than if it came clean in the first place.

 

Knowledge is money

 

I thought knowledge is power

 

I think they do it to make peoples life miserable......i always wondered the same thing....... u guys got some good answers though they all sound pretty close to why they do it ....IMO

 

Sounds good to me!

 

Call me cynical but I doubt that OEMs are passing on the savings directly to consumers; they're most liking lining their pockets which I don't have a problem with especially in this economy.

Personally I don't have an issue with bloatware as I always clean install but I do feel sorry for people who don't know how, and think they're stuck with that entire crap running. For that reason I think OEMs should at least allow an option, paid option, to have no bloat at all.

 

I think they should add an option called "ad supportted package, -$1000 off your purchase price" as well.

 

I don't think your viewpoint is cynical, given that the profit margins for laptops are so low and the competition is so fierce. I don't see manufacturers giving consumers a freebie with such savings, but rather simply saving the money toward furthering competitive projects.

Plus, regardless of whether the manufacturer keeps the money, consider how much time is lost in productivity and frustration for the average consumer who buys a new laptop. These losses alone are probably worth more than the advertising dollars.

 

Yeah...and it does not seem to put even a dent in their prices either!!!!

 

[Gasp! ] You don't say! So, you think computer manufacturers do not just sell their products out of the goodness of their hearts? Or as a hobby, maybe, to keep themselves busy? They want to make money? What a thought!

 

Then the corollary, which in reality is closer to the truth, would be money is power.

Gary

 

you sir, are a genius.

 

LOL.. I want to get this for free as well.
http://blip.tv/file/104237

$3000 Macbook for free with laser etched ads. I'll just put a nice sticker ON TOP or sand the layer off and i'll get a perfect free laptop.

 

The search box at the top of the page and the Google drop down search box in the menu area both seem to be working just fine. What issue are you having with search???

Gary

 

I thought it was disabled.

 

vBulletin search is currently disabled, but Google search is enabled. Therefore, search (Google) won't have up-to-date results of new posts and threads, but it's decent enough for finding older things. Hopefully Sphinx will be installed soon: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=387191&page=6&p=4980948

 

To be honest with you I never used the vBulletin search because it sucked if you wanted, for example, to find references to installing XP on a Vaio FZ. It did not allow any two character search terms, and it would be a little tough to avoid XP and FZ in that particular quest. I hope such is not the case for the new "sphinx", otherwise I'll stick with the Google search even if it is a bit delayed.

Gary

 

True, vBulletin search wasn't that great, but some forum features, such as the "new posts" section, rely on vBulletin search. That's why those features aren't available right now.

I don't know the details of Sphinx, but I hope that it's better than the original vBulletin search - I never liked it much either.

Anyways, this is getting pretty OT, so we should probably continue this here.