Why I Love Pre-Installed "Crapware"

[guywithcable]

Most users who buy pre-built PCs hate the amount of bundled software that comes along on so many of them. I'm taking a radically different stance on the issue and proclaiming, "Give me all the crapware you've got!"

Why would I say such a thing? Well, simple. The companies pushing this crapware onto new PCs (Norton, McAfee, WildTangent, RealNetworks, etc. We all know them...) will essentially pay you to take them. The way it really works is they pay the OEM to include their software on pre-built PCs, and the OEM then lowers the cost of the PC to drive sales. So essentially, the more crapware included with your PC, the lower the price.

Doesn't that lower the user experience? The simple answer is, it depends on the user. I've purchased several PCs that included loads of crapware. In my youth, before I knew what I was doing, I'd simply uninstall the crapware. Now that I've grown up, I just wipe the drive and install Ubuntu. To the average user, I could see how it can be somewhat of a nuisance, but a quick uninstall should remedy most problems.

So this I proclaim to my fellow Ubuntonians, will you not go forth and spread praises for crapware infested PCs! And if crapware should come to the Linux market, welcome it with open arms and ready install CDs. ;)

PS: If you so wish, you can take the time to visit this page (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/email_customer_care/emailcustomercare?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs) and ask Dell to start including bundled software on Ubuntu PCs to help lower their cost.

Here's a template:
"Hi Dell,
I would like to recommend that you start including bundled software with your Ubuntu loaded PCs to help lower their costs. You can use Wine to run Windows software on them. It would really help those of us who don't have a lot of funds, but still would like a Linux PC.

Sincerely,
#Name#"

[kevin11951]

Usually, when i buy the computer, i reformat it with the cd that comes with it, and reinstall drivers, etc... so that crapware dosent bother me so much.

[calrogman]

Since I would probably install Debian on it anyway, give me all the bloat you want. I dare ya.

[Game Over]

I'll just keep dumpster diving computers / parts and installing Ubuntu on them :p

Hold the crapware, please.
That's why I dumped W**dows.

[guywithcable]

I'll just keep dumpster diving computers / parts and installing Ubuntu on them :p

Hold the crapware, please.
That's why I dumped W**dows.

Windows doesn't come with crapware. (Unless of course, like me, you consider Windows itself to be crapware,) It's the hardware vendors that put crapware on the machines.

[CharmyBee]

Windows doesn't come with crapware.
The "Online Services" folder on the desktop in the 9x series is such for one. Windows 98 shipped with a "Channel Bar" too that was just a bunch of ad links right on your desktop.

[guywithcable]

The "Online Services" folder on the desktop in the 9x series is such for one. Windows 98 shipped with a "Channel Bar" too that was just a bunch of ad links right on your desktop.

Touché.

[starcannon]

I'd rather get the PC cheaper; I never boot into the OEM install unless its Linux anyway; so, I never see any of the advertising, crippleware, or any of the other junk on an average PC.

After new PC purchase I:


Remove from packaging
Inventory parts list to make sure nothing is missing
connect all cables
Boot and press the Escape key
Open the Optical Drive Door
Insert Ubuntu Live CD
Ctrl-Alt-Del
Press the Escape Key
Choose the Optical Drive from the boot order list
Run the liveCd
Open a terminal and run lshw and make sure I have everything I paid for.
If the hardware is fine, I check my ethernet connection to make sure its working.
If ethernet is working I go ahead and Install Ubuntu, wiping the HDD entirely during the install process.
Reboot
Get updates
Install Graphics Drivers if needed
Choose Printer from list
Add Medibuntu Repos
Install Codecs and various other frivolous software I can't live without.
Open a beer, start up Nexuiz, do some fragging as a reward for another job well done.

[Rhubarb]

Personally I don't care about crap ware.
By all means lower the price for the end user, but please don't force me to buy a computer with Windows / Works.
This is because Windows can often cost more than what the crapware can reduce.
So offer me a computer without windows, and I'll be happy.

[lisati]

The "Online Services" folder on the desktop in the 9x series is such for one.
True true! Never had any need for the "online services" with Win98 - my Compaq desktop (now Windows free, including the recovery partition) also came with a useless "Easy internet connection" thingy too, redundant since I already had an internet connection.

On the other hand, some of the stuff that came my main desktop was temporarily useful until I actually paid for some software (and found some free software) that suited my purposes better.

[WatchingThePain]

So the more crap on the pc the cheaper it is?.
Typical.
People like that drove me to building my own machines so thanx for that.
Now I don't need the crap.

[CharmyBee]

Well it's not a new concept exclusive to Windows - I know GeoWorks Ensemble shipped with AOL installed back in '91.

[stwschool]

I actually had no idea how bad crapware had got til I got my new Asus laptop. Bear in mind that I've not bought a new pre-built PC in a long time and have always installed my own OS since I figured out how to (many years ago). I turned it on, and the system tray had about 12 icons of crap in it. 12 bloody icons. The desktop was a mess of useless junk that I didn't want. Cue Win7 disk to give me my Windows gaming fix (for the rare occasions a game won't work in Wine, I find these days that most do) and my Jaunty disk to cover my main computing needs. Ah both so much cleaner, but seriously SO much crapware! It looks like the corporates are killing Windows for us, milking the cow so hard that users will have a painfully slow OS from the word go even on new machines.

[init1]

I'd rather have a cheaper computer. I usually just do a clean install over the OEM version

[|Mitch|]

I build all my computers myself, so I have 0 experience with "useless" pre installed "crapware".

[lisati]

Oh, I just remembered, my old Win98 machine came with StarOffice preinstalled on it. That can't be such a bad thing since it's a close cousing of Open Office. I didn't like it at first, so I deleted it, but eventually picked up a newer version on a CD which came with a magazine. The same magazine came with a Linux version of StarOffice, which I've never seriously looked at since my Ubuntu installs came with Open Office....

<aside>I'm part way through getting my old Win98 machine ready to have a crack at putting Puppy Linux on it dual booting with Win98.... 64Mb ram, 133MHz and a 3Gb hard drive, gparted seems soooooo slow!</aside>

[MaxIBoy]

I build my own computers and buy my laptops used (since I'm not going to be doing any gaming on a laptop anyway.)

I'm basically indifferent, but on the other hand, I'd like to see Linux not being associated with crapware.

[Game Over]

Windows doesn't come with crapware. (Unless of course, like me, you consider Windows itself to be crapware,)

Bingo ;)

[Game Over]

I'd rather have a cheaper computer. I usually just do a clean install over the OEM version

I love refurbishing computers. Reuse and reduce!

[swoll1980]

Give me crapware, or give me death.

[chellrose]

Sure, why not? Now that I know how to install Ubuntu... Bring on the crapware.

[TuckLive]

Personally I don't care about crap ware.
By all means lower the price for the end user, but please don't force me to buy a computer with Windows / Works.
This is because Windows can often cost more than what the crapware can reduce.
So offer me a computer without windows, and I'll be happy.

Exactly. Why should I be forced to buy Windows when I'm just going to wipe it and install Ubuntu anyways. Companies should offer the option of "no operating system installed" like they do for server solutions. Kudos to Dell though for now offering Ubuntu pre-installed.

[Wiebelhaus]

You didn't offer , "doesn't matter because I'm going to wipe it first thing anyway" option.

[guywithcable]

Exactly. Why should I be forced to buy Windows when I'm just going to wipe it and install Ubuntu anyways. Companies should offer the option of "no operating system installed" like they do for server solutions. Kudos to Dell though for now offering Ubuntu pre-installed.

It's an awesome idea, but as of Microsoft's current policies, it is unrealistic. The reason many companies are hesitant to offer operating systems other than Windows or no operating system at all has to do with their OEM contract with Microsoft. These contracts basically state that if a vendor sells PCs without Windows, they don't qualify for discounts on their Windows licenses. Since a generic PC OEM needs to sell Windows PCs to be successful, it makes more fiscal sense for them to only sell Windows PCs. (Thank you, Microsoft tax.) So then you have the special market guys like System76, who don't sell Windows PCs at all, thus they can keep their prices competitive, but they only appeal to a very small market share. Then you have Apple, who's entire user base is more worried about whether their computer looks cool, than if it can actually get some freaking work done. So they can charge whatever the *&#$ they want. (I had a MacBook for a year, and found their OS utterly crippling. Great hardware though.)

[guywithcable]

You didn't offer , "doesn't matter because I'm going to wipe it first thing anyway" option.

I believe that falls under the category of "Yes, I'd rather get it cheap."

[Wiebelhaus]

I believe that falls under the category of "Yes, I'd rather get it cheap."

Na , my times is anything but cheap , but hey! how's eyeOS doing these days? I played with it way back in 0.** days , looks like it's all grown up now.




***Edit , hmm looks like the had a user wipe at some point aye? My User is gone.

[guywithcable]

...but hey! how's eyeOS doing these days? I played with it way back in 0.** days , looks like it's all grown up now.

A lot better than YouOS (https://www.youos.com/)! :lol:

It's really taking off. I think you'll be hearing a lot more about it as the market continues to shift toward cloud computing.

[Wiebelhaus]

A lot better than YouOS (https://www.youos.com/)! :lol:

It's really taking off. I think you'll be hearing a lot more about it as the market continues to shift toward cloud computing.

I think your right mate. Thanks for reminding me of it , it must have been like 2005-7 or around there since I messed with it , cheers mate.

[Bungo Pony]

Windows doesn't come with crapware.

The Microsoft Network
My Briefcase
Get Connected To The Internet
Internet Explorer
drwtsn32
Sound Recorder

There's probably more that I can't remember.

[guywithcable]

The Microsoft Network
My Briefcase
Get Connected To The Internet
Internet Explorer
drwtsn32
Sound Recorder

There's probably more that I can't remember.

Yes, that software is crap, but it's not third party (except the connect to internet one), so it's not really crapware in the way I'm using the word.

[thegreenblob]

Since I would just wipe it and install the OS my self...

Bring on the crapware :)

Paying less for a PC with crapware is fine with me since I never see it anyway. ):P

[tsali]

The Microsoft Network
My Briefcase
Get Connected To The Internet
Internet Explorer
drwtsn32
Sound Recorder

There's probably more that I can't remember.

Interesting = you just rattled off a list of ten year old software. Do you know anything about their latest offerings?

That's the thing I'm finding here...people have these old memories of dinosaur software and seem to forget that linux of the same era was utter crap...

FTR, my OEM copy of Vista Home Premium did not come with ANY crapware installed.

I did buy a Toshiba laptop that came with quite a bit of crapware, but cleaned up quite nicely in about the same amount of time it takes to install and configure Ubuntu.

[Bungo Pony]

Interesting = you just rattled off a list of ten year old software. Do you know anything about their latest offerings?


Why would I? I'm a Linux user now :D


FTR, my OEM copy of Vista Home Premium did not come with ANY crapware installed.

I think mine did, but Vista got wiped very shortly after I got my new PC so forgive me for my foggy memory of it.

[sim-value]

Interesting = you just rattled off a list of ten year old software. Do you know anything about their latest offerings?

That's the thing I'm finding here...people have these old memories of dinosaur software and seem to forget that linux of the same era was utter crap...

FTR, my OEM copy of Vista Home Premium did not come with ANY crapware installed.

I did buy a Toshiba laptop that came with quite a bit of crapware, but cleaned up quite nicely in about the same amount of time it takes to install and configure Ubuntu.

This stuff (mostly) is still in Vista ...

[mousestalker]

The problem I have with the OP's question is that things are rarely so cut and dried. It's rather difficult to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges in the laptop market.

My current laptop is one I bought discounted as the model was being retired. It came with all of Acer's usual crapware, which lasted about a week. I installed Kubuntu as a dual boot. Wiped Kubuntu as a dual boot. Installed Ubuntu 9.04 as a dual boot. Downloaded all of the drivers. Then wiped Windows Vista off of the machine.

The crapware was there and took up a lot of system resources, but it didn't survive long. But as to whether having it affected the price, I have no earthly idea.

Whilst buying a bloatware special has its charms, the main thing is insure that you can safely wipe the bloatware off. If you do a reformat and install of ubuntu, there is a good chance that some of the drivers you need will either not be there or be very buggy (*cough* Atheros *cough*)

So you have two issues. The first is whether the crapware box is comparable to the non-crapware one. The second is if bug number one and all its dependencies can even be safely removed.

If you are serious about removing bloatware, then Windows has to go. I say that not because I hate Microsoft, but because with a lot of the new lappies any system restore from the secret partition on the hard drive also restores the crapware.

[TBOL3]

Oh ya, I love it, because I get my PC much cheaper (sort of, depending on how much of the money the company wants to pass onto the consumer).

However, if I didn't just blow away the OS right away, that would be so annoying.

[Tipped OuT]

Usually, when i buy the computer, i reformat it with the cd that comes with it, and reinstall drivers, etc... so that crapware dosent bother me so much.

+1 for that. I always re-install the operating system.

[CharmyBee]

drwtsn32
Sound Recorder

are essential and not bloat.

[Bungo Pony]

are essential and not bloat.

When I was having crashing problems in Windows, I deleted drwtsn32 and the performance improved. I really hate that damn thing. Deleting drwtsn32 became a regular routine in my Windows installs.

And Sound Recorder? I fail to see how that app can be useful especially when there's hundreds of apps out there that are much better at getting the job done (and don't have a record time limit). Anyone who has tried to record or edit audio with that app will share my frustration.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Hyperterminal, but as lousy as the interface is, it's actually fairly useful.... and it's not even Microsoft's product.

[Generic_Guy]

I'm with almost everyone else here and saying 'gimme all the crap you got, I'll just nuke them from orbit!'

Whilst buying a bloatware special has its charms, the main thing is insure that you can safely wipe the bloatware off. If you do a reformat and install of ubuntu, there is a good chance that some of the drivers you need will either not be there or be very buggy (*cough* Atheros *cough*)I thought Ubuntu came with its own drivers. Agh! That's a kick in the balls for ya. Sorry. :(

[michaelspoonsm]

well personally im annoyed of how much software they put in......there is so many trials and bundles yet so little space there is on the hard drive but i have to say some of it is good but they rlly do seriously pack a little bit too much

[tsali]

This stuff (mostly) is still in Vista ...

Uh...no

[joey-elijah]

Why would i BUY a computer? They're over priced and don't come with what i want. I always build my computers.

[glotz]

Is this thread about pre-installed Micro$oft operating systems?

[lisati]

Is this thread about pre-installed Micro$oft operating systems?

No, not Micro$oft, but can include machine with Microsoft software preinstalled along with other goodies that the manufacturers see fit to install.

[Orlsend]

I love computer with pre-installed stuff, they are cheaper. and when you really want to play a windows game you got license that you can dualboot or Vitualbox.

[mamamia88]

i hate all this stuff on preinstalled pcs. of course they don't give you a windows install disc anymore so you have to find out how to aquire one

[skymera]

Build your own. Problem solved.

[unisol]

i bought a pc with no operating system installed for a good price, installed winxp pro and ubunto 9.04. system runs great no problems, and will be fun upgrading. besides some of the bundled software is trialware.

[philcamlin]

hah yeah my grandma got a new toshiba for her birthday from my family and it had more F****** crapware then crap itself ;)

for most models now no one even uses the pre installed os
i never have after i bought a asus with windows 98

most crapware i have ever seen

bye bye winblows ):P hi ubuntu :popcorn:

you might as well get one with no os as mentioned above ITS ALOT BETTER CHOICE :)

[bsharp]

I usually nuke a new computer first thing I do anyway, so it doesn't really matter if they bundle software on it. If it also makes the computer cheaper, who can argue with that?

[joey-elijah]

Build your own. Problem solved.

exactly what i said.