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Dell Installs Google Software at Factory
simonjp writes "BBC News are reporting that Dell will be installing Google software onto their new machines as part of the software build. Details appear sketchy, but this signifies the first step for Google from being just something you can download to an almost 'essential' software provider. They report that both sides are to benefit from the deal, and that 'more is to come.'"
Google, you used to be cool, but ever since you got your own appartment, & had to start paying bills, you've just been kind of a drag.
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
Google desktop came with my Dimension E510 ~three months ago. Is Dell just reporting this now?
Don't tell me everything will be Google(TM) Dell(TM) edition! I guess it is a milestone, but it certainly isn't something to look foreward to. Any what stuff would be bundled? Sounds like Search and maybe Earth will be there, maybe some unanounced projects? I mostly equate bundled dell software to music match jukebox heh, and I dont know of a google music yet...
The laptop I bought a month and a half ago came with google desktop & toolbar preinstalled. I suppose this means that they'll be adding things beyond those 2?
11 was a racehorse
12 was 12
1111 Race
12112
Damn right they're sketchy. It's annoying enough when a computer comes with extra software, but if it's adware--which is what the Google stuff is no matter how "cool" they are--it's "value reduced". Google's just becoming more and more like every other publicly traded company.
<xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
Dell Googlled
What makes this different?
So they're using Google Toolbar and some other apps. Many other companies have already done this, and Dell just happens to be one of the most prominent. This isn't a "significant step," it's publicity.
Or so one would think, were one to hang out here long enough. There's noting more entertaining than watching the groupthink have a go at the ol' double standards, though. So... go! Make us proud! Start tap dancing! The folks that say that dumb people are too dumb to alter defaults or install on their own (and thus, by their own stupidity, are having their choice removed from them) are also the first ones to say that Google just needs a "fair" shot at the desktop to completely stomp MS. Hmmm.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
By the time these things get to the owner, is there any room left on them for installing real software?
Dell's ridiculous amount of pre-installed crap is taking the concept of bloat to all new levels.
Dude, your gettin' google
This just once again proves my point....
Google Toolbars will form Skynet, all that we know and love are DOOMED!
Overpriced and underpowered.
Oh, and so it comes with Google, just one more hunk of junk software to remove after the machine arrives. You want a clean install? Pay for a clean disk and a copy of the OS to install yourself.
I don't know of any software Google produces that is worth bundling with a new machine. Google Earth? Nope. Picasa? Maybe. Google Desktop? No thanks.
As far as I'm concerned, Google belongs in one of my browser tabs, not on my hard drive.
If Dell and Google want to do a service to consumers, Google would give Dell a pile of money to put Firefox on the desktop.
From the article:
"The deal could mark a major turning point for Google and mark a serious threat to rival Microsoft."
The system is still going to come with Windows OS, Windows Media Player, IE, OE, etc. and the only office suite choice will be Microsoft. When Vista ships it will have MS Search built-in. Come on, really.
I tell you, one day google will take over the world.
That sound you just heard was the crashing of chairs coming from the direction of Redmond, WA :)
Google's software has been coming preloaded with Dell computers for about 3 1/2 months now, but was only a trial period, a "test" if you will. Now it looks like it is an official, permanent policy.
Are they preloading Firefox and make it the default browser? The Google softwar pack included OpenOffice too. Both will be included? That will be interesting.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Although I'm not one to mail-order a computer anyway, I'd hope that whatever Google software they install isn't one that involves advertising revenue.
Both Dell and Google appear to be companies that actually pay attention to customers, so this likely wouldn't be the case...but we'll see.
- RG>
Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
Google cries faul when Microsoft makes MSN the default search engine in IE7, where it's easily changable and Google is right in the selection, but Google gets ties with Dell and other distributers to preinstall all it's stuff on the machines, shoving their search bar everywhere in sight and no so much as a glance? Hypocrites?
I had google desktop installed by default on my new Thinkpad t60p.
It was one of the first things I removed.
It's like selling cars with complimentary beer. "You go on now. Here's the beer and here are the keys. Enjoy."
But oh, no windows without IE. Better put a warning label on the desktop, like "the coffee is damn hot... Remember to download the seatbelts." you get the picture.
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose
Clearly we need this more than ever now.
http://www.yorkspace.com/2006/04/38
The last few groups of Dell Dimensions we bought all came with Google Desktop and, if I'm not mistaken, the installer for Google Toolbar. Is this news? Did we get rogue machines or something?
Comment of the year
I preferred the days when PC manufacturers were neutral to the software that you installed on them. They only pre-installed the basics, or nothing at all. Manufacturers tying in with specific software vendors and pre-installing tons of applications isn't done to improve the user experience: it is to improve their bottom line.
The thing Google has going for it is its brand. Google = Search = Good. People like Google search. It works...for the most part. As soon as they started producing stuff like Google Pack they began the inexorable process of screwing their brand. Now people will think...Google = Search = Good - Google = mediocre client software = Google = mediocre. Google Earth is sort of interesting but is slow and behaves in strange ways. Google Pack is just a wierd bundle of stuff with no obvious rhyme nor reason. As someone who is not particularly a Google fan I say - install away on millions of Dell's!
As much as I hate Dell, I'd like to congratulate Google with this one. Botched abortion that is MSN needs to die.
Google Pack includes the following pieces of Software:
Google Earth - 3D Earth browser
Google Desktop - Desktop companion
Picasa - Photo organizer
Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer
Google Pack Screensaver - Photo screensaver
Google Talk - Voice and IM application
Google Video Player - Video player
Additional Software
Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar - Web browser
Ad-Aware SE Personal - Antispyware utility
Norton Antivirus 2005 Special Edition - Antivirus utility
Adobe Reader 7 - PDF reader
RealPlayer - Media player
GalleryPlayer HD Images - Images
One wonders what Dell is pre-instaling. Would they install firefox and get on MS' bad side?
Of the whole list, I personally use Picasa (on Windows, my primary app is iPhoto on my G4), Firefox, and Acrobat. Some of the apps, I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole: Norton's, Real Player.
now i'm really interested to see what they're bundling, or are they just including a link to the google pack?
Hah.... morons
A customer of mine bought a new Compaq laptop very recently, and the Google toolbar was preinstalled. FWIW.
Google Toolbar has been pre-installed on these machines for over a year.
Del Googled
I imagine someone, if not more, has said this already, but I feel the need to share as well:
I recently bought a Inspiron b130 notebook, and it had Google Desktop and Google Toolbar installed, directly out of the box.
until you are left with the one true app. minesweeper.
music lover since 1969
Dell(TM) Google Edition (TM)
(Iffff Google ever goes into the hardware business...)
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
I've always wondered why Sun was unable to get Dell and others to pre-install the Java VM. If they could have gotten Dell, HP, Compaq, Acer to pre-install, then everyone would have had to follow. There is no reason to _not_ preinstall Java. It is free and it doesn't use resources unless you use it.
I can think of only one reason, and that is that Microsoft had some compelling reason for _not_ installing Java.
If Sun had managed to do this 5 or 6 years ago the software map might have been looking completely different.
The Internet is full. Go Away!!!
Windows doesn't come with a photo organizer. Picassa is a great one. Makes sense to me.
You are probably familiar with the earlier versions of Google Desktop which, aside from the search, were basically a fancy distraction, but the features that I have on mine right now enhance my productivity: nice to-do list, scratch pad, google calendar, weather. None of these things are present or nearly as convenient in Windows. The search is also fantastic, and completely obsoletes the default Windows search.
You left out Google Talk. I think including a chat program that uses an open standard, with no ads and a nice interface is a good addition.
I haven't tried to use Google Earth for more than the pretty factor, but I bet someone who has can tell me what they do with it.
The moment google starts leveraging their monopoly on operating systems to promote their other products, everyone should feel free to get on their case.
Agreed. When my parents bought a Dell (I was away at college but still offered to build a cheap rig for them, they went with Dell because of a "free flat panel monitor upgrade" through their Educator's discout [they're teachers]). I went home for a weekend and saw it, formatted it for them (it was slow as... slow) and threw on a clean install of XP (they didn't want Linux) along with all the programs they needed. It actually runs decent now (considering it was a $700 buy with monitor). I don't see why computer companies throw so much slop-ware on computers they sell... wouldn't it make more sense to make a computer FASTER to the consumer by leaving off all the unnecessary software (I work at a university helpdesk, and HP and Compaq seem to be the worst when it comes to this -- the best seem to be the "unknown" manufacturers like Averatec... but I'm guessing that will change when they get big enough and create a "useless software" deptartment).
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
Google makes 99% of its money from advertising. Google pays Dell to include its toolbar in the default install. So: The 5 or 10% of the web page real estate given over to an adsense ad (see top of this window) is what pays for the 30% added to the menu real estate allowing you to ... well, what exactly?
Google toolbar is intrusive, but in a good way, because you can take it ot leave it, and it's quite frank about "only being able to do its job if it keeps a history of everything you do on the internet". The item with the greatest value that Google owns is your data (selling their technology is limited to pizza-box form, because anything else would be paramount to selling out to their competitors). It's not a question of if, it's a question of when: when is Google going to capitalise on this property? (As for the how - the only option is "to the max").
This isn't good or bad. It just is.
I don't use Google toolbar. But hey, I use Google. I'm in the loop.
yes, we have no bananas
So many people on /. are bitching by making Seinfeld-like jokes "What's the deal with pre-installed software? It will be uninstalled anyway uhhuhuhuhu".
:((.
Who mostly buys pre-configured computers at a price much higher than a custom-built pc? Average joes. Mr. Average Joe thinks The Internet is the blue icon on his computer and when that icon isn't there, he has no internet
Mr. Average Joe NEEDS the programs shoved in his face because Mr. Average Joe is a lazy fucker who's too lazy to search for programs and wants everything on his finger tips.
Where I'm getting at? people who are not computer savvy are lazy and "scared" to explore their computers and the internet and by doing that they are ignoring the whole list of programs available to them. They probably think Winamp is the only mp3 player. They probably think Windows Media Player and QuickTime are alone in this world with RealPlayer in the corner. They don't know whats media player classic or Firefox. No, people have to tell them what it is or they'll never know what it is.
* Bitch Bitch Bitch * * Winge Winge Winge *
... IE which you freaking cant!
"Google sux cause it preset something in one particular brand of PC".
Wow!
MS and piles of other companies do this all the freaking time and everyong cops it on the chin and says
"oh its microsoft and their os so they have the right to"
A big round of applause should go to the "ms fanboy club" who got their comments posted 1st under this artical.
The way i see it, its very easy to remove preinstalled software that google or most other companys have set on branded pcs such as Dell, or Lenovo. Such as the AOL dailer or Sonic CD Burner software. Its more difficult to remove that these then say perhaps
Oh mod me down, the satisfaction of telling crowds to piss off is so much more satisfying.
What i am trying to say is the more that multicolored google logo replaces the windows logo, the more the windows software will be replaced with an alternative. You make make your own conclusion (mine is a positive).
This example with google can be replaced eith any software. for example firefox or thunderbird. I think thunderbird will be able to fully replace outlook soon since the lightning project extension makes it look pretty damn close to it with the calender support.
My wish is that microsoft backs off on keeping their own software - mail, writing, web browsing, cd burning, yadda yadda. but i doubt that will happen.
[The above is an opinion. so please don't come and egg my server rack.]
Have any of you doorknobs ever actually USED a Dell with the default install? OF COURSE it's installed! So is every other piece of useless junk you'd never want. AOL? Sure! 30 day trials of software? Why not! Demos of otherwise productive software? ***SIGN ME UP***
The default configuration also happens to use up more than 512MB of memory AT STARTUP. No programs open, just the tray icons for software that won't work for much longer, and AOL sitting there like the sword of damocles.
the first thing I always recommend someone do after buying a Dell is getting rid of any trace of that install, because it's worse than useless. A bare install with the utilities you actually want and basic drivers will run so much faster than the standard install, work so much better, and try to sell you so much less in the process, that I'd go so far as to say that google adding their 2 cents to this software cacophany is just a nice addition to the tragedy.
It's been a long time.
This may be a new use for the accelerometers that are built into the laptops.
In Soviet Russia, Google Dells you!
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." (Diderot)
When this was AOL or MSN, sources that were known to filter news and other unconsionable actions, this was BAAAAAAAAAD(!).
Now that it's Google, which has been shown recently to filter news and engage in other (arguably) unconscionable actions... is it.. still... BAAAAAAD(!)?
I'm.. just.. wondering.
Link here
I bet it won't be long before AMD starts showing up in more Dell Business computers and perhaps even home pcs. And now Google software. Very interesting.
I wouldn't be surprised if soon Google does something more with ISP, especially if the telecoms get their way on the net neutrality fight.
It doesn't really matter to me what software comes preinstalled. If I were to purchase a Dell computer, then the first thing I would do is format the hard drive and reinstall the operating system in order to clear out all the superfluous software. I did this with my laptop and startup/shutdown times are less than half of what they used to be.
I have no idea what this has to do with TFA, but that ad is hysterical.
DAMN YOU LIBERAL MEDIA!!
barack to the future?
Every new Dell we've gotten at work this year has had Google Desktop and Toolbar already installed. It's the first thing I take off of the computer when I'm setting it up for someone.
-jls
Techno-pagan
I'm going to be in the market for a laptop soon, and had been considering a Dell. Looks like that might change now.
Does anyone know of a manufacturer of reasonably-priced, reasonably powerful laptops available in the UK who doesn't feel the need to install lots of unnecessary cruft on them?
All I really want is the laptop, OS, and drivers. I'll add everything else myself, thanks.
It's official. Most of you are morons.
how many people on these boards, the "technical elite", are buying ready-made PCs. What self-respecting nerd trusts someone else to build their PC for them (except for laptops of course where there really isn't a viable parts market)? The quality of the machine you can build yourself is so much better for the money. And the time you spend ripping out all the pre-installed crap, oftentimes leaving you with an unstable machine, can be more than the time spent building and installing exactly what you want. True, if ultra-cheap is your goal then ready-made is the way to go (but don't expect to be able to upgrade it to be anything reasonable - cheap means cheap - power supplies, motherboards, cooling). And don't forget the side benefits of building versus buying - like the knowledge you gain, both from researching the components and knowing exactly what's inside (besides Intel).
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
I helped a friend migrate to a new PC and found that I had to remove vast amounts of crapware from the new computer. Most users have no idea that they can remove the preinstalled crapware and I now understand why most people never notice the spyware that gets added later.
When I buy a dishasher, I don't mind a free sample of detergent and rinse agent beacuse it is obvious that it can be removed from the dishwasher and it is obvious that it is just a sample. The problem with the "free" software on new computers is that it is not obvious to many users that it can be removed and much of it doesn't say that it is a crippled demo until you actually try to use it.
Didn't Bill Gates use a Dell PC. And if Dell comes pre installed with Google what will Steve Ballmer say about this?
My freeware games
I just bought a laptop from Dell today. Why? The laptop was cheap ($1550 AUD), small (12-inch screen, weighs 1.7kg), and the hardware works reasonably well in Linux.
I don't really have any problems with Dell, apart from the software, and the only thing that bugs me about that is that they force me to buy Windows.
Once I thought there should be a sequel to Godwin's Law whereby any comparison made to Limbaugh (or maybe W) would result in loss-of-argument. But then I realized the formulation & articulation of this law would, itself, violate Godwin I, thereby making it invalid.
My turnips listen for the soft cry of your love
IBM/Lenovo has already started doing this, the last few models (PC & Laptop) we've recieved have had Googlebar and Desktop installed on XP Pro systems.
So I guess it's "news" but not unheard of, at least for me.
Here are the latest entries to the prep script we run on all our new Dell machines:
/v "Google Desktop Search" /f
if exist "%programfiles%\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktopSetup.exe" start "uninstall" "%programfiles%\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktopSetup.exe" -uninstall
reg del "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion"
Unfortunately I don't know of any command-line switches to make it uninstall silently; you still have to go through the prompts and tell it not to keep any indices.
Promote proofreading. Don't mod up sloppy posts.
Let's hope they get it right this time: http://forum.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/messa ge?board.id=si_virus&message.id=47628 (the last post is mine).
Your favorite
Oh yes they do. I just bought two "business class" desktop machines (Dimension 5150) and one "business class" Laptop (Inspiron 6000). They all came with this garbage. Two of the machines took me the better half of the day to remove. The last one I just fdisk and started from scratch. This machine now runs better than the first two which leads me to believe the uninstall's don't remove everything.
I think alot of the trouble comes from too many people that hang out here who code in their basement and don't get paid for it (and justify it by violently defending everything open source no matter how feature deprived or unsupported it might be.) And, in some extreme cases are the very people responsible for discovering and exploiting security holes and developping trojans and backdoors.
You can save the arguments about evil empires and how wonderful open source is blah blah, add nauseum. Some people that try to read these commentaries objectively have a hard time doing it, I'm sure. Especially people who don't let a company's net worth define how they feel about their software.
Windows has more viruses because linux has more virus coders.
My experience is from OptiPlex 170Ls I installed two weeks ago.
Dell's obvious benefit is obviously that they're being paid by Google to do this, which means they'll make it hard for the customer to remove.
So how does the third side of all this joy -- the customer -- benefit by having software they didn't order and may not want? It wouldn't be the first time I've heard about a customer actually having to pay Dell support to be told how to uninstall some crap Dell stuck on his system that he didn't want.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
So how much more vulnerable is your new computer with all this other stuff included? I'll bet more than you wish!
And this is all aside from how much gaming performance you lose from this crap running in the background.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
I guess this means the Dell de-crapify script will have to be modified.
Since computers have become a commodity they've gotten bundled with all sorts of crap, MS os's included. But I've been happy with XP now that I took all the pre-installed crap out.
Sorry dude, but the PCs you bought are not "business class".
Dell specifically tells you on their comparison chart that the Dimensions and Inspirons are lower-grade, cheaper alternatives to the Optiplexes and Lattitudes. Even if they have the same specs, they're not business class. They use different, better components, have higher support and warranties, and like I said earlier, no junk software.
-David
Could this be the first hint of a Google OS? All they'd have to do, really, is piggy-back on some Unix-like OS. In fact, I'd say the next decade could feature Google battling MS over Dell. Either way, it's a race to the bottom over home users, and MS has a pretty solid upper hand on the corporate front anyway.
and damn you, retarded modder, for tagging my bitch-slapping of a cowardly posting of rightardedness as trolling. al Qaida is actually a growing force in International news providers, that allows an incredibly divergent spectrum of ideas to be proferred on their talk segments. Much broader than seen of the so called terrorist loving liberal news networks, and exponentially more expansive than the fare of the FREEPing lamers of the right who are now advocating their dire need of affirmative action since as Steven Colbert told the DC journalist, "facts have a liberal bias".
Rush Limbaugh is a perfect real world example of an oxycontinmoron
The new homepage hosted by google that new Dell PC's default to.
(Or as far as i can tell without buying a dell)