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Windows 8 PCs Still Throttled By Crapware
jfruh writes "Windows 8's Metro UI presents a clean and spiffy new interface for Microsoft's latest OS. But one of the operating system's oldest and most hated problems — crapware — still lurks below the surface. For instance, the Acer Aspire 7600U is an all-in-one that, at $1,900, is hardly a bargain-basement PC. And yet as shipped it includes over 50 pieces of OEM and third-party software pre-installed, much of which simply offer trials for paid services."
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.MicrosoftSignature
Vizio PCs dont have any crapware either.
What has this got to do with Windows 8?
If MS stopped OEMs from bundling Google toolbar, everyone here will be crying antitrust.
You want MS to make Windows a closed platform like iOS?
Freedom is not free.
This space for rent.
Let's not forget McAfee and Norton pre-installed which are the worst pieces of crapware out there.
This is one of those "it's good to remind people of a pervasive problem" stories. Some people accept this as "status quo" and others see it as a serious problem.
We get it. The business of PCs is stupidly tight with slim margins. The easiest way to supplement profit is to sell software installation services to software vendors. It doesn't bother the OEMs that they are doing this at the expense of the PC customer or even at their own reputation.
Commenter Sussurros above states another obvious problem. Crapware on phones... android phones. And I heartily agree. I think we will see a bit less of it soon though.
Turns out Google is changing the game. I find it FASCINATING that the Google Nexus 4 phones cost between $300 and $350 and yet T-Mobile says it costs a LOT more and will sell it cheaper if you buy two years of obligated service with expensive data plan. What surprises me the most is that T-Mobile thinks they can get away with this... worse! They *are* getting away with it. Google sold out of inventory in minutes. T-Mobile sold out in hours. There are no Nexus 4 phones.
The phone you get from Google is bloatware free and carrier unlocked. I don't know if that's the case with the T-Mobile version... anyone know?
But just as in the PC market, the phone market cannot resist the extra money (even if they are making insane profits already) they make by including crapware.
I decided long ago when my contract is up, I will do this no more. I will have my Nexus 4 when it becomes available again. I'm definitely not buying from those scalpers... sheesh... $500, $600 each?! I know there's a sucker every minute, but I'm not one of them. I'll wait a bit longer... I've got time.
Android has enabled the game to be changed. This is something that ONLY open source software could do. It's not just free software. It's FREEDOM software. I know I'm not alone in my intention. I'll spend a little more up front and save a LOT more in the long run.
I'm done with your games, carriers. Are you listening? Done!
You sure seem to have an intimate knowledge of this neighbour.
I expect crapware. Blow away the OS and install from clean .isos using appropriate tools. I'll not detail it here, the internet is your friend.
OS replacement should be trivial for nearly every Slashdotter. Back in 1999 they even discussed such things in these very forums. (Now get off my lawn, though given continental drift it's probably somewhere in the Marianas Trench...)
If you don't know how, MANY nice folks on many forums offer their expertise for the reading. (Google "My Digital Life forums")
If you don't WANT to know how, Fark is that >>>> way.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
anyone read that list?
spotify was mentioned twice. minesweeper and solitaire were included.
also, all crapware from all territories appears to have been added to the same list and presented as "this is what you'll get".
consider what comes out-of-the-box on an ubuntu installation.
i'm not defending crapware at all - i hate it. but a strong case against it is not made by misrepresentation or outright lying.
Or buy a Nexus device direct from Google. Stock Android UI, no crapware, and you also get the advantage of being among the first to get the latest OS updates (when other devices might never get them).
Breakfast served all day!
If your android is rooted, download "DroidWall" firewall app. Let's you whitelist/block any app from accessing the net.
but the legacy desktop side is still an unlocked experience, and vendors can install junk on there if they want to.
Depends on your definition of "junk." Most of the stuff in the Windows App Store looks like junk to me, just like most of the stuff in most app stores.
Also, your definition of "legacy" must be different than mine. I've been using Windows 8 on a daily basis since shortly after it launched, and I spend all day using desktop apps. I don't really see a way that my workloads can be transferred to TIFKAM apps, either, so I pretty much just ignore the Start Screen most of the time. (FWIW, this is actually very easy to do in Windows 8, despite all the online articles screaming bloody murder about having to put up with it.)
Breakfast served all day!
You lost me at Metro being "clean and spiffy," but you're right otherwise. I give it one or two years before some bright bulb dreams up an OS or even hardware to force feed advertising to the user, all the while claiming it reduces costs... Consoles already do.
Yes, I'm serious. But if my comment is as moronic as you seem to think it is, maybe you can actually help me. I have a couple of computers here which came with OEM crapware Windows and no clean install media (only the option to create crapware recovery discs). How do I get a free, legal, clean Windows installation?
Windows 8 Store apps can't monopolize CPU and memory unless the user deliberately launches and is actively running them, generally speaking.
Translated: Windows 8 implements preemptive mutitasking, but only for Windows 8 Store apps.
Weren't they supposed to have preemptive multitasking back in Windows 95?