Windows 8 PCs Still Throttled By Crapware 657
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."
Get a signature PC (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.MicrosoftSignature [microsoftstore.com]
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.
Junk AVs (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Get a signature PC (Score:5, Interesting)
I had to install some medical software on a new laptop* for a client. After dealing with many problems, I still had an amateur OS with skype, weather, stock quotes and other totally irrelevant crap. Forget about the third party crapware, Win8 is built around crapware...
Windows 8 is NOT designed for serious work.
*Yes they supplied the laptop, if I had my way, it would have been Win7.
We all understand the problem well (Score:5, Interesting)
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!
Re:Get a signature PC (Score:4, Interesting)
After dealing with many problems, I still had an amateur OS with skype, weather, stock quotes and other totally irrelevant crap.
Skype doesn't come pre-installed, so you had to volitionally install it from the store. Moreover, even the pre-installed metro apps can be un-installed with two mouse clicks from the start screen, so if you were left with those you can't have been too worried about them.
Re:Bogged down (Score:4, Interesting)
You sure seem to have an intimate knowledge of this neighbour.
So "Nuke and Pave", this (was) a geek site. (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
FUD (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
Re:Windows beats Android on crapware (Score:5, Interesting)
Or buy a Nexus [google.com] 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).
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Nah, this is misleading (Score:4, Interesting)
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.)
Come again? But yes (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Nothing new here (Score:4, Interesting)
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?
Re:Nah, this is misleading (Score:2, Interesting)
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?