Desktops: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs?
- 7/18/07 3:40 PM
Getting Started with too many issues requiring too much time
by JmsEmBer - 7/18/07 8:41 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The "amount" becomes excessive as soon as you realize it's not just about the number of programs that you may neither want,need, or care to examine. It's the amount of time required to deal with the issues they may present. Some things are egregious. It's hard to dismiss first impressions, especially if they're negative. Having a program that consistently gives you options to select before it will act, and then complains and sends you back to the menu with an "error" message because you did not select the premium plan is not my idea of how I care to spend my time. So the free version is effectively disabled while you go around in circles clicking and hoping that trial and error may be in your favor, but then if they gave you instructions that did not insult your intelligence, you would be likely to avoid what you clearly did not want in the first place. That's all folks, I don't want to get carried away,but there I some companies I can do without very well because of this. They know that they're giving advertising a bad name.
on a mac, pre-installed apps are a key vale-add!
by zahadum - 7/18/07 8:48 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
half the reason most people buy macs is precisely because of the excellent apps that apple ships re-installed ...
indeed, these built-in apps are a core part of the osx experience precisely because they are not bolted on to the platform but rather are a thoughtful & powerful exploitation of the platform .... they are not some shabby oem marketing ploy designed to try and misdirect attention away from the nightmare that is windows.
apple's own "iApps" allow you to easily & effectively do most of the basic common features that computers are used for.
if apple did not bundle these apps, i would expect them to lower the price of macs because the machines would be far less useful!
of course i do appreciate why poor pcguys object to shovelware: it is just one more reminder of how nothing "just works" on wintel.
cheers.
btw: i have just discovered a great little utility called "appfresh" that is able to automatically sync the updates for all third-party apps on my mac ...
it reminds me just how much i rely upon certain best-of-breed apps - indeed my reaction to third-party stuff is just the opposite of resentment (yes, i chhose them, they are not imposed upon me) ...
in fact, i i wish the osx install provided me with the option to have some organized way to conduct /service discovery/ so that i could pick & chose just what /kinds/ of extras i need & want.
apple's own zeroconf infrastructure (bonjour/rendezvous) might be a possible tool for this functionality (along with some wsdl like the choreography/orchestration API's) ...
i wish apple had a REAL feedback customer mechanism -- this is the kind of cool 'ease of use' feature that would be a great feature in leopard ...
alas, apple is not renown for proactively listening to its customers, so mac users are basically just stuck with whatever apple gives us - sigh.
so in a way, we are each punished for our sins: pcguy gets too much junk; macguy only gets la creme-de-la-creme - whether he wants it or not 
I don't want shovelware
by CalicoTude - 7/18/07 8:48 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The last computer I bought was over 4 1/2 years ago. It's hanging in OK, but when I need to replace it, am going to overhaul my other computer (the homebuilt) .... won't have to uninstall (or try to uninstall) any shovelware.
Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that come
by Gollyme - 7/18/07 8:49 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I hate it!!! I haven't bought a 'factory pc' in over ten years. I build my own. I rather like building the computer, as some others have noted you get to select what you want. You 'stuff' in your OS disk and be done with it. Nothing quite like a good clean install!!
Gollyme
Mixed experiences
by TrackStar1682 - 7/18/07 9:06 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
On my first computer seven years ago, I had an HP Pavilion that came with a bunch of preinstalled stuff. Most of which was really pretty benign and some of it I actually used, but after a couple years I added a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive and at that time I was dual booting ME and XP. That's when I ran into some issues. There were scraps of Easy CD Creator installed on the hard drive that were impossible to remove making CD writing under ME impossible because the scraps interfered with anything I attempted to install. Of course, I never ran into these probs when I used XP cause I did a clean custom install.
My dad's HP on the other hand wasn't so lucky. It was overjunked from Day 1, and eliminating the bloatware causes issues sometimes.
My newest computer, however came from Alienware and it's been really straight with what was on it from the get go. Only auxiliary programs installed were a DVD player app (power dvd) and Alien GUIse which is an in house interface skinning program. I've had nary a problem with this system and it's been flawless.
well???
by benniebeeker - 7/18/07 9:11 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
these guys keep it light as a feather... only the essentials to run from the start... however, their tech support is rude and mediocre and the turn around time is over a month... plus you have to wait a month for them to build it... 
www.falcon-nw.com
nice machines... lame people...
Sometimes the preload is a real find
by chridenp - 7/18/07 9:19 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In 1998 I bought my first Dell computer...The top of the line at that time...Anyway, It came preloaded with Adobe Photoshop business edition..That was the program that started it all for me in graphics. I learned a lot from it and lots more in all the other Photoshops and the like programs that I have aquired...Plus in that same computer was Hallmark card studio '97...One of the best user friendly card programs I ever used...My wife still uses it and refuses to upgrade to (even thought we own it) Hallmark 2007. I'll admit in later computer purchases I have immediately deleted programs that either duplicated what I already had or were useless to me or I simply didn't want...Like symantic's programs or other utilities of which I own their competitors programs...Or simply having preloaded AOL is useless for me as I have cable thru Comcast. But My most recent computer came with a couple of sonic programs that I was able to update thru Roxio for free, so that was pretty good.
I don't like that
by fairyjo - 7/18/07 9:35 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My first post... I don't like all the softwares installed, most of them are trial or limited editions anyway. Usually I do not use them at all or prefer another similar software instead.
I always make sure that with the new computer/laptop comes the installation CD, then I reinstall the system (and make a partition). That's one of my fist moves when I have a new PC or laptop in hands.
I don't like it at all !
by John Manning - 7/18/07 9:36 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Several years ago I got tired of unwanted software and poor quality computers. So the way around this is to build your own.
It was cheeper at one time but not any longer. With unwanted software and PC's with every thing built into the motherboard, the computers are slowed down before you even start.
Spend the time to put in good quality cards and only the software you need. Your PC will be fast and you will end up keeping it in service much longer.
I don't buy major manufact. PC's!
by taryn56 - 7/18/07 10:07 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Why should I when I can order a custom-made one or make my own? Many sites allow you to choose your parts individually, then they put it together and ship it to you. That way, you get what you want, and nothing you don't want. I wouldn't do it any other way!
The major manufacturers have driven me away
by Actmeister - 7/18/07 10:50 PM In reply to: I don't buy major manufact. PC's! by taryn56Between bloatware, non-standard cheesy parts, poor customer service and an inadequate warranties the major manufacturers have convinced me that I am better off building my own. The warranties on major components is longer when you build your own. And I save so much time not dealing with bloatware, that it offsets the build time.
Well anyone use them?
by bryson01 - 7/18/07 10:49 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I just let new PC's with they programs until I have to format the HD or if I see the performance is below my expectations example: windows vista.(OS that do the same that other, but needs more machine). ppff
Also if the HD is not partitioned "split by software" I wont sleep, even if all have back up copy.
the "utilities trials" most of the times work better that the final programs released.
You missed one in your Poll
by maxibemis - 7/18/07 10:50 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Umm.. personally, I didn't like the poll questions LOL
You only offered options that force us to have to answer that we even bother with prebuilt cruddy systems that come with all that crap already installed on them.
I was looking for the check dot for, "I don't buy preinstalled new computers, I build my own".
Specifically just to avoid this sort of nonsense of preinstalled crap on my system.
If I want something installed on my nice new system, then "I'LL" be the judge of what gets installed, not go out and buy some lame new system that has all that crap-ware, bloat-ware, resource hogging junk already installed on the system and worse yet, a system that they give you a disk that isn't really Windows, but their own version of it, so you can't even try installing the OS on your own, cuz it'll still install all that crap-ware junk without you even having the option to NOT install it.
My brother has a computer that they bought several years back and now pretty much never wants to use a computer ever again, because of all the junk that is on the system and always bogging things down and updating themselves without him even knowing about it.
I can't even talk to him about computers anymore, because he gets sooo angry about the whole subject.
Thanx idiot companies for making people despise you that much!
Lame!................md
Flush the crapware
by john3347 - 7/18/07 11:11 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I despise the crapware that comes on a new computer. If the products had any merit, the marketers would not need to be using those sales tactics. Even worse than the crapware that comes installed on a new computer is that EVERY new or updated application that you install, you have to un-check either Yahoo or Google toolbar. They don't ask if you want it, they automatically install it if you aren't eagle eyed and tell them, "NO, I have enough junk on my computer now!!" Let's lump this crapware with the new computer crapware and get the junk flushed.
Depends what brand.
by spicypeanut - 7/18/07 11:24 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I bought a Sony VAIO Z1 when it was first released (well a week before but shssss) and it came with a crap load of pre-installed software, but it was all useable stuff, it had things like adobe photoshop elements 2, sonic stage, dv stage, mostly sony software, but it was usefull. no sign up for AOL crap.. free internet this, it also had a 6 month trial of Norton and it was great. i think that this 'bloatware' epidemic is more centered around the low end PC's to make them cheaper, i doubt they would waste their time on a 6,000 laptop.
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