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Sony Offers Bloatware Removal Service — For a Fee [Updated]
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Fri Mar 21, 2008 04:11 PM
from the scams-and-other-marketing-ideas dept.
from the scams-and-other-marketing-ideas dept.
linuxwrangler writes "First Sony packed its laptops with Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office trial version, Corel Paint Shop Pro trial version, WinDVD and more. Now it is offering to remove the bloatware. Of course marketing changed the name from 'removing the crap we stuck you with' to 'Fresh Start' software optimization. And they want you to pay $149.99 to clean up their mess — $49.99 for 'Fresh Start' on top of the required $100.00 Vista Business upgrade. You can get about $25.00 of that cost back if you select all available 'no-software' options which are only available after selecting the $149.99 'upgrade'. Wonder what they would charge to remove Windows completely." Update 11:57 GMT by SM: It seems that massive outrage at Sony's "Fresh Start" program has encouraged them to drop the fee for scrubbing your laptop of bloatware before shipping it your way.
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PC Decrapifyer will not work? (Score:5, Informative)
Still, is it is a very FREE and very Useful tool for new PCs.
Another link OTFA:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/21/sony-hates-you-offers-50-fresh-start-option-to-build-your-la/ [engadget.com]
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:PC Decrapifyer will not work? (Score:5, Insightful)
2. On topic: Although I completely disagree with sony's actions here, it makes sense that a computer without all the crap would cost more. A crap filled PC is subsidized by revenue from the crap vendors, a clean PC is not.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm [mvps.org]
As an aside, it can also help keep your computer from accidentally visiting sites that install crapware/spyware/adware on your system.
But the only computer that I have ever bought
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
.....built and loaded with software from the manufacturer is my Mac laptop....
A nice feature of Macs is that any programs you don't want are easy to delete. Just drag them to the trash. No need for uninstallers. No registry cleaners or other crap removal problems. Why can't Windows be like that?
Unfortunately even Apple's own applications aren't usually self-contained within their .app icon package like you suggest. If you drag a program like Garageband or iPhoto to the Trash, you're only removing part of the program. For example, the Garageband icon in /Applications is ~86 megabytes, but there are nearly 2 gigabytes of sound loops and such in /Library/Application Support that would be left behind, not to mention individual user preferences and caches in ~/Library.
In my opinion Windows is actu
Sony drops its $49 "no crapware" fee (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I wish, I wish (Score:5, Informative)
- Inspiron n Series desktops [dell.com] for home and home office
- Vostro and OptiPlex n Series desktops [dell.com] for business
- Latitude n Series laptops [dell.com] for business
I wouldn't be surprised if other PC makers sold some computers (most likely business models) without an OS.Parent
Re:I wish, I wish (Score:5, Informative)
You can also get Dells preloaded with Ubuntu (including in Canada, now!), just search their site for "ubuntu": http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs [dell.com]
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Y'know, it's not that hard to build your own computer. If you're not shooting for a bottom-of-the-barrel $399-plus-cheese-grater model (in which case, you should be shot) you can generally save money that way, too.
In this month's MaximumPC, for example, they have step-by-step instructions with pictures for building your own $1500 gaming rig. PDF Version [maximumpc.com] You can spend considerably less if you don't plan on doing any gaming - cheaper video card, slower processor, and the like. And, it comes with any OS
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You should be shot if you want a cheap computer ? Good grief !
Re:I wish, I wish (Score:5, Insightful)
Hmm... I just went onto Newegg.com and bought all the parts for a computer, the parts *I* wanted to be used, assembled them, and installed the OS of *my* choice.
Wasn't difficult at all and didn't get stuck with cheap inferior merchandise.
Why don't you try the same for a laptop and let us know how it goes?
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
How about a Vista rebate instead? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why stop at removing "Works" when you could use Ubuntu? Wouldn't Sony then have to give you a rebate for the OS you did not use?
You would be better off even if you wasted $149 on XP and used your old software. This option does not rule out a nice free software partition. I can't believe anyone will use the "fresh start" service.
Geez. forget it. (Score:4, Interesting)
Forget it. That's a good idea. (Score:5, Informative)
This is why it's a good idea to avoid brand new hardware from unfriendly companies like Sony. If it won't work with PCLinuxOS, Mepis or one of the Ubuntu live CDs, you don't want it. XP won't work either, which leaves you with Vista and hunting for the dozens of programs needed to make Windows useful. You might as well give up. Hardware that's just a year or two older or that's "low power" will perform better under free software than new hardware under Vista and software that does not break XP is going to get harder and harder to find.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Geez. forget it. (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Geez. forget it. (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem is, if the company sells the laptop with Vista, then the download drivers are also for... Vista.
I got a Fujitsu with Vista and "upgraded" to XP. It was a bit of a challenge because the controller chipset wasn't supported with the Windows XP disk I purchased. I manged to get an install going using Nlite and adding the driver controllers I downloaded from HP.
That was challenging because the drivers came as a floppy image that had to be "burned" to a floppy with the special software. My laptop doesn't have a floppy - and I had to reconnect the floppy to my desktop - and then dig through all my boxes of crap to finally find a floppy to burn it to... just to put it on a USB stick so I could transfer it back to my laptop where I was building a new install disk.
I managed to get everything working on my laptop except for all of the buttons on the hot keys above the keyboard that would normally launch web browsers and such.
I'd LOVE to get a rebate on the unused Vista install disk that came with it.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
+4 Insightful? (Score:3, Informative)
I'm writing this from Leopard, and my other two machines run Ubuntu but I have installed Windows (98 - XP) on several hundred different configurations, same goes for various Linux distros but that ignorant comment of yours, both about the time it takes to install Windows and how you'll have to track down "every single last driver" is nothing but trolling.
I haven't installed Vista, so I won't comment on that.
It should be (Score:3, Funny)
Re:It should be (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Not shocking (Score:3, Interesting)
Don't let them charge you (Score:5, Interesting)
As usual... (Score:5, Informative)
Gizmodo is reporting that Sony have already stated that starting tomorrow the service will be free.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
along with sibling poster... (Score:2)
On top of that - why not go the easy route and get a machine that doesn't run Windows in the first place - either O/S-less or with a Linux or BSD distribution pre-installed instead?
Control Panel - Programs - Programs and Features - (Score:4, Informative)
Not really that big a deal... I guess for $150 VS a few clicks and reboots, I'd rather keep the cash. (I have a new Vaio and already did this) Yes, I know it is only $50 but I have no need for Vista Business either.
And if you are in a business buying a large volume of laptops (presumably the intended market?), wouldn't it still be more efficient to pay your IT guy to do the same?
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Control Panel - Programs - Programs and Feature (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Control Panel - Programs - Programs and Feature (Score:5, Insightful)
1) Sony's own load images are to blame for much of the pre-installed adware and unnecessary bloat, why should there even be a fee in the first place to NOT install software?
2) Often uninstall in Windows isn't as easy as clicking "uninstall" as you suggest. Because of the nifty Windows inventions such as the registry and protected system folders, uninstall is no longer what it used to be. Many times, programs leave traces in the registry which never come out and can still slow the computer, and even cause crashes down the road. If you never load undesired programs in the first place, you avoid this added risk altogether.
I know not all programs take a merciless rampage through the registry and some uninstallers may be programmed without error, but lets face it, if any one programmer on a project left one registry entry undocumented, one system folder modification unchecked, one startup program off the uninstaller, you have a risk...
now multiply that by the number of programmers on the projects...
now by the amount of bloat you have on your system before it's removed...
It may not be worth $50 to you or me even after all of that because we can easily reinstall, but to the average consumer it can be a lot more cumbersome.
Parent
Headline INCORRECT (Score:5, Informative)
Sony Drops $50 Fee to Remove Useless Bloatware [wired.com]
Oops.
Next time, do your research to make sure you have the latest info, mmmkay?
Fresh Start free with business edition upgrade! (Score:3, Informative)
Perhaps they should still offer it for regular edition, then market the business edition upgrade as "Upgrade to Business Edition and get Fresh Start free, a fifty dollar value!"
Re: (Score:2)
Yet another lawsuit (Score:2)
Just keep pounding on these people until they submit and start acting responsible.
not to be a fan boy, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
I haven't seen what Ubuntu preloads look like from the likes of Dell. Hopefully, it is nice and clean and about what I would do if I installed it myself and got all the drivers working.
Re:not to be a fan boy, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes, it's wonderful that Apple doesn't bloat up the default installations of Mac OS. Then again, it's not Microsoft that's bloating up the default installations either - it's the computer manufacturers. Apple is in the sweet position to be both the OS developer and the manufacturer + distributor of their computers.
On the other hand, you -can- get a 'Windows PC' that doesn't have any bloat. You can get one that has internet-specific bloat. You can get one that has games-specific bloat (popular games server management stuff pre-installed), etc. You get a choice.
Yes, I know, by far the majority of those choices will have -some- manner of bloat. But, again, you do get a choice.
Personally I don't see why anybody would actively -choose- any sort of bloat, but maybe that's just because the appropriate bloat hasn't been presented to me yet. Let's say there was a 3D graphics computer that with pre-installed Blender, The Gimp / Cinepaint, InkScape, etc. I wouldn't particularly complain about that 'bloat'.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re:not to be a fan boy, but... (Score:5, Informative)
Hate to rain on your party as a fellow Mac user... But that's not quite true. Macs come out of the box with a junkload of pre-load software. Granted, the quality of them far exceed the kind of apps you see bundled on Dells and Sonys, but nonetheless, MacOS X isn't quite so clean out of the box.
Oh, and a clean install of OS X takes FAR less room than what you would see on a Mac out of the box. I've done it before. Things like Garage Band take up a huge amount of space, and while I do like the app, most users will probably never run it.
Parent
Dell has this option (Score:4, Informative)
The first thing I do to every new computer I get (or my family) is to reformat and reinstall windows.
Re:Dell has this option (Score:4, Informative)
The press release for the Vostro introduction [dell.com] described the "no trialware" feature:
- "The Vostro branded products feature no trialware and simple to use tools that address top-of-mind problems such as data back-up, PC performance and health, and specialized networking support for customers without dedicated IT staff."
Of course, some buyers probably think Dell's "support tools" is "bloatware," but I guess that's what you have to accept when you buy a PC with support and warranty.Parent
This is great and all.... (Score:2)
We can do better!
One of life's little axioms (Score:5, Funny)
Partially honest. & how much is bloatware wort (Score:5, Interesting)
Does anyone know how much the vendors actually get for installing various trial versions?
Also, there is some danger of one man's bloatware being another's convenience. For example is pre-installing Adobe Acrobat and Flash bloatware or value? How about Google toolbar? Firefox? And on down the line... iTunes?
And, Macs aren't exactly bloatware free. Quicktime is a trial version with a nag screen to upgrade. Macs come with trial versions of Office (how much does Microsoft pay for that) and Omni outliner.
Crap Cleaner (Score:2)
I have a vaio and about this crap they install.. (Score:3, Informative)
But the best part is, the "crapware" doesn't go on until the OS is all restored. It's clean until you finally boot back up and it starts asking for CD's again. At least in the version I have, you can cancel the process there. You'll have to get your own drivers from the download site, which isn't hard, they have a nice streamline downloader that produces a report and everything.
So at least with my Vaio T-340P I had no troubles working around the (realistically minor compared to some machines) bloatware.
Another good reason to avoid the box stores (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Another good reason to avoid the box stores (Score:4, Interesting)
Y'know, some users would consider your choice of software to be little difference. Your choice in software is perhaps a little more benevolent, but you're still making software choices for your user, and installing stuff they didn't ask for. Plus... from your wording, I'm assuming that you're a reseller, and that systems from Lenovo/HP/Dell/Whatever are leaving your building? What happens when your customers call up Dell tech. support and expect help with Avast? After all, it came with their computer....
You may also want to check on the EULA conditions for Avast, because I *think* what you're doing is against the license. It's certainly against the AVG license.
Parent
Insightful and Informative (Score:3, Insightful)