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.'"

Details sketchy?

[19thNervousBreakdown]

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.

OMG! Pre-installed = Lack of choice!

[ScentCone]

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.

Who buys from Dell anyway?

[Mycroft_514]

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.

What value to consumers is this?

[Dracos]

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.

Let me get this straight...

[flimflammer]

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?

Re:OMG! Pre-installed = Lack of choice!

[Anonymous Coward]

It's NOT a double standard. The difference with Microsoft software is that there's no choice for users AND dealers. You don't like Dell coming preinstalled with google software? Fine, buy something else. You don't like Dell preinstalling IE? Fine... no wait, you CAN'T do anything about it and neither can Dell or anybody else because it's bolted onto the OS. It's great that other software can have a chance to get preinstalled based on what sellers and buyers want. And that's what Microsoft is trying to prevent by bolting on their stuff. If Vista were to have a Desktop search program built in, why would I want a another program that does the same thing? That's not fair for google desktop. Competitors are getting the shaft from the Windows monopoly just like Netscape was.

Re:Details sketchy?

[19thNervousBreakdown]

Normally I wouldn't reply to an AC, but is this thinking why I was modded down?

It's one thing for a search engine to be ad supported, it's another thing entirely for ad-supported software to be installed on a bought-and-paid-for computer, especially when that ad software runs in the background, indexes your e-mail and other documents you nomally think of as private, and gives Google a way of circumventing people's normal attempts at privacy, like deleting cookies.

This is spyware, no way around it, and it'll only get more invasive.

Re:Who buys from Dell anyway?

[ScottCooperDotNet]

Overpriced and underpowered.

The company I work for does, for one. It is much easier to work with hundreds of systems when you've got only a handful of types in the building, and can get replacement parts for years (warranty or not).

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.

Dell is also modifing the Default User's NTuser.dat to add this Google stuff into place. Even if you remove the software the registry settings remain for each account created. It removes one of Dell's advantages in the Corp. World: near-drop-in systems.

Re:What value to consumers is this?

[Tough Love]

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.

Speak for yourself. Many users want Google Earth, Picasa, Google tool bar, etc. I certainly do, though I don't personally need them on Windows.

Do you work for Microsoft by any chance?

Re:Java

[I'm Don Giovanni]

I think most of the major OEMs are bundling Suns JVM today.
But a few years ago, when Sun was trying to get the govt to force Microsoft to bundle Sun's JVM, Sun had difficulty getting OEMs to bundle it because the OEMs wanted Sun to pay them to bundle it but Sun wanted the OEMs to pay Sun for the right to bundle it.

Re:Firefox?

[T-Ranger]

Dell produces reasonable quality stuff, with technologies and things available elsewhere for years. Nothing flashy, and nothing risky. High volume prices with low volume customisability.

Google is cool with the masses. Dell sells things to the masses. Dell ships Google stuff.

Java was never cool (or even noticeable) to the masses. Dell sells things to the masses. Dell has no reason to ship Java.

Re:Let me get this straight...

[bucky0]

Not really. This is kinda paraphrased from something Google's CEOs said when asked the same question on another story that was posted a while back. Basically, they argued this: Microsoft can make MSN the default search engine for IE7 for free. They can make IE the default browser for free. When Firefox moved to having google be the default browser, Google had to fork over a ton of money. When Google gets distributers to preinstall Google software on their machines, they pay a ton of money for it.

The difference is that Microsoft is leveraging it's position as the dominant OS manufacturer to allow it to force its way into different markets for free whereas all of MS's competitors have to pay a lot of money to do the same thing. I'm inclined to agree with Google.

Wait...

[Loligo]

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.

Re:What's being included?

[pimpimpim]

Ad-Aware is installed with the google pack as well, eh? I'd say a good anti-adware program would probably advice you to uninstall 50% of the google pack programs anyway! Really, I don't want these "toolbars", screensavers, search helpers, no matter if they are from spyware companies or from google.

Re:Details sketchy?

[qray]

I guess everyone hasn't figured out what the Add/Remove Programs on the control panel is for.

As far as not knowing what it's doing. Do you really know what any software is really doing on your system?. What about those Dell supplied drivers? They might be sharing all with the Dell Corporation. Never mind what the evil Microsoft Minions have crafted in their OS

Personally, after running some of Google's software under Purify and seeing instability in IE after installing Desktop I opted to remove it from my system. (Note: I haven't tried the latest version, hopefully it's better)

Bottom line, if you don't like it, remove it. I'm sure you're system will work just fine after it's gone.
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Q