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.'"

wait a sec

[jigjigga]

Don't tell me everything will be Google(TM) Dell(TM) edition! I guess it is a milestone, but it certainly isn't something to look foreward to. Any what stuff would be bundled? Sounds like Search and maybe Earth will be there, maybe some unanounced projects? I mostly equate bundled dell software to music match jukebox heh, and I dont know of a google music yet...

Palindrome

[product byproduct]

Dell Googlled

So...

[Senjutsu]

By the time these things get to the owner, is there any room left on them for installing real software?

Dell's ridiculous amount of pre-installed crap is taking the concept of bloat to all new levels.

Threatened?

[Anonymous Coward]

From the article:

"The deal could mark a major turning point for Google and mark a serious threat to rival Microsoft."

The system is still going to come with Windows OS, Windows Media Player, IE, OE, etc. and the only office suite choice will be Microsoft. When Vista ships it will have MS Search built-in. Come on, really.

Firefox?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Are they preloading Firefox and make it the default browser? The Google softwar pack included OpenOffice too. Both will be included? That will be interesting.

What's being included?

[sasha328]

Google Pack includes the following pieces of Software:

        Google Earth - 3D Earth browser
        Google Desktop - Desktop companion
        Picasa - Photo organizer
        Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer
        Google Pack Screensaver - Photo screensaver
        Google Talk - Voice and IM application
        Google Video Player - Video player
Additional Software
        Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar - Web browser
        Ad-Aware SE Personal - Antispyware utility
        Norton Antivirus 2005 Special Edition - Antivirus utility
        Adobe Reader 7 - PDF reader
        RealPlayer - Media player
        GalleryPlayer HD Images - Images

One wonders what Dell is pre-instaling. Would they install firefox and get on MS' bad side?

Of the whole list, I personally use Picasa (on Windows, my primary app is iPhoto on my G4), Firefox, and Acrobat. Some of the apps, I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole: Norton's, Real Player.

now i'm really interested to see what they're bundling, or are they just including a link to the google pack?

Re:This is new?

[Anonymous Coward]

uhmm, if google also promotes firefox, why didn't it came with firefox + google toolbar instead of ie?

Re:Who buys from Dell anyway?

[Firehed]

Not only that, apparently it's now an extra ten bucks to get the recovery CD shipped with the system (I imagine at least ten gigs of the hard drive is roped off for recovery purposes, since this helps incredibly when the drive dies on you).

Though, in all realisticness, I dare any slashdotter to build a $300 system with monitor and legal copy of XP. A third of your budget is shot on the OS, and even if you figure $400 shipped (and quite often they've got free shipping) you'll be hard pressed to beat that price. I'm not advocating or vouching for them, but you've gotta admit that they own the entire value segment. Of course, if you could buy your hard drives by the millions, feel free to start competing.

Java

[3770]

I've always wondered why Sun was unable to get Dell and others to pre-install the Java VM. If they could have gotten Dell, HP, Compaq, Acer to pre-install, then everyone would have had to follow. There is no reason to _not_ preinstall Java. It is free and it doesn't use resources unless you use it.

I can think of only one reason, and that is that Microsoft had some compelling reason for _not_ installing Java.

If Sun had managed to do this 5 or 6 years ago the software map might have been looking completely different.

Then you haven't used them enough

[moultano]

Windows doesn't come with a photo organizer. Picassa is a great one. Makes sense to me.

You are probably familiar with the earlier versions of Google Desktop which, aside from the search, were basically a fancy distraction, but the features that I have on mine right now enhance my productivity: nice to-do list, scratch pad, google calendar, weather. None of these things are present or nearly as convenient in Windows. The search is also fantastic, and completely obsoletes the default Windows search.

You left out Google Talk. I think including a chat program that uses an open standard, with no ads and a nice interface is a good addition.

I haven't tried to use Google Earth for more than the pretty factor, but I bet someone who has can tell me what they do with it.

Re:That and the kitchen sink

[MrSquirrel]

Agreed. When my parents bought a Dell (I was away at college but still offered to build a cheap rig for them, they went with Dell because of a "free flat panel monitor upgrade" through their Educator's discout [they're teachers]). I went home for a weekend and saw it, formatted it for them (it was slow as... slow) and threw on a clean install of XP (they didn't want Linux) along with all the programs they needed. It actually runs decent now (considering it was a $700 buy with monitor). I don't see why computer companies throw so much slop-ware on computers they sell... wouldn't it make more sense to make a computer FASTER to the consumer by leaving off all the unnecessary software (I work at a university helpdesk, and HP and Compaq seem to be the worst when it comes to this -- the best seem to be the "unknown" manufacturers like Averatec... but I'm guessing that will change when they get big enough and create a "useless software" deptartment).

So?

[Sj0]

Have any of you doorknobs ever actually USED a Dell with the default install? OF COURSE it's installed! So is every other piece of useless junk you'd never want. AOL? Sure! 30 day trials of software? Why not! Demos of otherwise productive software? ***SIGN ME UP***

The default configuration also happens to use up more than 512MB of memory AT STARTUP. No programs open, just the tray icons for software that won't work for much longer, and AOL sitting there like the sword of damocles.

the first thing I always recommend someone do after buying a Dell is getting rid of any trace of that install, because it's worse than useless. A bare install with the utilities you actually want and basic drivers will run so much faster than the standard install, work so much better, and try to sell you so much less in the process, that I'd go so far as to say that google adding their 2 cents to this software cacophany is just a nice addition to the tragedy.

I wouldn't have noticed...

[mlow82]

It doesn't really matter to me what software comes preinstalled. If I were to purchase a Dell computer, then the first thing I would do is format the hard drive and reinstall the operating system in order to clear out all the superfluous software. I did this with my laptop and startup/shutdown times are less than half of what they used to be.