Windows 8 PCs are Packed with Crapware
The good folks at Information Week obviously share our frustration with the long history of Windows PCs packed with space consuming and in some cases performance crippling Crapware.
Althought Microsoft is promoting Windows 8 as a ‘New Era of PC’ on everything from billboards to magazine covers…it now appears OEMs are delivering more of the same crap with new computers featuring Windows 8.
In response to an inquiry from Information Week – several major OEMs provided this list of crapware that now comes pre-installed on their Windows 8 systems.
We got in touch with representatives from several major PC makers — Dell, HP, Toshiba, Samsung, Acer, Lenovo — and asked them for a rundown of what software is being pre-loaded into their new Windows 8 machines. The results we got fit into roughly three categories:
1. Software provided by the OEM for the sake of system functionality (e.g., hardware drivers, vital system-management tools).
2. Software provided by the OEM for the sake of optional added functionality specific to the system (such as Samsung’s S Pen software).
3. Software provided by third parties (trial software).
Here’s what we got back from the PC makers in question, regarding what OEM and third-party apps are loaded into many of their most recent Windows 8 machines. In the case of Lenovo we got the software list from their product pages.–
Information Week 11/2/2012
As our numerous posts regarding Crapware have well documented – this issue is driven by the all mighty dollar.
PC buyers always want to pay as low a price as they can for the best possible PC, and PC manufacturers are more than happy to oblige. But the lowering of costs via the bulk supply discounts available to PC makers only goes so far, and the crapware strategy is a deeply-entrenched way to drop the per-unit price a few bucks further.–Information Week 11/2/2012
But have no fear, if you have true concerns about this crapware – don’t forget Microsoft will help you remove it for just $99.
