Dwight Silverman links to an excellent post today by Claus Valca, who explains why it takes 4.5 hours to make a new PC usable. Part of the burden is updating drivers, part is installing third-party security software, but at least an hour of it is cleaning up bundled software that comes preinstalled on new consumer PCs, with users having no choice over whether to get this stuff. Dwight adds:
During a meeting with some Dell executives at CES, I asked Sam Burd about why his company loads so much junkware on its PCs. He said Dell is just trying to give people some of the software they need to get started right away.
Bullshit.
The makers of the bundled software pay cash to Dell for every copy of junkware installed on a new PC. (Hmm, where else have I seen that business model?) Pretending that this is some sort of noble customer service is a flat-out lie.
Update: And to be fair to Dwight, who is a bulldog reporter in the best sense of the word, I know that he would have liked to ask a follow-up question about who pays for junkware installations, but the press conference format didn’t allow it. Hope he gets a chance to ask those questions the next time he gets a one-on-one with some Dell execs.
Ed Bott 
The interesting thing is that they don’t install anything extra on the Optiplex business line. The only modifications from the base XP package I could find were the inclusion of Dell support info on help pages. Otherwise a very clean machine. I guess they don’t want to anger the big customers but don’t mind on the one machine orders.
Actually my dad bought a new Fujitsu Siemens laptop from a large chain of PC shops a couple of weeks ago, and the only additional software loaded other than Windows XP was Nero, which is actually quite useful. It only took me about half an hour to get it running how my dad wanted it, which was mostly spent downloading security updates for Windows.
But then again it also took me the best part of a day to get all the junk off of a Packard Bell desktop bought from the same branch of the same retailer – not helped by the fact that the program uninstallers were conviniently located on a hidden partition and could only be uninstalled using Packard Bell’s own utility, not through Add/Remove programs. And some stuff could not be removed at all, short of actually deleting the files from the hard disk and unregistering their DLLs manually.
Maybe we need a list of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ manufacturers – those that fill their computers with junkware, and those that leave them comparitively clean.
I’m sure you’re right that the reason they do it is because they get paid. But is this so bad? If they didn’t, PC’s would cost more to the end consumer. That’s the trade-off. Would you rather have less junkware, or a cheap and easy-to-buy PC? You probably come out ahead with the cheap PC and the couple hours of cleanup time.
Dell Latitude (business) laptops have minimal junkware. They do come with some unnecessary stuff in startup though.
Ablewasi is probably right about junkware helping keep the costs down, but I’d love to have the option of a clean system. How about it Dell? Show me the difference in price, then let me do the tradeoff of my time vs. end cost. BTW, junkware is one reason why I built my last desktop from separate parts. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. There’s no comparison between working inside an Antec case and the junk Dell uses.
Ignore the additional cost and hassle that would result from doubling the number of system images (XP Home with/without junkware, XP Pro with/without junkware, etc.) Why would Dell want to give you the option for a clean system, unless you were willing to pay to offset their lost revenue? Let’s say it’s $100 of revenue to them, are you willing to pay $100 more or will you simply spend the 4 hours to clean it off? If I did buy a Dell, which I wouldn’t, I would spend the time.
Think I’ve overestimated the revenue? Take just one component of these bundles like antivirus. One big OEM told me Symantec pays them an up-front fee (wouldn’t say how much) to bundle a 3-month AV subscription teaser, then gives the OEM 75% of the first $50 annual renewal. Symantec can do this because they keep most of the money from upsells (suites) and second-year renewals–but the OEM still gets a cut of that business too. Plus they keep the business away from Mcafee. And the OEM makes money off you for years. Everyone’s happy–uh, except for people that like clean systems.
I hate junkware. When I buy a new computer, I first wipe the hard drive (including any hidden partitions). That way I can start with a completely clean system. Anything that then ends up on the hard drive is there only because I put it there or allowed it to be put there.
Far too kind, Ed. It’s CRAPWARE.
link
This is precisely why when I get a new machine (either for here at home, or any number of machines I get at work), I always rebuild them out of the box. I won’t even bother. I just turn it on once, and let it boot up long enough to see the hard drive working, then I pull the plug, and reformat the drive. I can’t stand factory builds. They’re completely and utterly useless in every which way. At work, I make my own custom images via Acronis True Image. Works like a charm, too.
What I find really challenging is removing all the useless stickers. Some of them are really glued on there!
http://www.decheung.com/2005/06/think_of_your_c.html
Virtually all of the PCs at the organization I work for are Dell OptiPlex or Latitudes. Since I started making system images, we don’t even bother fully booting them; we just load an image, update Windows and Office with any patches which have come out since the image was created, add any additional software needed by the user, and then run the system through overnight diagnostics.
Occasionally, though, someone will order an Inspiron or Dimension on their own without going through IT or using our contract with Dell and whine to us when it runs slowly. I shudder whenever I turn one of these things on after a few months of use because of all the crapware. There are usually at least three media players trying to grab file associations, at least two of which have tray icons, an anti-virus package which has expired and not been updated, a system tray full of icons, a desktop cluttered with icons, the Start menu Programs folder cluttered with icons… it’s maddening.
Fortunately, hardware-wise, the Latitudes & Inspirons and OptiPlexes & Dimensions are virtually identical and will accept disk images intended for the other with only a video driver change required.
You can simply use the Dell XP CD and wipe all pre-installed software out with a clean install. You can also purchase the Dell Business line Optiplex as an end consumer if you choose to do so. I personlly set up 3-4 new PC’s a week, it takes some efford but should not be an hour.