Why, why, why?

I was wondering if based on their knowledge and experience, anyone could answer a few questions.

Why do notebook computers come with so much cr*p pre-installed on them?
Leaving you with hours of work trying to clean it all off.

Why do they invariably come without the "Genuine Windows cd" of the operating system?
Instead they have some sort of recovery cd, or recovery partition which contains all the cr*p you spent hours taking off the first time around.

As the owner of a computer sporting a genuine installation of windows, do you not have a right to the cd that contains nothing but nothing but the operating system, a "genuine windows cd"?

 

The first thing I do with a new computer is secure it, rid it of all the crapware, tweak it just the way I want it and then make an image with my trusty Powerquest Partition Magic or lately IFW. I then put my always used software on the computer with the proper configurations, data paths, etc and then make another image. This way I never have to use the factory reinstalls and can just go back to my "from near scratch" image or my "base" image.

 

i have noticed that with most of the dells now you can select eiether symantec recovery partison ugh
or windows full cd.
at least it says its a full windows reinstall ion CD
my sister's acer laptop from comet didnt have any crap on it at all.
it had an icon on desktop to install norton 2006 and came with the disc for it but oddly and thankfully and didnt install norton on it.
but it came with recovery partistion.
if you want a laptop with no crap and you can afford it get an alien ware.
lodore

 

The Recovery Console deal has been going on for years.My first computer was an H/P and that had the Recovery Console instead of a Windows cd.I have read and heard that a lot of pc sellers have gone this route now.
Do you have a right to that "genuine Windows cd"?
I thinks so.Unless something has changed recently.With H/P I could have the cd for the cost of postage.
This is one reason why I went with a custom build from a shop.
I got the Windows XP cd,and no extra crap installed.

 

Hello,

It's all about YOU. You make the difference.

Most people will eat dung if it comes serves in a bun. Most people are meek and not really knowledgeable enough to understand the choices. Most people do not know how and why and when and what Windows installation is - why should they care about the disc?

You invest your money in a product. You demand what you want. That's it. Make them dance to your tune. Your ability to negotiate a sale will reflect what you get installed on your machine.

You don't like something - don't buy it.

Mrk

 

Isn't that recovery cd basically the same except that it doesn't come directly from Microsoft? Isn't it Windows XP in its full?

 

Quite true; but thanks a lot for the image BTW

Anyway I also hate the preloaded crap and that's why my PC is a custom. I know you started out talking about laptops here, but the same is true for both.

I also have to say - just an observation here - that the IBM PCs I have for my wife and my child came with about the least pre-installed stuff that I have seen. Even then, it was pretty much IBM stuff that was easily removed. Same goes for the laptop my mother got through IBM and I maintain for her.

 

It is the same formula as TV shows with breaks for commercials. The what you call **a* are just commercials and they lower the price of the product.

 

ROFL

Right on Mrk.

 

Slow cooked is the best!

 

Becaus, because, because?

 

Hi Peter, much as I suspected the answer to be, though one does have to wonder how much is saved by not shipping a Windows cd with it. So the solution as you see it is to buy custom build.

 

Yes seems a shame to have to do that all to a new computer, but under the circumstances necessary.

 

One up for Acer on the lack of crap, and on the idea of "Oh it's a cost thing" since Acer is one of the cheaper manufacturers they ought to be loaded with it. So much for that arguement.

Yes I have looked at Alienware, if your going for something "spec'd" up to the eyeballs then I think they may be an option, but if you just want the bog standard then you are pay a whopping premium for the lack of crap.

 

Interesting, thanks for that.

For a PC yes, since I require customizations I always have one built, but I require no such flavour with a notebook, a standard machine is sufficiant, which is why I referred to notebooks specifically in my OP, but yes I realise as people pointed out it applies to all computer types

 

Saving money and earning money. That is the answer.
As an application analyst, I detect sometimes UNLOGICAL things in my analysis and almost each time there is MONEY or any other form of profit involved and most users don't even like to talk about this, when I start asking annoying questions.

 

I don't know why they choose to install a boatload of software on laptops. Some of that software is necessary to be able to use special features on the laptop but a lot of it is just crap. My dell laptop wasn't too bad it didn't come with too much crap installed on it and it came with a proper windows xp install cd although it was a dell branded disc.
On the other hand my sony vaio laptop came with so much crap installed it wasn't funny. It didn't even come with a windows disk or recovery disk just a pre installed recovery partition which reinstalls windows with all the crap it first came with. I had to make my own set of recovery disks using the installed recovery program.

 

Very colourful turn of phrase Mrk I can't say I have any particular penchant for dung, be it in a bun or not, sadly however, life is about eating dung, the only truly naive people are the ones who think they are not because the garnish is different. Paying a 50% premium to a custom company for a similar spec computer sans crap,regardless of how pretty it looks is simply dung with a different garnish.

 

I agree absolutely, and have to say that this experience in part had some bearing on asking the question. The last notebook I purchased was an IBM Thinkpad which was cr*p free, only the OS and the Thinkpad utilities.
Now one might argue that Thinkpads were not exactly budget notebooks so they could afford not to be cr*p sponsored, but then neither Toshiba nor Sony are exactly at the budget end either.

 

Yes I looked at them, was a better premium than Alienware, only 20% on a similar big brand spec notebook, they don't ship to Europe. An interesting thing I came across in another discussion board was that a well known US store chain, (that the initial poster did not name, but most seemed to be aware of who it was), would take all the cr*p off the computer they just sold you or one you bought elsewhere for $100