Regular readers know how much we hate preinstalled trialware on PCs. And how much we appreciate Dell’s XPS systems, which have an option for a “clean install” OS when you buy em. Well they’re moving that option to the Dimension desktop line, and Inspiron notebooks, too. And they’re shipping some machines with crapware uninstallers. Machines will still have trialware for Antivirus, but that’s acceptable. Good steps in the right direction, Dell. The rest of you flunky PC makers, we’ll be coming for you, soon.
AU: Off the back of this, I’ve asked Dell Australia why we can’t choose clean installs here at all yet. Will update when we get a response.
[PC World]
Chris Morley
Sunday, July 22, 2007 at 4:34 PMWTF…
There is another option, y’know – build your own PC, which is as easy as building with Lego (really! Alright, Lego Technics – you need to connect the odd colour coded lead)
The other option is this: buy a pre-built PC if you want to waste money, but opt out of an operating system.
A Windows install is a simple case (most times) of hitting the next button around 12 times. Grab some coffee, and wait it out.
Stop bashing PC companies for treating novices, and lazy sods like novices, and lazy sods.
The vast majority of folk that buy a PC from Dell, PC-World, et al know very little about protecting their PC’s.
To qualify this (kind of..):
I used to work support for an ISP in the UK (BT Yahoo Broadband, Narrowband, and BT Business Connect – both Premium, and Basic), the amount of idiots that think it’s the ISP’s job to keep virii off their PC’s is staggering. PC retailers that enforce good habits (albeit through poor software – Norton) are a good thing in my humble one.