Joe Wilcox at Microsoft-Watch.com is really hitting a stride taking on real issues – the latest is Craplets. Craplets are the “free trial” software that is loaded on your PC whether you want it or not when you buy it. As you can see from the coverage by Joe at Microsoft-Watch, the interests of Microsoft, software vendors, and PC manufacturers conspire to maximize Craplets on your new PC.
For example, on my new Toshiba there were was only about a 100MB of Craplets, mostly media oriented and some even useful. But on my new HP Media Center PC, also bought last Fall, there were dozens of Craplets amounting to about 5GB and two weeks of intermittent work getting all the shit shipped out. No thank you HP.
And I agree with Joes suggested solution but with a little more rigor. If the user cannot choose the the trial software, then dont preload it. If the price of admission to buying a PC is either admin staff or the user having to clear out what is regarded – and may I say it is not far from the target based on what trial software HP bequeathed to me – as Craplets; then cease and desist unless given permission is the only way to go.
(c)JBSurveyer 2007 If you liked this, let others know:
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