As PC manufacturers attempt to make their
computers more affordable for customers, they usually turn to pre-loaded
programs, where the developers will pay a fee to have their software included
on the device.
Pre-loaded programs can include everything from
games to media libraries to photo editors. In some instances programs can
introduce users to software they wouldn’t have used otherwise while on the
other hand, pre-loads can also be annoying and cumbersome.
When bloatware gets dangerous
Lenovo was embroiled in controversy earlier this
year over installing the “Superfish” adware on certain laptops, which could
break HTTPS connections and potentially allow man-in-the-middle attacks,
putting user data at risk. It was one of the more serious cases of bloatware
on computers, and had many security experts concerned, highlighting the issue
for consumers.
After the controversy, Lenovo revamped its policy
of pre-installed programs and offered free McAfee anti-virus solutions to those
affected by Superfish.
At the time of the announcement,
Lenovo stated that its Windows 10 laptops will be free of “what our
industry call ‘adware’ and ‘bloatware’” in the future. It wasn’t a complete
U-turn on pre-loads, though, as the announcement also stated that “for
some countries, certain applications customarily expected by users will also be
included.”
Generally, the worst effect of pre-loaded software
is degradation in the performance of your computer.
“Almost all of these programs come with auto-updaters
that run constantly as a supposed security feature to keep the software
current,” says Matt Sweeney of Morris Computer Consulting. “They also
often have requests for user registration that will nag the user until completed. These nags are powered by scheduled
system tasks that can cause performance issues.”
These reminders and notifications can cause some
user confusion over what are legitimate programs and what aren’t, and that can
lead to possibly falling for malware disguised as a software update.
Whatever the case may be, bloatware is nearly
inevitable when buying a PC or laptop, and has extended to the
mobile world too. In most cases, users can uninstall pre-loaded software
from their computers, but some programs can launch automatically when you start
Windows without the user realizing.
Manufacturers usually pre-load programs on their
PCs and laptops as a means to lower the cost of the device. On the flipside, it
can be potentially lucrative for the developers of these programs. They hope
that by being on your system when you buy it you’ll use the program, possibly
download more of their software, and maybe even pay a subscription fee.
Getting the balance right
PC manufacturers need to vet the developers of
software that may be bundled on your computer, according to Mike Nash, VP of
customer experience at HP.
“We’re also doing our own level of QA to validate
that what they’re shipping on the device is high quality,” he says. “Of course
part of that is we scan for malware as well.” The process is often a case
of balancing aggressive price points for PCs with the user experience
by keeping pre-loads at a shrewd level.
Bloatware is powered by scheduled system
tasks that can cause performance issues.
“The challenge we’ve gone through is saying how do
you balance finding the one program that does 80 percent of things customers
want it to do, versus three or four programs that collectively do more like
95 percent of what our customers want?” says Nash, using the example
of a photo manager.
This was put to the test in one of HP’s
most recent laptops, the Spectre x360. “One of the things for that we said is,
we’re going to have one product for photos,” says Nash who adds that the experiment
will see if having one product that has most features is better than several
that do everything.
Customer feedback and changing policies
Dell is another company that is revising its
approach to pre-loaded software. According to Brett Hansen, executive director
of endpoint security at Dell, the company changed its policy a couple of years
ago with the launch of Windows 8 based on customer feedback. Dell now has what
it calls a “simpler, clean load” on its computers.
“It was really driven by consistent feedback from
customers that they’d rather go find the applications themselves rather than us
making the decision on their behalf,” explains Hansen.
Hansen and his colleagues at Dell arrived at this
policy by carrying out a number of studies on users. One included putting a
sample of customers in front of a computer with many pre-loaded programs and
another group in front of a computer with the minimum. Most users preferred the
cleaner PC.
Now Dell only includes the basics, such as an
anti-virus program, back-up solution, and programs around troubleshooting
and diagnostics.
“We’ve kept that policy in place and we continue
to work on it. We’ve gone even thinner and lighter,” he adds. “For example
with our back-up recovery solution, which we’ve had since Windows 8, we’re
going to sunset with Windows 10 because Windows 10 has a great new back-up
recovery. Microsoft’s got that covered.”
There’s a growing awareness around software and
hardware. The consumer is more knowledgeable and savvy than they were a few
years ago.
“They’re not interested in me pre-loading an app,
which they know they can go find from a number of different stores,” he
continues. “That’s really where the big change is, and perhaps it was brought
on by phones and people getting more comfortable with online stores.”
What the software developers have to say
Bloatware and pre-loads generally earn a lot
of criticism, but that’s not to say that pre-loaded apps and programs are
maligned across the board. Most people are happy to have Adobe Reader, for
example, ready on their system when they get started. So how do the
companies behind pre-loaded software feel?
PowerDVD, a media player developed by CyberLink,
has been bundled on PCs by several major manufacturers. Richard Carriere, CyberLink’s
SVP of global marketing says its software is much like any PDF-viewing or
Office-like software and people expect it.
Not all pre-bundled software is created equal.
“Our software is serving a universal purpose and
both users and manufacturers see high value in having it pre-installed,” he
says, adding that he sees high numbers of customers using PowerDVD. “Not all
pre-bundled software is created equal, and it’s a fair criticism that some
programs are considered bloatware. PowerDVD, though, is not one of them.”
So should customers have more of a say in how PCs
are sold and the programs that are installed as soon as they open up the box?
“Absolutely. The amount of junk that comes with a
new machine today is unreasonable,” says Marcin Kleczynski, CEO of anti-malware
solution Malwarebytes. “Providing an easier removal option or making the
bundled software opt-in would go a long way for the consumer.”
How can you combat bloat?
There are options out there for customers who want
to remove bloat, such as tools like PC
Decrapifier, which scan your system for bloatware and any
software you’re not using that may be slowing down your performance. Beyond
that, you can install a fresh version of Windows.
PC buyers can also go for the Microsoft Store’s
Signature Edition computers. These stripped down laptops and PCs, running
the latest edition of Windows, have no added third-party software.
Unfortunately, Signature Edition laptops, which
include PCs from HP, Lenovo, and Dell, are much more expensive than the usual
boxed PCs. For example, the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro-1370 Signature Edition
2 laptop costs $1,299 compared to other laptops in the Yoga
range that start around the $679 mark. Entry-level models are rarely given
the Signature treatment.
PC buyers are slowly but surely wising up to this,
and are more aware now of pre-loaded programs than they have been before.
Still, the onus will be on PC makers to be a little more judicious with what
they pre-load.
PEOPLE who sent or received emails from Yahoo Mail from late 2011 are able to sue the company as a group, a US judge has ruled
