Sony hates you, offers $50 "Fresh Start" option to build your laptop crapware-free

Sony has quite the history of crippling excellent, beautiful hardware with horrible, useless software. The company's UX UMPC bluescreened on us the first time we turned it on, and crashed the first time we tried to shut it down thanks to all the bloatware on it, while a Laptop Mag review says their Vaio TZ ran "as if it were broken" before they managed to wipe it clean. Lucky for us, it appears Sony is finally seeing the error of its ways, but instead of removing the crapware altogether, Sony has the nerve to offer a $50 "Fresh Start" option, which "scrubs" the machine clean before shipping it your way. At the moment you can only configure the TZ2000 crapware-free, but hopefully Sony will be rolling out the choice to the rest of its laptops soon. Or here's an idea, Sony: stop trying to milk profits and start giving consumers laptops that actually work out of the box.

[Thanks, Camron T]

Update: In case you missed it, it looks like Sony had a change of heart about Fresh Start. (What, already?)

[Bbar86 @ Mar 21st 2008 2:23AM]

yeah definitely a lil ridiculous. first thing i did when i got my VAIO-A270 a couple years back i wiped it clean and its been great for me ever since

great laptops though

[OneLove @ Mar 21st 2008 10:59AM]

I would still do a fressh install even if it had 0 crapware.

[Scott @ Mar 21st 2008 2:26PM]

Exactly. Given Sony's history, how do I know it doesn't come with a rootkit from the factory?

[BPM X: Soul Eraser [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ Mar 21st 2008 2:23AM]

Wait... Let me get this straight... They charge you $50 to REMOVE software, instead of ADD it?

What sort of messed up, ass-backwards world is this?! @_@

[Oliver @ Mar 21st 2008 2:27AM]

the world of capitalism, sir ;)

[andyo @ Mar 21st 2008 2:31AM]

And also bad is that they say they'll actually REMOVE the damn crap, what about NOT INSTALLING it in the first place? On the other hand, they could be just not installing, only that they say they remove it just to justify charging for NOT DOING A DAMN THING.

[RoboDan @ Mar 21st 2008 2:54AM]

Sony's new motto: "What do you expect?"

Geez, I hate all the PC Laptops with their bloatware/crapware. Even though I Love Lenovo laptops, the crapware they come with is enough to make you vomit. One point for Apple (so that makes a total score of -156 - 100 of which was for "mindless trendiness" and 30 for form over function)

[Raiden @ Mar 21st 2008 3:08AM]

I rather take the option of NOT having their OS, let me fit mine in... Linux is for the cool, windows is for the tool... i mean.. no wonder mac runs vista better, since their windows dont' have bloat ware...

[michael @ Mar 21st 2008 3:10AM]

Isn't junkware the reason why many PC's are more cheaper? Instead of directly putting the cost on the user, the maker just puts on some junkware that some companies paid for?

I don't like junkware either, but I'd rather take a few minutes to uninstall some stupid programs, than having to pay upfront for the extra surpluses.

I really love Sony Vaios for their quality and design, but the junkware has always been somewhat disappointing when you turn it on.

I think Vista comes with a junkware remover tool or something.

[BPM X: Soul Eraser [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ Mar 21st 2008 3:19AM]

Bloatware = cheaper PC is news to me... Source?

[d840 @ Mar 21st 2008 4:03AM]

@soul eraser

You don't need a source, it's basic economics.
First, we'll start with what we know to be true, and then deduce additional facts from those truths.

1) Wild Tangent (and other bloatware companies) want to make money, through people paying for their games and through in-game advertising. Thus, the more users they have, the more money they make.

2) HP, Dell, etc. are in business to sell computers, and that includes the low-end market. They would be willing to do a lot of things to make their computers cheaper than their competitors.

3) Computer manufacturers would not put crapware in their products unless there was some financial reward for doing so.

Therefore, we can conclude that:
4) WildTangent and HP, Dell, etc. would all benefit if the bloatware companies covered some of the cost of the computers on the condition that their software comes pre-installed on said computers. Thus allowing manufacturers to have cheaper products and for bloatware companies to target a larger audience.

So assuming 1, 2, and 3 are true, then 4 is also true. This is how capitalism works. If you don't like it, you can always get a clean install from ..... um....... "other sources"

[DWells55 @ Mar 21st 2008 4:57AM]

No kidding, this honestly sounds like asking for ransom money or something. Sure it's not as bad as "give us $50 or we kill the kid," but it's still "give us $50 or we fill your precious new laptop with tons of crap." Charging for them to *not* install software on the PC your paying them for is just very poor business practice as far as I'm concerned and is just flat-out disrespectful to customers.

[r3loaded @ Mar 21st 2008 6:34AM]

You wanna buy a Zepto then ;) www.zepto.com
It's so good, that even installing Windows is optional, never mind bloatware.

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Mar 21st 2008 7:22AM]

or just do it yourself for free:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

[James Yopp @ Mar 21st 2008 9:42AM]

Honestly, this is a PR Blunder as much as anything else. If sony had been smarter about this, the options would read:

1. Clean Install - Your new VAIO PC will come out of the box swinging, with a set of lean and mean applications; Certain VAIO applications and applications provided by our advertising partners will not be preinstalled, and will not be included on your install discs. These applications will be available online should you choose to install them.

2. Full Extras (Subtract $50.00) - The complete suite of VAIO applications, plus select online games and software packages from our advertising partners, will be included on the hard drive and in the restore disc. [Link: See complete list of included software]

Now, if they hadn't been so mind-numbingly disingenuous about it, this article might have taken a different tack.

[Chris @ Mar 21st 2008 12:34PM]

"Bloatware = cheaper PC is news to me... Source?"

It's called a brain. Think about it. Do you think the PC manufacturers are promoting other people's products for free? No, they are getting paid to do it. They use that payment to reduce the price of the product.

[namtastic @ Mar 21st 2008 12:51PM]

Here's my question: if you *do* Fresh Start, do your restore discs have the junkware or not? Because every time I have ever dealt with PCs, the official restore discs of the computer FORCE you to install the crapware when you use them.

If this is only a one-time thing before the machine ships out... yikes.

[ark_v2 @ Mar 21st 2008 1:18PM]

For some reason, the m1330 is the only pc that I didn't need to wipe out clean in order for it to work fine. Shame that'll never apply for vaio's.

[Irfan @ Mar 21st 2008 5:18PM]

the giz is reporting sony is dropping the charge:

http://gizmodo.com/370901/sony-shamed-into-making-fresh-start-free

well, they are reporting

[BPM X: Soul Eraser [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ Mar 22nd 2008 1:36AM]

Hi, Chris! No need to be an asshole about it. :)

But, seriously, is there any proof that they use the money from bloatware publishers to offset PC costs, and not just pocket the money? I guess, perhaps, that could be part of the contract.

And, I'm not sure what time zone Engadget's in... but that post of mine says 3:19am... A time when my brain is not functioning properly.

tl;dr: STFU :)

[nh @ Mar 26th 2008 8:31AM]

Yeah it's funny people say a lot of sh1t they don't mean. People want their goods to be cheap and that's all that really matters.

'I don't want bloatware... what's that? A PC for £200? Out of my way!'

'GM foods are bad, food miles are bad, poor conditions for animals are bad, the government should do something... holy cr@p this chicken is only £1.99! Fill the trolley!'

[Jose El Maton @ Mar 21st 2008 2:24AM]

@ Sony,
pwned bitch!

[Oliver @ Mar 21st 2008 2:25AM]

haha, this could be added to that quintessential list of common phrases such as "will it run doom or will it blend?"

I propose: does it come with a fresh start?

[Nathan @ Mar 21st 2008 3:10AM]

Let me be the first to usher in a new age of hating on stupid memes:

"I wish we could get a fresh start, without you."

[sinai @ Mar 21st 2008 3:15AM]

save it for the caption contests

[Chris Aubeck @ Mar 21st 2008 8:58AM]

Meh, doom, blend, fanboys! wait...I see what you just did. WTF??Best. Post. Ever.

[engadget.mlc @ Mar 21st 2008 2:27AM]

Look a little closer. You get $25 of software costs knocked off when you do this, so the end cost is $25 (plus upgrading to Vista Business).

[Anthony @ Mar 21st 2008 10:58AM]

Sony probably makes $100 on the computers that come w/ software so they're just trying to recoup some of their margin. It's not great, but it's pretty logical.

[macserv @ Mar 21st 2008 4:03PM]

EVERYONE READ ANTHONY'S COMMENT ABOVE. And thank you so much, Anthony, for being one of the very few people here making any sense.

Sony is actually giving you the option to not have any crapware on your new computer, saving the average PC buyer time and grief. They are the only ones I've seen offering this option at ANY price.

It costs them money if you invoke that option, so they have to pass at least some of that on to you. You don't invoke that option, you don't pay $50, and it's like you got a system from any other mainstream manufacturer.

I swear to God, some of you people would bitch if they hung you with a new rope.

[oliveros123 @ Mar 21st 2008 2:28AM]

of all the profit-greedy things ive seen, this one, although not extremely expensive (although installing LESS software never cost MORE), is definitely one of the most irritating that ive seen.

[oliveros123 @ Mar 21st 2008 2:29AM]

redundant, i know, i just noticed it, its late and im not thinking too much, they should definitely have an edit option

[Jeff @ Mar 21st 2008 11:28AM]

"installing LESS software never cost MORE"

...unless installing the software actually nets you money. which, in this case, it does.

imagine, for a second, that i told you i'd give you a dollar for every piece of my software you installed on your computer. of course installing less software would cost you more, because you're throwing away money that you could have. (because the inverse is true- installing MORE software 'costs' you LESS, because you're *making* money on the deal.)

(in this case, "you" are the manufacturer, not the consumer.)

[andyo @ Mar 21st 2008 2:27AM]

I absolutely despise all that crapware. All other PC manufacturers to my knowledge do this too, I guess they get money from the crapware companies. Although, I have bought several Gateway laptops, and the last one I bought came with a completely clean Vista DVD. You'll need to reinstall, but it's easy as just putting in the disc and restarting. That's why I like Gateways, at least for the cheaper segment of PCs. I don't know if they already changed that, though, but it was free of charge (and they gave you a freaking physical disk too).

[martin @ Mar 21st 2008 6:39AM]

i like that about my gateway too, the fact it comes with an actual dvd as opposed to a partion makes it much easier to re-install without all the crap.

[fh @ Mar 21st 2008 2:30AM]

In all honesty, companies of bloatware are probably _paying_ Sony to install the software in the first place, so minus that, the money most come from some other source. Not that it justifies passing the cost onto the consumer, but is this really that surprising? What about subscription services that want you to pay to get rid of ads and other annoying tidbits?

[Russ @ Mar 21st 2008 2:55AM]

i'm positive Sony, Dell, et al get kickbacks from the bloatware companies.

Dell figures the crapware is worth $60
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070111-8598.html

Two questions - if you get a Dell/Sony laptop with Visa preinstalled:
* If you clean rebuild with the Vista DVD that comes with it; does it reinstall the crapware?
* Do you get a serial number you can use with someone else's Vista DVD?

[Nathan @ Mar 21st 2008 3:15AM]

Russ:

Depends on what type of "install" discs you get with your machine. If you get "system restore" disks (usually more than one) then you are probably getting an exact replica of the image the populated your HDD with from the factory and some utility on the disk will just do a quick format and copy that image over, bringing you right back to Crapfest 08'.

If you get a Vista DVD to install with (like the ones I got with my Gateway laptops), chances are you are getting a OEM re-install disc that is as clean as Vista gets.

[Dan Streelman @ Mar 21st 2008 2:34AM]

@ engadget.mlc

Are you serious?
really?
are you trying to defend Sony for this abhorrent business model?
Its all well and fine that the few of us have the technical knowledge to wipe our own machines clean and start from scratch, but think of the general user who can barely use their new $2000 plus laptop!

This is disgraceful, and if i weren't already an apple user, this would be enough to make me switch

[Peter @ Mar 21st 2008 2:39AM]

I love Apple too and am typing this on a mac, but apple sometimes does the same thing, though obviously to a lesser degree. Macs come by default with trial copies of iwork and microsoft office, and while they don't slow the system down, they can be a drain on hard drive space. The sole purpose of this is to sucker you into buying the product once your trial is up, which is exactly why the PC manufacturers do this, though they operate on a larger scale, with more products, companies, and resources occupied by the bloat.

[tim @ Mar 27th 2008 9:10AM]

is that the same apple that is trying to shove the iTunes Player down my throat as a "Apple Quicktime Update"?

[Don @ Mar 21st 2008 7:07AM]

I don't understand what part you don't understand about this. It's just like commercials on TV. Sure, we all hate them, but they are the reason that TV is free (antenna) or as cheap as it is (cable). Do you have TIVO/DVR? You know why you pay a monthly fee for it? It's to recoup the advertisement loss. Don't like the "bloatware?" Then uninstall it. The problem with today's users is that they lack the knowledge to do something as simple as reinstall their OS, and whats worse about this is that it's so much easier today than it was back in the Windows 3.11 days.

[D @ Mar 21st 2008 9:09AM]

@Peter:

Not anymore, they don't. The latest MacBook and MacBook Pros do not ship with trial iWork nor MS Office. The only thing Macs come with now that could even remotely be considered "trialware" is .Mac.

[erislover @ Mar 21st 2008 1:31PM]

@Don

"Sure, we all hate them, but they are the reason that TV is free (antenna)..."

For all the talk of economics, you'd think someone would come up with the idea of "opportunity cost" and stop using words like "free" when they do not apply.

[xf55 @ Mar 21st 2008 2:35AM]

They have a trialware remover app on their support website.... for free

[BobTurbo @ Mar 21st 2008 2:42AM]

Why is everybody so biased against Sony these days? Oh is it because this is an Apple blog and Sony are trying to compete with Apple? Apple charge $220 for 1GB of ram.

[ssuk @ Mar 21st 2008 4:53AM]

Well, I'm personally against them because they treat Europe like shit. Always have done.

[Kizorblade @ Mar 21st 2008 5:27AM]

Wait... so you're saying that Engadget is bias against Sony because they disagree with having to pay 50$ to REMOVE stuff from your computer? A better idea would be to reduce the price by 50$ for taking away the crap.

I smell a troll.

[NLI @ Mar 21st 2008 5:58AM]

People are biased against Sony because one of the companies in their group (Sony entertainment, a prominent member of RIAA) has had particularly consumer-unfriendly practices in the recent past. do a bit of research on "Sony rootkit" and you'll find out more.

This fresh start option, twisted as it may seem, does offer some clarification to the market. It's good to have consumers use their heads before parting with their cash. My Packard Bell machine does have some circuware that is hidden from Windows "add/remove programs" but I don't get the option of knowing why it's there. Now when comparing offers from alternative computer/OS manufacturers the consumer can put a price on having a retail OS vs an OEM customized image.

[BobTurbo @ Mar 21st 2008 2:44AM]

Enough to make you switch to a Mac so you can pay just to get a fully functional media player.

[Andy @ Mar 21st 2008 5:29AM]

Quicktime got fullscreen mode by default quite a while ago, which is what I presumbe you're referring too.

It should have had it in the first place albeit, but hey it's fixed now.