Sony is giving "Fresh Start" a fresh start, losing the $50 fee

After a minor outcry at Sony's new "Fresh Start" option to skip the crapware on TZ laptops for a hefty $50 charge, the company has seen the error of its ways and is going to start offering the option for free as of tomorrow. Sure, it would've been nice to have it like that from the start, and there's no word yet if there will be refunds for those who did fork over the $50, but we got the impression from the Sony spokesperson who spoke to us that Sony Japan was just as surprised as we about the charge, and quickly asked for it to be removed. We're still waiting for word as to whether this option will hit other VAIOs, but we're cautiously optimistic.

[Joe @ Mar 21st 2008 5:45PM]

thanks for calling them out!

[Raiden @ Mar 21st 2008 6:35PM]

I swear the Engadget influence is way stronger than anyone can expect...

The E factor is like the force...

[Maestro @ Mar 21st 2008 6:37PM]

The Force...it surrounds us...and penetrates us...mmmmm...penetrates us.

[Brian @ Mar 21st 2008 7:03PM]

@Raiden: it wasn't just engadget that made sony remove the fee it was amoung other tech blogs.

[Rob @ Mar 21st 2008 5:47PM]

Good. Nice to see the correction taking place this fast.

[TomFox @ Mar 21st 2008 5:55PM]

I'm actually impressed at how quick this was resolved. I can't believe Im saying this, but "Good job Sony!"

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Mar 21st 2008 8:17PM]

Yeah, now if they'd jusr ditch Memory stick and start using SD cards, I'd actually buy a Cyber-shot.

Oh, and open up UMD too, Sony. What's the "U" stand for, huh?

. . . and let's not forget the rootkit. Still haven't forgiven you for that one.

. . . and oh yeah, ATRAC.

Am I leaving anything out?

[Jamar @ Mar 21st 2008 10:04PM]

If you want a Cyber-shot with microSD get a SO905iCS. It makes a great cellphone too.

[michas_pi @ Mar 21st 2008 10:42PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba:

1. Conversely, I wish my Cybershot took SD cards.

2. The "U" stands for "Unfriendly".

3. I can't forgive them about the rootkit, either, but I defeated with Ubuntu. However, I know people who actually used those CDs on their Windows machines and they had a hella tough time getting rid of that shit.

4. ATRAC had its advantages/uses/appeal to a niche market.

You are forgetting MiniDisc, i.Link (IEEE 1394), and the compact disc but I figure those are successes, not failures.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 21st 2008 5:56PM]

I'm impressed. I really thought we would try to almost force them itno seeing there wrong ways, but heye, sony is now cool

[mark @ Mar 21st 2008 5:57PM]

... for even attempting to charge customers for this is unforgivable.

Why bother installing most of this crap anyways? This frustrates me because most "general" users won't know how to wipe their hard drives. They deal with all this junk slowing down their computer while making their lives a living hell. Windows gets the blame and they turn to Apple.

[pranilm @ Mar 22nd 2008 2:33PM]

@ Mark

Though I'm a Hindu. I respect Christianity for forgiving some of the gravest sins. But somehow we can't seem to forgive a ridiculous $50 charge once corrected.

As far as being upset about all the "crap" that is placed on computers, its been said many times, It allows them to lower cost of their products since the companies that produce the crappy software pay to have them loaded onto computers. Fact: Computers have a very low margin. To remain competitive they have to do this. Its actually very cool that Sony is doing this.

Pouting with your arms crossing saying this is unforgivable is a bit childish.

[Poom @ Mar 26th 2008 5:44AM]

Mark... Sony is probably the only company that even offers this fresh start option (other than Apple). Now they even offer it for free, even though they might lose revenue from software companies. Instead of criticizing the company from charging in the first place, you really should be giving it a lot of credits for being the first to offer this option and also the first to make it free. Stop being a jerk.

[Nate @ Mar 21st 2008 6:02PM]

...and don't let it happen again!

[bi0hazard @ Mar 21st 2008 6:42PM]

yeah, less is more

[Smegma @ Mar 22nd 2008 4:19AM]

even with genitals?

[a ham sandwich @ Mar 21st 2008 6:06PM]

i like how the site explains it as a 'thorough removal' of the crapware. uh, dont they mean, they don;t put it on in the firstplace? why would they put it on, then go through all the trouble of taking it off? it takes even computer-savvy people hours to get rid of that crap!

[Aguiluz @ Mar 21st 2008 6:52PM]

Hours? My dad's laptop took a day to hose the suckers out. I say it's hard, and it just sucks. Why do they load it inside the HDD anyway? "Customer Convenience?" My bottom.

[asphixiated @ Mar 21st 2008 7:07PM]

I just do a total wipe of the hard drive (and hidden partitions) and start with a fresh installation of windows anyways, never know if those programs leave any residue/reg keys behind once they are uninstalled.

[Travis May @ Mar 21st 2008 8:26PM]

Sony, like other computer companies, think their software is the best there is and only someone crazy would not want it. It's probably installed automatically on all of their computers.

Then, when you order Fresh Start they have to pull a computer from the assembly line and have a tech guy spend those same hours to remove the software.

[TubeTop100.com @ Mar 21st 2008 6:09PM]

Haha look at the screen.

Instead of paying $50 to remove all the crapware, you will be paying $50 less if you choose not to remove the crapware. Which is technically exact the same, altough is sounds nicer. You still pay $50 more for a Fresh Start compared to the uhhh not-so-Fresh Start.

I love you Sony.

[Jake E. @ Mar 21st 2008 6:16PM]

From the mouths of Sony...

"Crap they caught onto us! Hurry and change the wording!"

[CraigJ @ Mar 21st 2008 6:17PM]

* Starting tomorrow...

[gozer @ Mar 21st 2008 6:28PM]

no shit.

[TubeTop100.com @ Mar 21st 2008 6:35PM]

Come on, we all know that Sony won't save you a buck. They will be selling their Vaio's for at least $50 more in the future. Probably even $60 so they can recoup from giving away the Fresh Starts for free this time.

That's why we all love Sony. All your money are belong to them.

[mmkay @ Mar 21st 2008 6:45PM]

I truly hope you're being sarcastic, TubeTop100.com.

[TubeTop100.com @ Mar 21st 2008 6:52PM]

Sarcastic about what? I never buy Sony products, but I love all their entertaining decisions. Unbelievable how many mistakes a company can make.

- Forcing your crappy ATRAC3 format to your customers? Check.
- Removing the rumble function from your next-gen controllers? Check.
- Adding rootkits to your audio-cd's? Check.
- Let your customers pay $50 so their overpriced Vaio's actually work the way it should? Check.

That's why I love Sony. Everytime I think it's impossible to fuck something up even more, Sony comes out swingin'.

[TubeTop100.com @ Mar 21st 2008 6:58PM]

Besides that, having an option like 'No Fresh Start' when buying a new $1000+ computer is just sheer brilliance.

What was their old slogan again? Ohh yeah, I remember:

Only Sony

[Wolfticket @ Mar 21st 2008 8:36PM]

Did anyone actually notice that the picture is the same as the previous entry on this story? Did anyone actually think that even sony would try to get away with that one?

[mmkay @ Mar 21st 2008 9:56PM]

"Did anyone actually notice that the picture is the same as the previous entry on this story? Did anyone actually think that even sony would try to get away with that one?" - By Wolfticket

This was exactly my point. My comment about you being sarcastic should've been made clearer to point to the fact that Sony has but ANNOUNCED the change. Obviously Engadget does not possess the new webpage (yet) and therefore cannot have a new screenshot of it. Your first comment which is now 'Highest Ranked' is based solely on that screencap and that is why I said I hoped you were being sarcastic. I am, by all means, against all forms of bloatware on pre-assembled PC's, just like Dell's disgusting stuff, or HP's.

[Thomas Cassidy @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:49PM]

This was how they handled it before, I believe. It wasn't a $50 fee so much as it was a $50 reduction to the price if you agreed to keep the bloatware. Check the old story's photo for proof.

[Allen @ Mar 21st 2008 6:15PM]

Hey, now they will only be overpriced laptops, not overpriced laptops that are DOA.

[Iain @ Mar 21st 2008 6:23PM]

Now if only we could get the rest of the computer industry to drop 'crapware' from initial installs.

[Jon Doe. @ Mar 21st 2008 6:27PM]

And add the $50 to the cost of the laptop....again its people like you who don't get it. Its people like you who expect sites that have huge hit rates to remain free..never mind the behind the scenes cost of running a site. But hey! It should still be free!

crapware drops the price of your computer, that is the blunt truth that people need to deal with.

[Iain @ Mar 21st 2008 6:36PM]

Of course it costs money, I understand that, and more importantly that I can easily get rid of all the 'crapware' with a reinstall. But some people in the wonderful computing world are more than willing to spend a bit more for a computer that doesn't come with 'crapware' flowing out of every port. I am one of those wonderful pretentious bastards.

[Sam Winter @ Mar 21st 2008 8:52PM]

I posted on another post how I was pricing new Dell laptops...
They have a (somewhat) new line called "Vostro" for small business customers versus their Inspiron line for home users. The options are the pretty much the same, save the small difference in case design. Dell says that the Vostro small business line comes free of any pre-installed trial software.

So, knowing this I priced a 17" Vostro 1700 vs an 17" Inpiron 1720 with EXACTLY the same processor, RAM, HDD, video card, wifi card, bluetooth, same limited warranty, etc, etc. I compared the specs three times to be sure I got everything right. And how did they compare? drum roll... The Vostro was $159 MORE! Yep, what a deal! Only $160 required to keep that factory drone from installing 6 music jukebox apps, 4 cd-burning apps, 13 dial-up ISP connections, 2 conflicting wall paper changer programs, every version of Real player since 1994, and 9 different webcam plugins on Vista sidebar.
My god, seriously, I want to know how many man hours have been wasted on this shit! its crazy

[Jamar @ Mar 21st 2008 10:11PM]

Go Panasonic. They're free of crapware and it's 100% made in Japan (if you worry about that kind of thing). Don't work there (I can dream, though) but I'm very satisfied with my CF-T5. Best laptop I've had and great for international flights (one charge can last me through a trans-Pacific flight).

[Jon Doe. @ Mar 21st 2008 6:24PM]

they should have kept it. Sorry guys but do you really think they put that software on there for the hell of it. That $50 is probably the rough amount that they make off the combined install of that crapware. It is NO different then a site trying to make a bit of money via adspace. Hell considering how much Dell, et al makes off of these systems, clue: it isn't much....

You want to know why you pay a premium on a mac...beyond the OS and the included apps is the lack of this "crapware." You aren't subsidizing the price of the laptop with in-OS adspace. And frankly if people don't like it they should pay that $50 or get someone to reimage the system for them to remove that crap....oh or use.
http://pcdecrapifier.com/

But Sony blinking isn't the right move. This all comes back to the concept that consumers have, that a good laptop should be sub $1000 for some reason. guess what...the cost has to go somewhere and Dell, Gateway, HP, toshiba, Sony can't always eat it for the hell of it.
So grow a pair and pay the $50 to remove that crapware and pay for just the OS and the hardware...or don't because its optional anyways.

[Lor @ Mar 21st 2008 6:24PM]

I don't know, where you can get that free option. I just looked at sonystyle.com. There you still have to pay the 50$ fee. And to make crap removal available in the first place you have to choose Vista Business instead of Home Premium which is another 100$. So a crap free system is 150$ ... nice.

Or you just do it with the free removal tool Sony offers. Hard decision.

[CraigJ @ Mar 21st 2008 6:53PM]

FTA: *start offering the option for free as of tomorrow

[Lor @ Mar 21st 2008 7:07PM]

Ah, right - it's tomorrow over here. So it's only 100$ then for Vista Business ;)

[ahow628 @ Mar 21st 2008 6:32PM]

I would like to point out that all that crapware that is included is revenue for Sony. Do you think they just put that crap on there just to annoy you? No, they are getting paid advertising dollars by the makers of that crapware. The $50 was a feeble attempt to recoup that lost revenue.

Now, let me point out that I hate the crapware and always do a fresh install once I get my computer.

[ahow628 @ Mar 21st 2008 6:35PM]

Sorry about repeating Jon Doe.

[Rob @ Mar 21st 2008 6:34PM]

It's a good thing Dell gives you the choice to drop all that crap during your ordering process. Of course, those who are not well informed about the crapware may opt to include it thinking they're getting a better deal, when the rest of us know better. Computer manufacturers know what they should do, but they don't because they get paid by MS, Adobe, Synatec, and many other companies to include all that junk one will never use but it's running in the background robbing your pc of precious power.

[The Dude @ Mar 21st 2008 6:36PM]

Call them on their bull-shit, again! Like someone else said, subtracting $49.99 from the price to ALLOW the crapware still makes electing to DENY crapware fiscally disadvantageous for the customer.

[nikster @ Mar 21st 2008 9:51PM]

Uhhhmmm.... Engadget just posted the same pic as on the previous article. The fee will be gone tomorrow. Ok?

[KMyers @ Mar 21st 2008 6:43PM]

They finally took the hint, Finally a stable Sony computer is in the works

[Syliss @ Mar 21st 2008 6:45PM]

I dont mind the crapware as long as it makes the pc cheaper. I have format+CD= Fresh install. Then i run what ever i want on it. I just think it was stupid to charge people for nothing.

[Eddie W @ Mar 21st 2008 6:52PM]

What I'd really love to see is a breakdown of the OS and what comes on it. I'd order computers with no OS and install Linux on it, saving the licensing fees to Microsoft. Dell has kind of moved in the right direction on this, but I wish that others would follow. I ended up building my last machine because I didn't want Windows.

I'd dig seeing exactly how much the OS costs the consumer at the end of the process.

[Galley @ Mar 21st 2008 7:13PM]

Never underestimate the power of the Internet!