Dell pretends to understand gamers
Remember back in December when we wrote about Dell bundling so much useless software with their machines that it could be considered bloatware? According to the same guys who reported the problem, Dell are making efforts to clean up their act. On select XPS machine there is now effectively a "no-bloatware" option with no AOL installation, no “media jukebox” and no free ISP options.
We're still not satisfied, for the following reasons:
Why "select XPS machines"? Yeah, we know how cut-throat the profit margins are in the PC industry, but isn't Dell's XPS range supposed to be a premium product? As far as I can tell, the option is only available on XPS 400 and 600 systems, not the XPS 200 machines (which are priced identically to the XPS 400 PCs).
Bad wording. Dell's wording of the option makes it seem as if consumers will be missing out by taking the option. "Now with limited pre-installed software" doesn't sound too appealing to the average consumer unaware of the fact that pre-installed software means the software equivalent of garbage.
More bad wording. When you actually get to configuring your machine, the site offers you "no pre-installed software [included in price]". Gee, thanks Dell for not charging us for non-existent software!
Even more bad wording. The banner "You Spoke, We Listened" means nothing to anyone that hasn't read about this issue previously.
How Dell should have fixed the problem:
Opt-in, not opt-out. The only bloatware free machine by default is the top-end XPS 600 PC. On the XPS 400, you have to physically select an option to have no extra software installed. What that says to the consumer is: if you're gonna purchase an XPS 200 machine, you're so cheap you don't deserve a clean machine. XPS 400 purchaser? We'll try and blind you by hundred of configuration options so you don't see the no-extra software option. Lets face it, you're not paying Dell enough money. Heya, Mr. XPS 600 owner! Thanks for buying our most expensive desktop. As a bonus, we won't install extra software on your machine by default. We were only earning an extra $1 a machine anyway.
Dell-wide. Is there any reason why any customer buying from Dell shouldn't have the option of purchasing a computer that doesn't include "bloatware bogging down your system"? Think about the example that would set to other PC manufacturers. Ever wondered why Apple Mac owners love their computers so much? The fact that Apple rewards its customers by packing their machines full of excellent software packages (iTunes, iMovie, Garageband etc.) and not total crap (AOL ISP offers and godawful "media jukebox" applications) is one very big reason.
Come clean. The very fact that Dell has recognized this issue means that the company acknowledges that this extra software is a hassle to its users. Dell made this move as an attempt to appease hardcore users: but by wording it softly, the company knew that the majority of customers would ignore or wouldn't understand the offer. Come clean and tell consumers exactly what is pre-installed on their machine and why (profit!) so they can decide for themselves.
It's worth noting that we're not anti-free software: we're anti-crap software. A novel idea would be for Dell to bundle games with their XPS PCs, instead of bloatware (a good idea, no? Free games with a gaming PC?). Then, and only then, will we consider the Dell XPS worthy of the title "gaming PC". Fingers crossed the Alienware team will be able to ruffle some feathers.
