Pre-installed software
Encyclopedia
Pre-installed software is the software already installed
and licensed on a computer
bought from an original equipment manufacturer
(OEM).
with a hardware device of some kind. However, bundled software may also refer to the practice of including several related computer programs into a single software suite
. For example, Blizzard Software sells "Battle Chests" in which all releases of such games as Diablo II
, StarCraft
and the Warcraft
series are sold in one package. Bundled software may also be older video game titles being resold to maximize profits or to deplete the remainder
inventory.
Pre-installation provides the convenience of turnkey
solution, when the user does not have to worry about installation of various commonly used software, such as operating system
or word processor
s.
, and crapware. In January 2007, an unnamed executive spokesman for Microsoft
expressed concern that the Windows Vista
launch might be damaged by poorly designed, uncertified third-party applications installed by vendors — "We call them craplets." He stated that the antitrust case against Microsoft
prevented the company from stopping the preinstallation of these programs by OEMs. Walter Mossberg
, technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal
, condemned "craplets" in two columns published in April 2007, and suggested several possible strategies for removing them. According to Ars Technica
, most craplets are installed by OEMs who receive payment from the authors of the software. At the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Dell
defended this practice, stating that it keeps costs down, and implying that systems might cost significantly more to the end user if these programs were not preinstalled.
Some system vendors and retailers will offer, for an additional charge, to remove unwanted pre-installed software from a newly-purchased computer; retailers, in particular, will tout this service as a "performance improvement". In 2008, Sony Corporation announced a plan to charge end users US$50 for the service; Sony subsequently decided to drop the charge for this service and offer it for free after many users expressed outrage.
These additional programs often have the characteristics of bloatware
or shovelware
.
Installation (computer programs)
Installation of a program is the act of putting the program onto a computer system so that it can be executed....
and licensed on a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
bought from an original equipment manufacturer
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
(OEM).
Bundled software
Bundled software is another name for pre-installed software, as pre-installed are all bundledProduct bundling
Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...
with a hardware device of some kind. However, bundled software may also refer to the practice of including several related computer programs into a single software suite
Software suite
A software suite or application suite is a collection of computer programs, usually application software and programming software of related functionality, often sharing a more-or-less common user interface and some ability to smoothly exchange data with each other.Sometimes software makers...
. For example, Blizzard Software sells "Battle Chests" in which all releases of such games as Diablo II
Diablo II
Diablo II is a dark fantasy/horror-themed hack and slash, with elements of the role playing game and dungeon crawl genres. It was released for Windows and Mac OS in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North. It is a direct sequel to the 1996 hit PC game, Diablo.Diablo II...
, StarCraft
StarCraft
StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
and the Warcraft
Warcraft
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy game , developed by Blizzard Entertainment and published by Blizzard and Interplay Entertainment. The MS-DOS version was released in November 1994 and the Macintosh version in late 1996. Sales were fairly high, reviewers were mostly impressed, and the...
series are sold in one package. Bundled software may also be older video game titles being resold to maximize profits or to deplete the remainder
Remainder
In arithmetic, the remainder is the amount "left over" after the division of two integers which cannot be expressed with an integer quotient....
inventory.
Benefits
Purchasing hardware and software together is cost-effective, and discounts are possible from OEMs on bulk orders.Pre-installation provides the convenience of turnkey
Turnkey
A turn-key or a turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer in a ready-to-use condition.-Common usage:...
solution, when the user does not have to worry about installation of various commonly used software, such as operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
or word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
s.
Drawbacks
Pre-installed software commonly suffers from one of more of the following problems:- Pre-installed software is usually licensed for use only on the computer on which it was pre-installed, and is not transferable to other computers.
- Pre-installed software is often functionality or time limited, in an effort to get the user to purchase the "full" version.
- Pre-installed software often does not come with any media, should the user need to reinstall it.
- Pre-installed software sometimes modifies or replaces the default browser or system settings, in an effort to target specific advertisements to the user; or may otherwise contain functionality the user might consider to be malwareMalwareMalware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
. - Pre-installed software often consumes system resources, even if not actively being run by the user, adversely affecting system responsiveness and startup time.
- Pre-installed software is sometimes difficult or impossible for users to remove, such as via the standard uninstall utility provided by the system.
Craplets
Often new computers come with pre-installed software which the manufacturer was paid to include but is of dubious value to the purchaser. Such unwanted preinstalled software and advertisements are derogatorily called craplets, a portmanteau of crap and appletApplet
In computing, an applet is any small application that performs one specific task that runs within the scope of a larger program, often as a plug-in. An applet typically also refers to Java applets, i.e., programs written in the Java programming language that are included in a web page...
, and crapware. In January 2007, an unnamed executive spokesman for Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
expressed concern that the Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
launch might be damaged by poorly designed, uncertified third-party applications installed by vendors — "We call them craplets." He stated that the antitrust case against Microsoft
United States v. Microsoft
United States v. Microsoft was a set of civil actions filed against Microsoft Corporation pursuant to the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 Section 1 and 2 on May 8, 1998 by the United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states. Joel I. Klein was the lead prosecutor...
prevented the company from stopping the preinstallation of these programs by OEMs. Walter Mossberg
Walter Mossberg
Walter S. Mossberg is an American journalist who is the principal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal.-Early life:...
, technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, condemned "craplets" in two columns published in April 2007, and suggested several possible strategies for removing them. According to Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
, most craplets are installed by OEMs who receive payment from the authors of the software. At the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
defended this practice, stating that it keeps costs down, and implying that systems might cost significantly more to the end user if these programs were not preinstalled.
Some system vendors and retailers will offer, for an additional charge, to remove unwanted pre-installed software from a newly-purchased computer; retailers, in particular, will tout this service as a "performance improvement". In 2008, Sony Corporation announced a plan to charge end users US$50 for the service; Sony subsequently decided to drop the charge for this service and offer it for free after many users expressed outrage.
These additional programs often have the characteristics of bloatware
Software bloat
Software bloat is a process whereby successive versions of a computer program include an increasing proportion of unnecessary features that are not used by end users, or generally use more system resources than necessary, while offering little or no benefit to its users.-Causes:Software developers...
or shovelware
Shovelware
Shovelware is a derogatory computer jargon term that refers to software noted more for the quantity of what is included than for the quality or usefulness...
.