Bloatware free laptop

zirconium

zirconium

zirconium

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Joined
9 Apr 2007
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68
Hi

Had my heart set on a Sony vaio FW31ZJ, but after Reading many posts Sony and many other major notebook manufactures install bloatware.

Now before you say go for the overcoockers custom built ones, there has always been very little reviews and they look ugly in my opinion.

I am looking for notebook that is pleasing to look at ( Sony ) without the bloatware.

Any good advice, suggestions or positive contributions you can make? if you recommended it, would you buy it?

Screen size must be ideally 15 - 16 inch but might consider 17 Inch

Thanks in advance

Shaun
 
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The most sensible way of doing it would be to buy whatever machine you like, but rebuild the OS once you have it.
 
Only install what bloatware is necessary, my Samsung came with a load of bloat but the only thing I have is the Display Manager which also operates my hotkeys. Chances are the majoprity of laptops will have proprietary software for the operation of their hotkeys etc.
 
Dell notebooks come with a bit of bloatware out the box, but they also come with Windows and driver discs meaning you can do a full clean install with the Windows disc and then install only the drivers and applications you need for the notebook to work. Gives a significant improvement in performance, in my experience.

If the Sony models come with Windows discs (it's important they're proper discs and not just restore discs), you'll be able to do the same thing. Unfortunately though, most brands still ship systems with restore discs so there's not always an easy way to do a clean install.
 
TheVoice said:
If the Sony models come with Windows discs (it's important they're proper discs and not just restore discs), you'll be able to do the same thing. Unfortunately though, most brands still ship systems with restore discs so there's not always an easy way to do a clean install.
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I'm not sure though but they should have a valid license key and so if you could get a version of windows to match that version (e.g. Vista Business if that was what was on the laptop to start with) then the license key should in theory work?
 
my sisters just got a new Dell m1545 notebook and theres no Windows disk in the box. It was the first thing I checked cos there was a fair bit of bloat installed. My experience with notebooks is that majority of them come with a stupid restore partition instead, though I don't know if this Dell has that

Could I request a Windows disk from Dell?
 
cokecan72 said:
my sisters just got a new Dell m1545 notebook and theres no Windows disk in the box. It was the first thing I checked cos there was a fair bit of bloat installed. My experience with notebooks is that majority of them come with a stupid restore partition instead, though I don't know if this Dell has that

Could I request a Windows disk from Dell?
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I don't think you can request a windows disk :(
You have a valid license key usually stuck on the bottom of the laptop? If so then maybe you can borrow a vista disc from someone and just use your key? I am not sure about the legality of this but since you legally have a license and not changing hardware then I don't see the problem.
 
well its got vista home premium 64bit on it and as far as I'm aware you can use any other vista disk as long as its from the same pool the license key is for?? I'll give it a try and see
 
cokecan72 said:
well its got vista home premium 64bit on it and as far as I'm aware you can use any other vista disk as long as its from the same pool the license key is for?? I'll give it a try and see
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That's what I believe too but never really known if it's true or not. I guess it is since your license should be tied to the OS and not to the disc.
 
cokecan72 said:
well its got vista home premium 64bit on it and as far as I'm aware you can use any other vista disk as long as its from the same pool the license key is for?? I'll give it a try and see
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No, you can use any vista disk, they are all exactly the same 1's and 0's (well, apart from the odd Dell OEM disk, but they are few and far between).

Unfortunately, as to the original question - I don't know of a single laptop maker (bar Apple) who ship bloatware free laptops, it's how they increase their razor thin profit margins (they are paid to install all that stuff). Even business oriented machines like ThinkPads aren't immune :(
 
Indeed, no such thing as bloatware free laptop unless you go custom, like those from OCUK.

Every laptop i've worked with i've used a generic disk and installed selectively on top of a clean install. All extras are usually available from the website of the manufacturer so you can pick and choose, this results in a much faster, reliable and predictable system.
 
I have a Sony TZ21 and I reinstalled Vista and haven't installed any bloatware, all hotkeys still work but you don't get an onscreen display telling you what's changed (volume etc). I can live without that anyway but it's only a couple of installs to add it. Everything else works fine.
 
I think Fujitsu Siemnes laptops are pretty much bloatware free, usually just OS, drivers and a few essentials.

They usually come with a OS disk and drivers nothing else. But failing that isn't it just a case of uninstalling the unwanted programs in control panel?
 
beermonster said:
I think Fujitsu Siemnes laptops are pretty much bloatware free, usually just OS, drivers and a few essentials.

They usually come with a OS disk and drivers nothing else. But failing that isn't it just a case of uninstalling the unwanted programs in control panel?
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The OEM's are getting quite sneaky, theres a toolbar that's apparently very hard to get rid of on one manufacturers laptops. It took me well over an hour to decrudify the mother-in-laws sony.
 
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