4/4/2023 0 Comments Bloatware uninstaller![]() ![]() To be fair to the manufacturers, this software isn’t universally hated by Which? members. Make the right choice with our expert pick of the best laptops What do laptop users think of bloatware? Read on to find out what we discovered, and how you can remove unwanted software. Antivirus, ClipArt, games and even CDs granting you a certain number of hours of free dial-up access were de rigueur for decades. Of course, this is nothing new computers have shipped with ‘free’ stuff since the dawn of home computing. Windows laptops, in particular, frequently come with a free trial of the Office suite, along with other software including McAfee antivirus, Skype, Dropbox cloud storage and the Spotify music service. But anything else is effectively an ad for a product you might not be interested in. Programs such as branded updater tools, such as ‘Lenovo Utility’ and ‘Asus Live Update’, are what you’d expect and make complete sense. It includes promotional software, free trials and even icons on the desktop. This is - perhaps uncharitably, depending on who you are - known as 'bloatware'. Of the 300+ laptops we’ve tested since June 2020, the vast majority have had some pre-installed software that doesn’t directly relate to the everyday functioning of the laptop. It’s a pity, then, that the vast majority of laptops don’t feel quite so fresh. Whether it’s that new-shoe smell, or the feeling of pulling the plastic screen protector off the latest smartphone, the first time you unbox something is always a little bit special. We run through the usual suspects and explain how you can get rid of unwanted software on your computer. But just under a third of consumers actually use the software that comes pre-installed. Free trials of Microsoft Office and McAfee antivirus software are by far the most common additions to new computers, according to Which? research.
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