Weak Bundled Software
I treated myself to a new laptop recently and even though the machine was technically ready to go out of the box I found myself actually uninstalling loads of software before I felt comfortable using my new purchase. Whilst removing the 7th or 8th questionable programme I had been lovingly supplied with it occurred to me what a farce the bundling of software had become. As manufacturers of computers are paid for each copy of software they distribute with new machines it seems the quality of the product has ceased to be an issue. So I decided to make a list of software I recommend removing when in receipt of a shiny new PC/Laptop:
Avoid: Adobe Acrobat Reader Why? Acrobat Reader is widely considered to be overly boated and unstable. Superior Alternative: FoxIt Reader (www.foxitsoftware.com) represents a small, capable, stable and free alternative.
Avoid: Trial Internet Service Provider Offer Why? Not only is it unlikely to be the best deal for you but as they are obsessed with bundled installations, the free trial software you receive is liable to be the incredibly bloated, unstable and possessive AOL Online. If anyone would listen, I would actually lobby to have this application legally banned on the grounds that it's completely useless. Superior Alternative: Remove all traces of any free trial applications and instead find the provider that is best for you at a comparison website such as www.moneysupermarket.com
Avoid: Browser Toolbars Why?: Unless you have very specific needs they are unlikely to have much to offer that will be genuinely useful and will just take up space in your browser and possibly keep a beady eye on your usage habits. Superior Alternative: I personally do not have any use for toolbars at all, if however you do have a favourite, just install that one and uninstall/disable the others.
Avoid: Internet Explorer Why?: Numerous to privacy/security weaknesses, resource heavy and feels very dated when using. Superior Alternative: I would not hesitate in the slightest to suggest giving Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera a go to see which you like best.
Avoid: Nero Essentials Why? Although I am not averse to the full edition of Nero, which may be bloated but is certainly feature rich, I'm a little less impressed by the free, limited versions that are shipped with many PC's. Superior Alternative: For a very capable, much smaller, faster, free alternative try using CDBurnerXP (www.cdburnerxp.se).
Avoid: Bundled AntiVirus software Why?: Norton or McAfee are normally the AntiVirus suites that are bundled with new computer and are both rather beefy applications. Once your 30 day trial has expired the persistent reminders start begging you to continue your subscription (for a yearly fee of course). Superior Alternative: Rather predictably I would recommend AVG free (http://free.avg.com) for an alternative Anti-Virus application that is both small and very effective.
Avoid: Both Quicktime and Realplayer Why? They load at startup, are incredibly slow and worst of all continuously gobble up system resources. The only functionality that they add is the ability to play files in either the Quicktime or Realplayer format which personally I've never seen the need for. Superior Alternatives: As much as it pains me to ratify their existence, it is likely that a website will try to force one of these formats on you at some stage so keep copies of the substantially smaller Quicktime Alternative (http://codecguide.com/download_qt.htm) and Real Alternative (http://codecguide.com/download_real.htm) to hand.
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