[Hidden-tech] Lenovo pre-installed adware

[Daniel Paquin]

Lenovo is supposed to release a tool/fix today.

Their apology (CTO Peter Hortensius) seems to stress transparency enough 
to make me think they recognize the value of trust from business users.

The bloatware trend seems like a subsidization of the OS costs. That's 
Microsoft again forgetting that their OS in in trouble and failing to 
differentiate between "Free/Subsidized" Windows and Windows. OEMs are 
hurt short term but Microsoft is hurt in the long term.

On 2/20/15 11:16 AM, Jeff Brand wrote:
>
>
> I believe it was the Geek Squad's crapware that inspired this tool which
> might help non-techies do it themselves.
> http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/
>
> Windows 8.1's licensing and tools have made it easier to create a clean
> install as well.
> http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/02/save-yourself-from-your-oems-bad-decisions-with-a-clean-install-of-windows-8-1/
>
> The only questionable step is vendor driver support.
>
> I think that Lenovo's mistakes are severe enough to create some serious
> outcry and change acceptance of bundled software by the general public.
> All it needs to do is cost them more in sales and legal fees than it earns.
>
> On 2/20/2015 7:56 AM, Robert Heller wrote:
>>
>> This whole thread is a clear argument *against* the idea of OEMs
>> pre-installing *any* [O/S] software. Not that I expect end-users to be
>> installing O/S (or really any) software either (that is often a completely
>> different can of worms). What is really needed is a sort of 'Jiffy Lube' type
>> of business for computers -- places where non-techies can go to have their
>> computers 'serviced' -- from O/S installs to 'regular maintaince' (eg regular
>> software updates and general admin work).  Someplace that is a 'disintersted
>> third party', that is not in the pay of some outside interest that would have
>> any influence relating to which O/S or what O/S (or other software) settings
>> or default preferences, etc.
>>
>> Having an entity with a 'vested' interest installing any software is really a
>> bad idea.
>>
>> At Thu, 19 Feb 2015 19:01:21 -0500 Roger Williams <roger at qux.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Those who are concerned their PC may contain this critical vulnerability (all of the recent Lenovo G, U, Y, Z, S, Flex, MIIX, YOGA, and E Series) can check at https://filippo.io/Badfish/. (The website was designed by one of the same researchers who published a site to scan websites for the catastrophic Heartbleed weakness in OpenSSL.)
>>>
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