Sony has moved towards offering customers of its Vaio laptop range the chance to get their brand new laptop free of trail software. What do you think?


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I guess there are subsidies from software companies to include their stuff which perhaps lowers the cost for the end-user. But perhaps it is just another revenue stream for Sony? Who knows?

I think this should be a free option - afterall, you are agreeing to buy a computer and usually an OS. I don't want or need who host of trial software or OEM junk.

My last Acer came with Acer branded movie players and such like which I never used. There is quite a forum following for removing bloatware from the very start, through a complete reformat, but when you are not supplied the drivers or original OS discs it is a little longer winded process.

Lots of computer manufacturers also supply drives pre-partitioned, something that a lot of users don't want.

Well it seems Sony has listened to the backlash and since announced that it won't be charging for the Fresh Star option. Personally I think that PC manufacturers should only include full version software on the PC, after all who wants to spend half a day removing stuff just so you can get on with using your computer as you not they intended