Poll: How much more would you pay for a clean PC?

[Simon Brown]

There have been many complaints by consumers about so called "crapplets" bundled with computers - so-called shareware applications bundled for a fee paid by software owners to reduce costs. A while ago someone asked Dell why they bundled such applications and they responded with a question asking how much they would be prepared to pay.

My question is how much would you be prepared to pay for a computer without such applications bundled?

Note: I am not talking about Windows.

[Stephan]

They're also known as crapware

I removed them as soon as my parents got their laptop. Most of them even have a start on windows from your regisry :?

[Crazy Man Dan]

So far, I've only owned one computer myself, but it came with the OS disc. First thing I did when I got it was reformat, repartition, and reinstall without all the useless bits.

So, I wouldn't pay anything for a clean PC - I'd make it clean myself.

[jake2k]

I've yet to buy a new pc but I have seen this on my parents computer and its really annoying, I doubt I would pay anything extra since I'll be building my next pc and probable every one after that haha.

[harold]

None

I would build my own pc and wouldn't have those bloatwares anyway - for free

[Myrddin]

If I were to build my own computer, I'd no doubt end up killing myself or others. I'm more than happy to buy my own, then kick crapware out of the proverbial back door.

Or, give details to my local computing store and have them build me one for a fraction of the price of either purchasing brand-new, or claiming all the parts individually.

I would like to build my own, just not yet. By the way, my limit would be £500 (~$1,000). It would have to be able to make my tea for anything more. That's assuming crapware adds anything to the price, if it does, the aforementioned price drops to £400 (~$800).

[I Like Pi]

My solution was to backup the activation (link) and do a clean install (I have a spare Vista DVD). I hate how manufacturers don't give you the clean OS DVD, but instead give you a lousy recovery partition with junk preinstalled.

[Yata]

Buy it, and clean it myself. I would end up hacking around anyway so that's just another little chore to do.

[R3VENGE]

i wouldnt pay anyhting really ive just learnt to look around them

[HITMAN-X-]

Why pay someone to clean the adware off a computer I just got. I don't trust the guy who installed my Windows anyway and therefor I am going to wipe the whole drive and do it myself.

[aeonix]

I would just get a normal one, and get a normal vista or xp cd, so I would just format it, then reinstall, without the "craplets".

[Dalton]

I would just remove them myself.. or try.

But hopefully the next computer I get is built by me!

[LightBladez]

Less then 10 dollars, but I got avg free so..

[Ash]

http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ Free for personal use.

[Enormator]

Use Windows for Paint.NET and games and for working use a linux distribution with open office installed. I use Ubuntu atm but since I already do that for a while, I'm soon going to switch to a distribution fit to more advanced users.

Ubuntu also has a feature on the regular CD to integrate into Windows ("Wubi"): You can select the OS for your session at startup but you can uninstall Ubuntu from the applications menu of your Windows. This is probably a better preview than to use the live cd because with Wubi you can save your settings. The only disadvantage is a slightly decreased disk performance (due to being integrated to the windows file system and not using an onw partition)

[Rick Brewster]

I've never purchased a pre-built computer. I've always put together my own computers/upgrades. That may change with my next system -- I want a dual Xeon Nehalem, and it may just be a lot simpler to buy a new Mac Pro or Dell/HP.

But I would expect it to be a no-cost option.