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You state the problem right in your second paragraph. New PCs don't come with a Windows retail copy. They come with a factory recovery disk that reformats you
by illumin8 16y ago
You state the problem right in your second paragraph. New PCs don't come with a Windows retail copy. They come with a factory recovery disk that reformats your hard drive, and reinstalls the OS and all the bloatware for you, just as it came out of the box.
If you want a fresh retail copy of Windows 7, unfortunately, you actually have to buy it, which adds about $199 onto the price of Windows. At that point, you're better off buying a Mac, as the price advantage that your cheap budget PC gave you by bundling the bloatware is easily cancelled by the additional Windows license price.
You get better software and better hardware with the Mac, plus a bloatware free and virus free experience. It's a win/win.
- pasbesoin 16y agoIIRC (I may not), I do seem to recall reading that with Windows 7, there is more of a distinction between full/retail and "OEM"/recovery disks. I guess, another lever they use to justify/raise the fees from the crapware vendors. EDIT: Perhaps I should have said / mean "licenses" rather than "disks".
- acabal 16y agoNot always true--the Dell I bought just last month came with the OS and the bloatware on separate discs. I formatted the computer using the OS disc and it was a totally fresh version of Windows 7 with not a trace of bloatware in sight. Though I'm pretty sure they used to do what you described in the past, so I wouldn't put it past other manufacturers to still do it!
- nitrogen 16y agoBetter software, perhaps. But show me where I could've bought a Macbook with a Core i7 and Nvidia 360M graphics last year when I bought my Asus laptop for $1300.