Dell Bundled Software Lowdown
In a Dell laptop that I recently bought, I took a snapshot of the software installed on the machine as it was when I got it. I was quite surprised. There are so many Dell helper utilities that seem redundant! I am however quite thankful that they do show up in the Installed Programs menu, that means that they can be cleanly removed. This laptop is one of the new Studio ranges.
We have:
- Dell Datasafe Online - ok that one makes sense, Dell would need a proprietary application in order to go with their proprietary backup system.
- Dell Getting Started Guide - I can see the sense in them putting this on, sort of. I think it would be better if they integrated their help / tutorial menu’s into the Windows help system though. It would be great to open up Windows help on your Dell laptop and type in “web cam” and have “Using your Dell webcam on your Studio laptop” come up as a hit.
- Dell Network Assistant - This gave me a visual diagram of the fact that I was connected to the internet through a router. It didn’t help me do anything else that wasn’t already done by Windows. I mean, it’s just another network setup utility. While the Windows one isn’t “all that”, it isn’t all that bad either. You have DHCP options, status and properties to see what’s going on - what else does the home user really need? When you get your Netgear router, it isn’t going to give you a tutorial on using Dell Network Assistant to configure your network, it will give you a tutorial on how to do it with the built in Windows utiltities.
- Dell Support Center - Ok if they are installing this, shouldn’t the “Getting Started” part be include in this? It seems this is just a front end to all of the Dell utilities.
- Dell Touchpad - If we were in Windows 95 days, I’d say “oh yeah, drivers”. And it probably is, but Vista will talk to the Touchpad with or without them. I guess the only added “benefit” of this software is that it gives you a little touch pad icon that takes up valuable space in the system dock. “But the dock auto hides”. Yes, but the icon is only useful if you *don’t* autohide it: It shows you where on the touchpad you are touching. Really, you could always just look at your actual finger to see where on the touch pad you’re touching…
- Dell Video Chat - Why do Dell have their own video chat program? Why would I want it preinstalled on my laptop?
- Dell Webcam Central - Could be drivers as well as the application. The application is neat in that it allows you to make sure the web cam works without having to install any other software.
- Dell eBay - I have no idea what this does. It appeared to be just an internet link on the desktop. Maybe Dell want me to sell the laptop on eBay straight after buying it so that I have to buy another one new?
Now the other thing that caught my attention was the preinstallation of the Google Desktop software. It’s on the desktop AND it’s integrated into Internet Explorer. That’s really annoying. I wonder how much money Google pay Dell for that.
Dell Preinstalled Software