Mar 21 2008New Sony Computers Come With Option For No Extra Garbage Installed, Charge You For It
Sony has a new product option available when you buy a laptop from them online. It's called Fresh Start, and it's not so much a product as a lack of products. Namely all the useless crap programs that typically come installed on a new computer. And it only costs $50! That's right, the Fresh Start option will "free up valuable hard drive space and conserve memory and processing power while maximizing overall system performance right from the start." Wow, Sony, wow. I understand you get paid by all the vendors to include their stupid trialware, but this is a dick move. But since I'm such a nice guy, I'd like to offer you a little deal of my own. It's called the Geekologie writer's New Beginnings option of nut kicking. I'll be running a special when I show up at corporate early next week. Everyone is still getting kicked in the sack, but for $50 I'll wear a flip-flop instead of a combat boot.
UPDATE: Apparently Sony caught wind of my upcoming visit and decided to drop the $50 charge starting tomorrow.
Lame: Sony Charging $50 NOT To Put Crapware On Your New Laptop [ohgizmo]
Reader Comments
1. whistle - March 21, 2008 10:20 AM
Until further notice, which will no doubt come from subsequent comments on this entry, I will assume that this is likely
A) old news
B) from another website
C) tied to improper use of the word sombrero
&/or
D) FAKE/proto
Did I cover it? You are all now free to go outside.
2. 6tringer - March 21, 2008 10:36 AM
I wonder how "fresh" the start really is? Can you get it with no OS? I'm thinking I might gladly pay an extra $50 for a completely clean slate.
3. ChrisClark - March 21, 2008 10:39 AM
I don't think it's fake, and I'm not entirely surprised that they're doing it (assuming I'm right and it isn't fake). Best Buy offers a similar service in-store on any computer you purchase. I helped my mother buy an HP machine recently and they charged about that price to create a backup disc and wipe the machine of all of the B.S. that was pre-installed on it.
4. Jeff - March 21, 2008 10:49 AM
Wow this is a shitty deal. I mean if it was $5 or something, then maybe sure. But $50? Come the fuck on.
Oh, and 6stringer, why just just format your new computer's HD right when you get it and save yourself $50? Unless you want to pay $50 for a HD that has never had anything written to it ever, then sure.
5. Herman - March 21, 2008 4:01 PM
They just eliminated the charge:
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9900516-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mt
6. SlowMonkey - March 22, 2008 7:17 AM
@5: Well, they are more decent than Ma Bell who charges upwards of $5.00 every f'ing month of your life to NOT publish your phone number.
7. Jason - March 22, 2008 3:24 PM
reminds me of http://nothinginthebox.com, check it out =)
8. Jonalyn - April 11, 2008 3:40 PM
I can't get the alarm on my Sony Vaio to shut off! HELLLPPPPPP PLEASE!!!
I've tried unplugging it, removing the battery pack, yelling at it with no luck. i WAS NOT able to log off properly about a week ago and it's letting me know about it now! LOL! I am gracious for any info that would make this noise vanish. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOU TIME AND PROMPT REPLY.
"jONNY"