The blizzard of bloatware we found on PCs at Best Buy is just a snapshot in time of the products we examined in the store. However, it should give you an idea of how much bloatware you're likely find on retail machines.
We sampled several machines at a local Best Buy, where we could examine the included software in person. (Any links to Best Buy were active and working at press time.) Note that some of the laptops sold at a retailer like Best Buy are exclusive to the store—sometimes called out using a “BB” designation—even though they many be almost but not quite identical to models sold by other stores like Amazon. This tactic enables the retailer to avoid price matching, since other stores won’t offer an identical product.
Where we could, we listed every app that Windows included in the Windows 8 Start page. In certain cases, apps may be bundled together in a suite of utilities; we still noted them as separate apps, as Windows did.
Also take note of the Retail Processor App from Intel and the Productivity with Windows app from Microsoft: From what we could see, these apps are loaded onto floor models and used to extol the virtues of Windows and Intel’s own processors. They probably won't be loaded onto the products that you buy.
We excluded Microsoft’s native Windows apps, such as Paint. In some cases, Microsoft also bundles trial versions of Microsoft Office or Office 365; you’ll have to decide whether those are bloatware or not.
Laptops
$699.99 Toshiba Radius 2-in-1 15.6-inch laptop (P55W-B5220)
Apps installed:
- Wild Tangent Games
- Amazon
- Book Place by Toshiba
- Deals & Offers by Toshiba
- eBay
- Evernote Touch
- Hulu Plus
- iHeart Radio
- Netflix
- Next Issue Magazines
- Norton Studio
- Retail Processor App/Productivity with Windows
- Smart Audio
- Software Updates
- Toshiba Central
- Toshiba Favorites
- Toshiba Media Player by SMedia
- Toshiba Registration
- Toshiba Start
$799.99 Asus 2-in-1 15.6-inch laptop (Q502LA-BBI5T12)
Apps installed:
- WildTangent Games
- Asus Photo Director
- Asus Power Director
- Asus Web Storage
- Audio Wizard
- Line
- MusicMaker Jam
- Netflix
- Productivity with Windows/Retail Processor App
- Asus FlipLock
- Asus Install
- Asus Live Update
- Asus On Screen Display
- Asus eManual
- Splendid Utility
- USB Charger Plus
- WebStorage
- CyberLink Media Story
- Dragon Assistant by Nuance
$679 Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop (I7547-3020SLV)
Apps installed:
- Adobe Revel
- Amazon
- Dell Shop
- eBay
- Kindle
- McAfee Central
- McAfee LiveSafe
- Microsoft Office
- Retail Processor App
- Dell Backup and Recovery
- Dell Digital Delivery Manager
- Dell Power Manager Lite
- My Dell
- PC Checkup
- Dell Audio
- True Color
$449.99 HP Split X2 13.3-inch two-in-one (13-r100dx)
Apps installed:
- McAfee LiveSafe
- 7-Zip
- Classic Board Games
- CyberLink PhotoDirector
- CyberLink PowerDirector
- CyberLink YouCam
- Disney Fairies Hidden Treasures
- Evernote
- Getting Started with Windows 8
- Kindle for Windows 8
- Ludo
- Microsoft Games
- Netflix
- Pinger
- Skype
- JigsWar
- Wheel of Fortune
- HP Connected Drive
- HP Connected Photo
- HP ePrint
- HP Games by WildTangent
- HP Recovery Manager
- HP SimplePass
- HP Support Assistant
- HP Utility Center
$599 Hewlett-Packard Envy TouchSmart 15.6-inch notebook (M6-N113DX)
Apps installed:
- WildTangent Games
- Amazon
- Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance
- Farmville 2
- HP Connected Drive
- HP Connected Music
- HP Connected Photo
- McAfee Central
- Microsoft Mahjong
- Netflix
- Productivity with Windows/Retail Processor App
- Software Updates
- CyberLink YouCam 6
- Pinger
- HP PowerStation
- HP Recovery Manager
- HP Recovery Media Creation
- HP Support Assistant
- Beats Audio
- CyberLink Media Suite
- CyberLink Media Espresso
- CyberLink Photo Director
- CyberLink PowerDirector
- CyberLink Power2Go
- Snapfish
- 7Zip
- Evernote
- HP Utility Center
- ISO Viewer
- Virtual Drive
- HP SimplePass
- McAfee LiveSafe
Best Buy also includes the option to download a free game from AMD’s Web site as well as a year’s subscription for Webroot Secure Anywhere.
$349.99 Lenovo 15.6-inch laptop (G50 - 80E3016QUS)
Apps installed:
- Amazon
- BTServer
- Lenovo Companion
- DailyMotion
- Evernote Touch
- Free Online Games for Lenovo
- Kindle
- McAfee Central
- Nitro Pro 9
- Phone Companion
- PowerDVD for Lenovo
- Skype
- The Telegraph for Lenovo
- The Weather Channel for Lenovo
- TripAdvisor
- Zinio Reader
- AMD Catalyst
- CyberLink Power2Go
- Desktop Burning Gadget
- ISO Viewer
- Virtual Drive
- PowerDirector
- Dolby Digital Plus
- Lenovo Energy Manager
- Lenovo Messenger
- Lenovo PowerDVD
- Lenovo Updates
- Lenovo Veriface
- Lenovo One Key Recovery
- Lenovo ShareIt
- Lenovo PhotoMaster
- Lenovo Reach
- Maxthon Cloud Browser
- McAfee LiveSafe
Best Buy also includes a downloadable one-year subscription to Trend Micro’s Titanium Internet Security.
$1,049.99 Lenovo Yoga 2 13.3-inch laptop (59418309)
Apps installed:
- Accuweather
- Lenovo Companion
- eBay
- Evernote Touch
- Hightail for Lenovo
- Intel Experience Center
- Amazon Kindle
- Lenovo Support
- LiveTV
- McAfee Central
- Nitro Pro 8
- Rara Music with Lenovo
- Lenovo Smart Voice
- Yoga Cameraman
- Yoga Chef
- Yoga Phone Companion
- Yoga Photo Touch
- Yoga Picks
- Zinio Reader
- Lenovo Energy Manager
- Lenovo Motion Control
- Lenovo Smart Voice
- Lenovo Transition
- Lenovo Veriface
- Lenovo One Key Recording
- Lenovo User Guide
- McAfee Live Safe
- Nuance Dragon Assistant
- RealTek HD Audio Manager
Tablets
$269 Asus Transformer Pad T100 (T100TAF-B11-GR)
Apps installed:
- Asus PhotoDirector
- Asus PowerDirector Mobile
- Line
- Netflix
- Asus LiveUpdate
- Asus OnScreen Display
- Asus Screen Saver
- Asus eManual
- Asus WebStorage
- Asus WinFlash
$190 Unbranded tablet (UB-15MS10SA)
Apps installed:
None
$244.99 Toshiba Encore 2 10-inch (WT10-A32)
Apps installed:
- Amazon
- eBay
- Amazon Kindle
- Netflix
- Toshiba Control
- Toshiba Favorites
- Toshiba Registration
- Toshiba Start
- Toshiba Travel Place
- Toshiba TruCapture
- Norton Internet Security
- Dolby Digital Plus