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Vaio vai is Sony charging $50 to remove trialware?

images.jpegIt’s no surprise that Sony charging $50 to remove trialware from its PCs has gone over like a lead ultraportable. Sony is merely passing along the lost revenue from deals it would ordinarily strike with these providers of software and services. Still, making the tradeoff so explicit is tantamount to admitting that, not only is there no user benefit to these programs, but there is a price on the penalty of having them.

Also, one must question how receptive consumers will be to offers that they absolutely did not want on their PCs, but for which they didn’t want to pay the equivalent of five percent or more of the notebook value. Even at a lower price ($20), Sony would gather far more consumers opting in. It is a thorny time for trialware with Vista’s beefier requirements already making consumers more wary of performance slowdowns. And ultimately, it is in Sony’s interest to have more consumers who are delighted with their notebook experience. Competitive pressure may force its hand toward that.

Update: Reversed. Blogosphere outrage FTW!

One Comment

  1. Tamara Busch Tamara Busch March 23, 2008

    Great commentary. Why do computers have this junk loaded on at time of purchase?

    What if other things in life were like this? That my new Mazda CX-9’s radio would spout out commercials ever hour and I would have to pay to have that feature deleted?

    Or that if I bought a new LCD screen that it would automatically come with features to allow me to buy programming like TiVO built-in and I would have to order a non tracking display.

    Only if I could get a non Webkinz, Power Ranger, Hanna Montana, High School Musical, Nickelodeon, Disney oriented child…

    T

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