Apple Makes Running Windows Easier, Sony Not So Much

Steven Frank of Panic Inc., makers of the truly stupendous Transmit FTP client, has to use Windows on occasion. His lengthy saga explaining how difficult it is to clean up and reinstall Windows on a Sony VAIO is instructive.

When he first booted the brand-new machine, he was greeted with this horror, which should be familiar to anyone who has purchased a new Windows machine:

The VAIO came loaded with so much shovelware that it took in the ballpark of fifteen minutes just to boot the first time. After the desktop came up, the disk just kept grinding and grinding and grinding, as Norton (60 day trial!) popped up, followed by Trend Micro Anti-Spyware (60 day trial!), a dialog box warning me that my Bluetooth module was not set discoverable (uh, thanks?), a cascade of Sony windows (for which they designed their own window style), the Ask! Toolbar conveniently pre-installed itself into Internet Explorer, some bubbles asking me to set up such-and-such piece of hardware, and, I’m not kidding, an “All Programs” menu in the Start Menu that spanned three columns.

The real pain began when he tried to wipe the drive and do a clean reinstall of Windows. The story is not for the faint of heart. The real kicker comes at the end:

XP on my Mac though? Smooth sailing. *smacks lips* Is that the delicious taste of irony? I think it is!

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