Bloatware

What is bloatware?
Bloatware is software with unnecessary features that requires large amounts of memory and memory. Software is known as bloatware when it becomes so unwieldy that its functionality is drowned out by its useless features. This is also known as software bloat.

Bloatware is also a slang for many programs that are pre-installed on new PCs. Many of these programs are 'lite' or limited trial versions designed to entice new users to buy or subscribe to the full version.

Bloatware usually occurs as a result of feature creep. Since software is traditionally redesigned every year, many developers feel the need to add additional features to entice users to upgrade existing software. Unfortunately, the added features increase the size of the program and the system requirements it needs to run smoothly, eventually forcing the user to upgrade to run the latest software.

Cloud-based subscription models for software as a service are seen as an alternative to bloatware because they reduce the need to resell products in the form of an annual update.

Bloatware was ubiquitous in the 1990s when software companies made agreements with manufacturers to get their products pre-installed on PCs. Sometimes these pre-installed programs were even set to boot on startup and slow down machines. Pop-ups, purchase reminders, conflicting apps, and increasingly hostile responses from consumers have made pre-installation less attractive to providers.

When bloatware practices reached their peak, some consumers even paid retailers to uninstall any unwanted bloatware. Trial versions of some popular programs are still preinstalled, but consumers can generally sign up before making a purchase.