Meaning of crapware | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Software that is useless or of poor quality.
   informal, uncountable
2. Unwanted software that comes pre-installed with personal computers or mobile devices.
   informal, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Can it download⟳ and execute dangerous code, including viruses and really buggy crapware? No problem.”

“MS [Microsoft] “crapware,” as some call⟳ it, is widely disparaged as inelegant and buggy.”

“Malware distributors will often use⟳ them to try⟳ to con you into downloading their crapware.”

“We suspect⟳ that its extra pound of heft is made up entirely of crapware—the Vaio ships with a ludicrous number⟳ of useless preinstalled applications. We understand⟳ the economic necessities of subsidizing inexpensive PCs with third-party crapware, but there's no excuse⟳ for whoring out a notebook of this price.”

“Big-name system vendors typically install⟳ software on their consumer PCs at the factory. These "extras" go by many names: bundleware, begware, bloatware, and my favorite, crapware. That's because a lot of it is just that: useless crap. […] A few vendors, like⟳ Sony and Dell, offer⟳ some options to avoid⟳ crapware, but usually just for small businesses. Boutique manufacturers, like⟳ Velocity Micro, do a better job of providing a clean⟳ system.”

“All crapware programs can be useful—but each program⟳ is likely to be useful to only a few of the people the PC manufacturer inflicts it on. The PC manufacturers claim⟳ they install⟳ crapware to provide⟳ useful software, but the real reason⟳ is that the software companies pay⟳ them to include⟳ it.”

“I hate⟳ it when the computer I want⟳ comes loaded with all that nice, “free” crapware. I'd seriously consider⟳ paying more to get⟳ a clean⟳ computer. You don't need⟳ an antivirus and Internet security program⟳ preinstalled on your new PC. lt'll just open⟳ and beg⟳ for money next month. Windows 8 comes with Windows Defender, and it works great — for free. Browser toolbars? Puh-lease.”

CEFR level