Last week, controversy erupted over Superfish, a piece of software Lenovo bundled on new PCs.
The software, which basically superimposed ads on web sites, used a fake security certificate, a technique that could have been imitated by hackers to steal personal information. It was a security nightmare, and Lenovo offered tools to remove it, apologized, and admitted that Superfish “frustrated some users without adding value to the experience.”
The thing is, a lot of Windows PC makers offer just about any software they’re paid to bundle. They do this as a way to make money in the face of brutal price competition in a commoditized market. It’s a real problem, and one big advantage Apple has with the Mac.
Now, Lenovo has said “enough.”
In a statement today, the company vowed that by the time Windows 10 comes out (expected late this year), its PCs will only have the operating system, software used to make included hardware work well (like software for a bundled web cam), Lenovo apps, and security software.
Most interesting, Lenovo used the words “adware” and “bloatware” to describe the kinds of software apps it used to bundle. Specifically:
This should eliminate what our industry calls “adware” and “bloatware.”
That’s only going to be true if other PC makers follow suit, but Lenovo has seemingly learned from its mistake.
This article originally appeared in Business Insider. Copyright 2015.
