In a move that’s sure to have a very positive impact on the end-user experience of PCs and Microsoft Windows, Microsoft is now selling “Signature PCs” at their Microsoft stores, which are regular OEM PCs without the crapware that they stuff on them. As Microsoft plays a big role in the configuration of Windows and software on the Microsoft Signature PCs, the Signature PCs are free of crapware/bloatware, incompatible drivers, and other issues here and there caused by OEMs that can result in a bogged down and buggy system.

In a previous editorial and in various forum threads on the internet, I’ve made my stance on this matter clear—the fact that OEMs aren’t regulated results in PCs stuffed with bloatware, and in some cases incompatible drivers (I’ve seen it with my own eyes). This is why PCs in some cases have a bad reputation, and Apple PCs “just work”. They’re able to control every aspect of the PC: the retail shopping experience/future customer support, the OS, and the hardware, so they’re able to ensure that everything works well with each other and that there’s no conflicts.

Microsoft on the other hand makes great operating systems, but the OEMs, by stuffing their systems with bloatware, ruin the end-user’s overall experience. This is why, if you’re looking to purchase an OEM PC, you should buy a Microsoft Signature system from the Microsoft Store. If you don’t live around the one in Scottsdale, Arizona, then you can purchase yours from the Microsoft Store online.

The Windows installations on Microsoft Signature aren’t merely pure and untouched installations of 7 though. Each installation of Windows comes with Microsoft software, such as the Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows Live Essentials suite, Bing 3D, Zune 4.0, and Silverlight; all basic, completely free (unlike most bloatware) programs that improve productivity and provide your machine with the basics.

It’s pretty evident that Microsoft is starting to play a bigger role in the overall end-user experience when it comes to their products, which is a big plus in my book.

Source: TechFlash