A friend wants to buy a new computer and asked me about advice (and even to go to buy the computer as he has difficulty walking and climbing stairs). Finding the hardware is easy, current hardware is amazing at cheap prices.

 

But the problem is software. Both my computer and mobile phone (both bought in Thailand) are full of bloatware that came with the the device (for the computer several translation programs, video players, antivirus, picture viewers, games; for the mobile phone apps that I don't need but can't delete, and that update every few weeks).

 

Where can I take a computer in Bangkok to decrapify (my friend needs only the basics: operating system, browser for writing emails, internet, youtube, maybe MS word/office), or even better buy at a place with someone knowledgeable in software to install only what is needed?

Have you considered doing it yourself for free using https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ ? or similar.

 

Last thing I would want to do is hand over my PC some some local stranger to do it.

A friend wants to buy a new computer and asked me about advice (and even to go to buy the computer as he has difficulty walking and climbing stairs). Finding the hardware is easy, current hardware is amazing at cheap prices.  

But the problem is software. Both my computer and mobile phone (both bought in Thailand) are full of bloatware that came with the the device (for the computer several translation programs, video players, antivirus, picture viewers, games; for the mobile phone apps that I don't need but can't delete, and that update every few weeks).

 

Where can I take a computer in Bangkok to decrapify (my friend needs only the basics: operating system, browser for writing emails, internet, youtube, maybe MS word/office), or even better buy at a place with someone knowledgeable in software to install only what is needed?

 

avoid MS if you like good free stuff!

 

Install Linux Mint - no crap for me since 2007. Everything runs very smoothly now, much better than in 2007, with an added bonus, I can use my phone to dictate and send text to the computer if I am lazy to type.

 

I'm speaking of a newly bought computer, that has no personal data, and I should have been more clear: install only programs that are needed, so decrapify isn't necessary.

Linux Mint

No need to install much.

It already comes with software to edit your photos, to import your photos from the camera, office software...

 

 

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1 minute ago, ChristianPFC said:

I'm speaking of a newly bought computer, that has no personal data, and I should have been more clear: install only programs that are needed, so decrapify isn't necessary.

The only certain way you will do this is by buying legit operating system, office suite and whatever other software that is needed and install yourself.

 

My experiences of buying computers here is that unless you tell the shop you buy from, they will run an image of what they think the average customer needs, same image on every computer leaving the premises. This is where the crap comes from. Images often have additional Thai language packs & GUI's installed.

 

I have found that many of these shops do this as a favour to customers, and this leads to misguided ideas that the operating system and software packages are free, which they are not. Usually images from pirated/cracked/illegally activated software.

 

But you also get the OEM operating systems which also can come with bundled software, but in this case apart from the operating system all the major software will be on a trial basis. Very much IMO, I would usually reformat straight away if there was too much crap bundled.

Linux Mint
No need to install much.
It already comes with software to edit your photos, to import your photos from the camera, office software...
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect
 
 

Ok so I was interested enought to take a quick look with a view to considering installing Linux Mint, but...according to Wikipedia - Linux Mint website was breached on 20 February 2016 and hackers briefly replaced download links with a modified version that contained malware.....

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The risk from that single event was tinier than the 1000 per day threats to MS users... as with Mac malware, the risk is one in fifty billion and makes huge news because it is news. With MS it's daily floss. People even install security software and then tell it to stop bothering them so they can get work done.

 

Actually the advice is to only install from trusted sources - something that doesn't make sense to Windows users. Use repositories and download official packages. You're not installing often.

 

The risk you seem to worry about? "f you downloaded SPECIFICALLY the 64 bit edition of Cinnamon 17.3 on EXACTLY the 20th February then you need to run a check on the ISO image you installed from (details given further down)"

 

Well stop worrying - it only ever happened once, and then for just an hour or so before it was stopped.

The Mint problem was solved a while back, and it passed quickly.  Give Mint Cinnamon a shot, you can run it from a USB drive to check it out before installing.