As a 40+ year vet of the computer industry, and a person highly exposed to computer "bloatware", I should have known this already but it never really hit home until I got my Note 3. From the early days of AOL, to having really no interest in "social media", these phone companies are taking "bloatware" to a new level. At least on computers, you could easily uninstall literally anything, including the OS. To this day, although they are sold with a lot of bloatware pre-installed, you can simply uninstall or disable it if you choose to. THAT is what I refer to as the "good old days".
Fast forward to today with the Note 3 and the apps My Magazine and Flipboard. These poster child bloatware apps are treated like critical apps that the Android OS on the Note 3 just can't seem to do without and are therefore configured so they cannot be turned off or uninstalled by a stock user. Then I looked at the changelog for KitKat on the Note 3 and there is absolutely NOTHING in there that I consider a "necessity" other than OS bug fixes. Everything else to me that is listed (such as the preloaded apps list) adds absolutely no "value" to the Note 3 for me. But yet, Verizon and Samsung have decided that this garbage needs to be included in it's "mandatory upgrade".
Although I have been able to configure My Magazine to not be such an "in the face" pain in the rear, and Flipboard happily living in the background, it still irks me on a daily basis that as the "owner" of this "computer", I cannot do what I want which is to get rid of those two apps along with the likes of Google+, Amazon, NFL, Blurb Checkout, ISIS, Tripadvisor, Hangouts, etc. I have absolutely no use for anything to do with "social media", will never store my credit info on a portable device, and care less about watching sports on my phone. So shouldn't I, as the purchaser of a "premium feature phone" have the option to "opt out" of this garbage? Guess not. I get my news from the internet but don't need an app for that. I keep in contact with my friends, co workers, and others via email and phone calls but I want to do it on MY time, not whenever THEY feel they need to bother me, or have it so readily available that it is easier to check my "tweets" than it is to answer the stinking phone.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand that I am a minority in this "social media" world, but do companies like Samsung really need to make it so that the few of us left in this world that want to be "different", can't "escape"? All I want is a nice, large screen pocket computer, with email, calendar, phone, that can handle my day to day business needs and maybe a few multimedia capabilities for my free time. I didn't even have a cell/smartphone until my job required it a few years back. Heck, I don't even tolerate texting unless someone texts me first! And then I advise them to call me next time because I probably won't respond to a text message the next time. I don't need my daily Facebook fix, or have troubles making it thru my day without knowing what is "trending". The only tweeting I want is from the birds at the feeder outside. I truly miss payphones!
I literally adore my Note 3 as a powerhouse, large screen phablet that meets my every business and daily need, other than this one MAJOR irritant. So going forward, this type of "mandatory app" loading will be a much larger deciding factor on what device I choose or don't choose. I shouldn't have to resort to rooting a phone just to get rid of a couple "non essential" apps. But if that is the way of the industry, then maybe the smartphone world is not for me after all. And after having a smartphone that can do the things I "need" it to do, going back to a flip phone now is only going to stir the resentment in me further so it isn't even a consideration at this point. I might as well go back to my pocket calendar, notepad, mp3 player, and home phone.
So, am I delusional to expect to be able to customize MY device to meet MY needs without having to violate a warranty, TOS, or "turning to the dark side" and learn all there is to know about rooting? It appears Samsung and others are giving me few alternatives at this point.
Sigh...........
Have a great day!
Fast forward to today with the Note 3 and the apps My Magazine and Flipboard. These poster child bloatware apps are treated like critical apps that the Android OS on the Note 3 just can't seem to do without and are therefore configured so they cannot be turned off or uninstalled by a stock user. Then I looked at the changelog for KitKat on the Note 3 and there is absolutely NOTHING in there that I consider a "necessity" other than OS bug fixes. Everything else to me that is listed (such as the preloaded apps list) adds absolutely no "value" to the Note 3 for me. But yet, Verizon and Samsung have decided that this garbage needs to be included in it's "mandatory upgrade".
Although I have been able to configure My Magazine to not be such an "in the face" pain in the rear, and Flipboard happily living in the background, it still irks me on a daily basis that as the "owner" of this "computer", I cannot do what I want which is to get rid of those two apps along with the likes of Google+, Amazon, NFL, Blurb Checkout, ISIS, Tripadvisor, Hangouts, etc. I have absolutely no use for anything to do with "social media", will never store my credit info on a portable device, and care less about watching sports on my phone. So shouldn't I, as the purchaser of a "premium feature phone" have the option to "opt out" of this garbage? Guess not. I get my news from the internet but don't need an app for that. I keep in contact with my friends, co workers, and others via email and phone calls but I want to do it on MY time, not whenever THEY feel they need to bother me, or have it so readily available that it is easier to check my "tweets" than it is to answer the stinking phone.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand that I am a minority in this "social media" world, but do companies like Samsung really need to make it so that the few of us left in this world that want to be "different", can't "escape"? All I want is a nice, large screen pocket computer, with email, calendar, phone, that can handle my day to day business needs and maybe a few multimedia capabilities for my free time. I didn't even have a cell/smartphone until my job required it a few years back. Heck, I don't even tolerate texting unless someone texts me first! And then I advise them to call me next time because I probably won't respond to a text message the next time. I don't need my daily Facebook fix, or have troubles making it thru my day without knowing what is "trending". The only tweeting I want is from the birds at the feeder outside. I truly miss payphones!
I literally adore my Note 3 as a powerhouse, large screen phablet that meets my every business and daily need, other than this one MAJOR irritant. So going forward, this type of "mandatory app" loading will be a much larger deciding factor on what device I choose or don't choose. I shouldn't have to resort to rooting a phone just to get rid of a couple "non essential" apps. But if that is the way of the industry, then maybe the smartphone world is not for me after all. And after having a smartphone that can do the things I "need" it to do, going back to a flip phone now is only going to stir the resentment in me further so it isn't even a consideration at this point. I might as well go back to my pocket calendar, notepad, mp3 player, and home phone.
So, am I delusional to expect to be able to customize MY device to meet MY needs without having to violate a warranty, TOS, or "turning to the dark side" and learn all there is to know about rooting? It appears Samsung and others are giving me few alternatives at this point.
Sigh...........
Have a great day!