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Lenovo’s PC ‘Start menu’ may just be another form of bloatware

Published Aug 23rd, 2013 10:05PM EDT
Lenovo Windows 8 Start Menu Criticism

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If something sounds too good to be true, then that probably means it’s bloatware. Ars Technica reports that Lenovo’s new Start menu replacement for Windows 8 PCs probably won’t deliver the traditional Start menu experience that many PC users have been looking for. Essentially, the third-party Start menu from SweetLabs that Lenovo is pre-loading onto its new PCs has an annoying habit of constantly prompting you to buy new apps that you probably don’t want.

As Ars notes, SweetLabs admits as much in its press release and says that “apps are dynamically recommended in the Pokki Start menu, app store, and game arcade to users by SweetLabs’ real-time app recommendation system.” So before you plunk money down to get a Lenovo PC with the hopes that it will return your long-lost Start menu, you should know what you’re getting yourself into.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.