Bloody IBM, I want my CDs!!!!

[xtypestereotype]

Why can't IBM gives us the original CDs for the software they install just like Dell or everyone else selling OEM does?

What if I want my Windows on the D drive?
What if I want to install WinDVD 6 without having to uninstall version 5?
What if I dont want to install Norton Antivirus?
What if I dont want a 5GB hidden partition taking up 15% of a rather small 30GB HD?

IBM seems to apply a "one-size-fits-all" philosophy and I find that really annoying...

Take my example... I've noticed that fresh installations of Windows XP start up really fast and then after all the updates one has to do, the start up process gets really sluggish. So now that SP2 is out I have been thinking of actually buying a new copy of Windows XP so I get a fresh Windows installation with all the updates already on it. NOW, if I do that, I lose all the software that originally came with my ThinkPad suchs and the antivirus, WinDVD, RecordNOW etc...

They really think they have it all covered with their daggy MS-DOS type recovery crap that doesnt even let you choose a single customizing option...

SO, Just give me the bloody installation discs [censored]!

Well, it happens that I just bought the recovery discs from IBM on the hope that one of the four discs would be some sort of ThinkPad utility / blunded software installation CD but it happens that the four of them are just an image recovery thing. At least I'll be able to delete the hidden partition from my hard drive.

Anyway, I was looking at the files inside these CDs and I found out that IBM uses a software called FirstWare from a company called Phoenix Technologies. This is a company that sells image recovery products to PC manufactures among a few other products. I find this very funny. IBM being the leading tecnology manufacturer they are, yet they have to purchase a 16-BIT MS-DOS FAT-based image recovery system from some random company. Well I guess its a good addition to their in-house developed "desguised-PKZIP" recovery system, where they rename zip files to .IMZ so no one finds out about it! Yeah nice! Funny that the PKUNZIP program they use on the CD is shareware and it mentions something along the lines of "please register after 30 days". I guess IBM doesn't have the money to license it, so maybe i should send them a keygen from astalavista....

By the way IBM, give us our installation CDs please! And hurry up!

[Nabeel]

Think of it from their perspective...

These machines primarily go in the hundres to large companies who then give them to their employees. Using a 'one size fits all' type of recovery cd makes it much easier for them in terms of support and distributing.

I don't how it's packaged either...oh well.

[kchung]

[quote="Nabeel"]Think of it from their perspective...

These machines primarily go in the hundres to large companies who then give them to their employees. Using a 'one size fits all' type of recovery cd makes it much easier for them in terms of support and distributing.
quote]

I work for one of those "big companies" and we don't even use the software install that IBM includes. We wipe out the factory installed OS and the hidden partition and install the Corporate version of the MS operating system we want to use plus the ibm drivers, software packages, and our custom installs of corporate applications.

I agree that have the CDs would be nice but frankly, I think doing it from scratch using the retail (or OEM) windows cds and installing the drivers myself is the way to go -- You can elect not to install things like IBM Access connections or other software you don't need and true you won't get the CD writer stuff that IBM provides, but Nero works alot better.

-Kevin

[xtypestereotype]

I work for one of those "big companies" and we don't even use the software install that IBM includes. We wipe out the factory installed OS and the hidden partition and install the Corporate version of the MS operating system we want to use plus the ibm drivers, software packages, and our custom installs of corporate applications.

I agree that have the CDs would be nice but frankly, I think doing it from scratch using the retail (or OEM) windows cds and installing the drivers myself is the way to go -- You can elect not to install things like IBM Access connections or other software you don't need and true you won't get the CD writer stuff that IBM provides, but Nero works alot better.

-Kevin

That's what I'm talking about!
Just gives us the OEM CDs for everything and I'll install it the way "I" want it....

By the way, I love Nero but I also like RecordNOW DLA feature...

[n3il]

xtypestereotype:

All the software preinstalled on the machine is located in C:\IBMTOOLS\APPS. This can be easily burned to CD and installed on your own Windows installation or even (shhh!) installed on another machine. The latter is,of course, illegal because the software is shipped by IBM for use only on the machine with which it was purchased.

The Windows supplied with the machine is licensed as a preloaded version only. You have no rights to receive a M$ Windows XP CD - only the version preloaded on the HDD, or a method to recover the machine to this state (if the system partition and/or the hidden partition were to be deleted or become corrupt) - a recovery CD.

[RoadHazard]

Recovery CDs is fair enough for me. I just hope they won't charge $30 for that.

[Greg Gebhardt]

xtypestereotype:

All the software preinstalled on the machine is located in C:\IBMTOOLS\APPS. This can be easily burned to CD and installed on your own Windows installation or even (shhh!) installed on another machine. The latter is,of course, illegal because the software is shipped by IBM for use only on the machine with which it was purchased.

The Windows supplied with the machine is licensed as a preloaded version only. You have no rights to receive a M$ Windows XP CD - only a the version preloaded on the HDD, or a method to recover the machine to this state (if the system partition and/or the hidden partition were to be deleted or become corrupt) - a recovery CD.

It make me wonder if it the very first computer this guy has purchased! You can't make everyone happy.