Best Buy is apparently dropping some of its “optimization” services, and will instead provide the “Best Buy Software Installer,” a new tool that the company says will “radically simplify how you set up and customize your new PC or upgrade an existing one.” Translation: Instead of you paying Best Buy to delete trialware from your new PC, Best Buy will get paid by software makers to try to get you to install it.

A page on the Best Buy web site states that the new installation tool will be available January 17th, and “gives you choices and options to configure your computer, and saves you time by making it easy to discover new software, then download and install with a single click.”

According to an alleged internal Best Buy document obtained by a technology blog, Best Buy stands to make an extra $5 per PC just by including BBSI.

The document also states that, because these computers will have less trialware installed by manufacturers, and Windows 7 actually works, selling optimization is suddenly much harder. “Corporate teams are working on a replacement for this service,” the document says.

For now, according to the alleged internal document, the company is “repositioning the optimization service rather than replacing it at this point.”

Thanks, Best Buy! Just when we thought we’d seen it all, you’ve given us something new to investigate. We just can’t wait for January 17th!

Best Buy Software Installer [BestBuy.com]
Leaked Memo: Geek Squad Killing Scammy “Optimization” Services – Geek Squad [Gizmodo]

Previously: Best Buy Optimization Is A Big Stupid Annoying Waste Of Money

Thanks, GitEmSteveDave!

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