crap-ware laden big box...
I think we're going to reveal an interesting dichotomy here between the white-boxers and the big-boxers, and I think it is going to fall along very familiar lines in general. Nothing absolute, but I predict a general trend that should reveal itself in this discussion.
You confuse your platforms here. Enterprise class rack mount server equipment from all major vendors is absolutely devoid of "bundled crapware".
Desktop machines purchased for business through big-box vendors via commercial accounts are also generally free of bundled crap-ware too.
I think the fact that you focus on consumer purchased desktop boxes illustrates something about where your focus and experience lies. I think that supports the thesis of Erik's article.
The smallest company I've ever worked for ordered desktop PCs dozens at a time, through corporate accounts, and they came with very vanilla OS installs.
Now, when I helped my father-in-law buy a Gateway PC from their consumer services years ago, it arrived buried and burdened with a mountain of bloatware.
But that doesn't seem to be where this conversation is focused.
The brand name manufacturers don't have a magical ability - they have an economy of scale.
I'll wager that it is possible to custom build a machine to be better than a crap-ware laden brand name device. It may require more expertise than the average white-boxer has, though.
This is an interesting observation. To my mind, this is an argument we've had before.
"Is it possible to build Linux boxes better, more secure, more reliable, faster, for a Linux admin with superior expertise?"
But for MOST business, is it more economical, efficient, productive, and sensible to build Win platforms that require less expertise.
I think we see the same principle at play in both examples, and it really is an economy of scale. Good enough results with less effort compared to EXCELLENT results that require impractical efforts to achieve.
When you find a hungry consultant that is willing to work extra hard and devote very high level expertise to deploy a very reliable and robust Linux solution on a DIY white box for relatively little compensation... then this approach might work.
But for most businesses you're going to find employees who want livable salaries and have other interests than spending all their time learning how to make an archane, difficult platform run flawlessly on a budget server. Big Box servers and quality commercial OS platforms are going to dominate in this world.
