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Foistware, Bloatware, or Bundler is software bundled with completely unrelated programs. That means that there is no particular property in the software that makes it foistware, but rather the context in which it was installed.
An equivalent marketing scheme exists in the educational book publishing field. A required costly textbook may only be available as a shrink wrap package with unneeded other general reference books or software, creating a mandatory expensive purchase.
Shovelware is sometimes used to denote foistware which was chosen to fill up the remaining space on a freely distributed CD-ROM.
Examples
- New computers shipping with Google Toolbar and Google Desktop already installed.
- New computers from Dell being shipped with My Way Search Assistant already installed.
- An Internet Explorer search toolbar bundled with an MP3 player.
- An anti-virus program bundled with a word processor.
- Viewpoint Media Player is bundled with AOL Instant Messenger and other programs.
- Some software, such as FrostWire and Foxit Reader comes bundled with the Ask Toolbar. In some cases, the only way to accept the license agreement is to accept to install the toolbar.
- Some computer games were bundled with AOL as a way to subsidize cost of distribution, but that practice actually has a purpose unlike other foistware. The famed Doom mod Chex Quest was bundled with AOL when being packaged with Chex cereal boxes.
- The Nero Burning Rom is also known to install many software loosely related to disc burning.
Developers
Developers of shareware or freeware with large distribution sometimes get paid to bundle unrelated software with their software. The foistware in most cases is mentioned in the End User License Agreement.
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