>The most recent example: I am looking for a new laptop, my old HP is dying a slow death, presently in a coma, the video chip needs a "reflow" (i.e. heating up until the soldering points melt and hopefully catch again). I was looking at a Toshiba, and then discovered they are advertising it with two new important features: simplified login and extended MRU list. The first one is explained as the camera doing a face recognition, CSI style, and the other as tracking every file I opened in the last three months. Huh? The camera is turned on without my permission? There's a logger that tracks whatever I'm doing? I don't want a machine which will spy on me, I want a simple damn laptop. Toshiba is blacklisted now, for getting the idea in the first place and then even doing it.

All consumer laptops come with crapware, no matter what you buy you'll have to uninstall it, then check all your MSConfig startup items, services etc.

If that isn't worth your time then get a retail copy of Win7, wipe your new laptop and reinstall from scratch. Or, if you don't trust what it comes with.

Electrical tape, with or without a folding flap works great on laptop cameras. Some makers are starting to install lens covers e.g. http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5988&review=asus+n53jf

Blacklisting a manufacturer based on crapware installed on a particular model is dumb.