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I understand the purpose of preinstalling the apps, but why make them so hard to remove? Do they think an informed user is going to spend all this time trying to remove crapware he obviously doesn't want to use and finally give up and say "Ah well, you win verizon. $25 worth of hip-hop ringtones please."

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Do they think an informed user is going to spend all this time trying to remove crapware he obviously doesn't want to use and finally give up and say "Ah well, you win verizon. $25 worth of hip-hop ringtones please."

No I doubt an informed user would say that. But a non-technical user might. And they get money for that.

The reason they are usually hard to remove is because they are burnt to the ROM.

This, and the carriers want to have a relationship with you.

With all the creepiness, and clinginess, that implies. In their warped, MBA, boardroom bullshit philosophy, uninstallable apps are essential to that goal.

The apps are uninstallable because the carriers are getting paid for those apps to be there. If they let you uninstall they don't maximize their income.

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