I’ve recently re-discovered the awesome site Ninite. For the uninitiated, Ninite offers an easy way to install dozens of applications, utilities and plug-ins. They also have a paid segment that allows for keeping all these things up to date.

As PC sales continue to tank slump decline, one assumes manufacturers are looking for ways to differentiate. Aside from the Microsoft Signature Series, I’m not aware of a program that allows you to customize the out-of-box experience. Motorola and Amazon use their respective companies’ accounts to provide a personalized experience out of the box, but they don’t allow for customized app payloads.

If a PC maker was to partner with Ninite or offer a copy-cat service, it would be a unique experience for the customer. Having all your apps pre-installed, minus the bloat and unnecessary crap, out of the box with your new PC would be a great experience. Including restore media customized to your machine would complete the package. This would be even better for volume buyers from schools and businesses, saving countless hours of deployment.