I think the featured apps section in OS 6.8.0 is like bloatware, especially in a professional product, please give an option to remove it, rather than merely hide it. At the least move it to the Apps section.
Model: RN524X|ReadyNAS 524X Premium performance Business Data Storage
I'm sure Netgear is being compensated (or should I say bribed?) to put it there. I agree with you that such obvious advertisement does not belong on a paid-for product. But, it's the direction in which the industry is moving. Just look at all the crap on your cell phone.
I try and keep my Nas as clean as possible. The Netgear Frontview is excellent but I hate all the junk that is creeping in so I remove it. They are listed in a file in /apps.
@Iridahonda wrote: I try and keep my Nas as clean as possible. The Netgear Frontview is excellent but I hate all the junk that is creeping in so I remove it. They are listed in a file in /apps.
Probably best not to delete stuff in /apps as it is also mounted on the OS partition, and scripts in it are run at startup. This could interfere with normal startup.
On the main point, I think the middle ground is to have featured apps default to non-expanded on the home page. Then you can open it if you want to see them, and won't be bothered if you don't.
I have no inside scoop on this, but the apps on ReadyNAS aren't what they should be, and I suspect this might be part of a bigger plan to fix that.
There were some other internal designs that were not as clean as this implementation, but it sounds like there is still some room for improvement.
Additional note:
The removal of the `/apps/.featuredapps` will remove the list of Available Featured Apps from the Overview page. That Featured Apps list may get updated whenever the ReadyNAS reaches out for the newer list of Available Apps. Based on the behavior, you may get the list updated periodicly and it will show up again in the UI.
Featured Apps are like SPAM to me. I paid for my Readynas UNIT. (You know.... ..dear Netgear.... ..you dit not give me my units as a free gift...)
So please... REMOVE SPAM like feature from 1st page where i want to find relevant information about my unit.
I dont need to see SPAM crap like this. My customers say same to me. we don't want to see SPAM/CRAP on units for which we have paid. We want to use OUR units.
If this is new policy of Netgear for releasing new FW then we don't need new FW or replacing our NASes for another manufacturer. ...and IS VERY bad idea to argue with customers about this. I remain silent.... ..what other choice i have?
the new 6.8.1 beta 1 still come with featured apps.
that apps showing on front page ui is driving me nuts. i then downgrade 6.8.0 to 6.7.5 but the alert asking for upgrade to 6.8.0 pop up everytime the nas is turned on.
I have to agree with most here. The featured apps needs to go or be defaulted to hidden.
That being said the apps section I have found is vastly outdated apps and at best most of them do not run when installed. At least for me...
I mainly use the PLEX Server however I download the NAS version directly from the PLEX site.
I can understand why the apps are there and even the featured apps but I always am a firm believer that we should have custom intervention on this.
It is not uncommon though, take laptops, phones etc and you'll find they all come with "Bloatware" of some form. This is mainly because manufacturers often cut a loss on the hardware but make up some ground by putting in "paid for advertising" though the ReadyNAS is mainly aimed at the business market so in this case it should not be there.
Of course the irony is that when troubleshooting one of the first things to check is to ensure you *don't* have any of the apps running! Specially when the NAS is acting slow, etc. Personally, I would never install any app, it's a NAS not a general purpose server. So add my vote to remove the bloatware / spam.
@booboo59- I realize while it may sound cool to use unconventional tech terms like "bloatware" it's far from bloatware if the stuff isn't "actually" installed and as such, isn't slowing down your machine. It's an icon on a the webpage (admin main page), it's also removable as mentioned above from removing a simple file - but it's far from bloatware and bloatware is not the same as spam. Delete the file or install the app as mentioned above which will delete it for you and stop complaining. You may choose to use yours only as a NAS but the apps make it also usable like a general purpose server too - I use mine for whatever I want including but not limited to, Network Attached Storage. It's a fairly powerful Debian box that servers whatever purpose I want a Debian box to serve - like an SVN repository, a Jenkins host to build my code, a Tomcat server to serve up my web applications and basic file storage. Do as you see fit, but stop wrongfully complaining about it being bloatware - it is not. The application isn't even installed. And if you clicked it, you'd see that it would send you to the apps installer for that application - so no, not really... there is no irony here too.
