Technology news and Jobs
Fuzzy Logic
Apple ‘forcing’ Safari on XP iTunes users - ‘choice’ or click trickery?
Fuzzy Logic
Apple ‘forcing’ Safari on XP iTunes users - ‘choice’ or click trickery? | Apple ‘forcing’ Safari on XP iTunes users - ‘choice’ or click trickery? |
|
|
|
| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Saturday, 22 March 2008 | |
|
Page 3 of 3 Is it a bad practice? Whether it’s bad, or not, it certainly is sneaky. Apple have, of course, done this before – iTunes and Quicktime are bundled together, although Apple would say this is because Quicktime is used to play videos downloaded through the Apple store. Apple should have done a better job of promoting Safari to get users to voluntarily choose to use the Safari browser, rather than hoping users will see this new icon, wonder what it is, click on it and wonder how it got there. Firefox has worked wonders with word-of-mouth advertising to generate a massive installed user base that is threatening IE7 as never before. Surprising users in this manner isn’t a safe online practice, and one that might even be co-opted by malware writers deciding to call their latest malware program ‘Safari’. They might even create some kind of ‘web installer’ that looks like Apple’s ‘Software Updater’ in an attempt to fool people into downloading Apple’s latest browser. Of course such attempts could easily be used against Firefox or any other software. It is already being used by malware writers trying to get online video viewers to download a ‘codec.exe’ which will let them watch certain online videos, usually naughty ones. Personally, I expect better from Apple than any underhand moves to increase Safari’s user base. The easiest step of all would have been to offer Safari in the ‘Software Updater’ – but without the tick already in the box. Facebook learned the hard way that an automatic opt-in is a bad idea. Apple will have to learn this lesson, too.
Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now
When you subscribe get a 12 months license for LiveProject Valued at $99 USD Comments (12)
![]()
...
written by Mel, March 23, 2008
This article is insane. Microsoft shoves Internet Explorer - which was a horrible browser until version 7 - down the throat of every Windows user and you are complaining about this?
...
written by James Katt, March 23, 2008
APPLE IS RIGHT!
Apple is the most successful company in introducing its technology on Windows PCs. Safari is the most standards compliant browser. Web-kit, the engine of Safari, is open source. It is available to anyone to build their own browser. Getting more people to user Safari would force websites to be more standard compliant, which helps everyone. Apple can be far more trusted than other companies - including Google - because it only installs it's own technology. When you install others, you may get malware, adware, and other badware which fill your PC with crap and slows it down over time. Apple's addition of Safari to PCs is only good.
...
written by Constable Odo, March 23, 2008
You call a ticked box a "trick". I did three installations of iTunes and QT and on each one I unticked the box for Safari. I'd hardly consider that slipping a fast one. And guess what. All those installations were on my MacBook Pro running VMWare Fusion, Parallels and BootCamp. I have Safari 3.1 on my Tiger partition, but didn't even bother to install it once on my Windows XP VMs and BC. I like using IE7 for WinXP. It works fine for me. Safari 3.1 is okay, but it missed a Flash video on a page (didn't even show up). I had to launch Firefox to see the video.
Anyway, I'd hardly consider Apple being "sneaky". I think users need to take some time looking at what they're installing. Even if it did get installed by "accident", it can always be removed. So what's the big deal. I guess you're just saying that the Safari box should have been left "unticked" by default. I'm not sure I ever saw an Apple Software Update with an unticked box by default.
...
written by Mark, March 23, 2008
Nothing should install by default, it should be by opt in only, so yes Apple are being scum bags but that shouldn't surprise anyone, it's typical of all proprietary software vendors.
...
written by David M. Williams, March 23, 2008
People can argue over whether Apple are a 'less evil' company than Microsoft, and whether Safari is or is not a better web browser but I believe the principle of the matter must be considered.
Apple have overstretched the mark here. They have violated a trust that users place in software companies to only update products which have been installed. Frankly, I find it bad enough I can't install iTunes without QuickTime being bundled in. Now I get offered Safari too - when will it end? It is easy enough to say any nine year old can read the products offered and untick a box but, let me be honest here, most users are not as savvy as the readers of iTWire and follow the 'click Next, click Next, click Next' method of installing software and updates. I once started working at a company and was amazed by how popular eBay was there. Or so I thought. Every desktop I went to had an eBay shortcut icon on the desktop. Only later did I discover that the Logitech mouse driver software offered a pre-ticked 'Install eBay desktop shortcut' during its setup. Indeed, I could go on and on. I've seen myriads of computers with the WinZip quick launch icon in the system tray because this is checked by default. I've seen office computers where Microsoft Office 2000 constantly needs the CD inserted because it defaulted most options to 'Install on first use.' I've seen office computers which constantly start the BlackBerry Desktop because it offers 'Launch on startup' as a pre-ticked item during setup (which is unnecessary due to full over-the-air synchronisation.) I really could go on forever and there are, of course, the examples Alex gives himself. Indeed, I've seen no end of Google toolbars and have to wonder how many were installed by deliberate user action or just because the box was ticked. I could be very cynical here and say Apple have noted this similar ordinary user behaviour and saw this use of their Software Updater as a way of mass spreading Safari despite any disatisfaction users may have had with their current web browser and despite any volition or lack thereof to change their browser.
...
written by Mark, March 23, 2008
The click next syndrome that Window's users all seem to suffer is one of the great tragedies of modern computing, thank's Microsoft, you've taught them well.
...
written by Eytan, March 23, 2008
Quicktime is not just used for video in iTunes, it is used for playback and conversion of ALL the media in iTunes. iTunes could not exist under Windows without QuickTime - what is egregious is Apple installing iTunes when you install QuickTime, not the other way around. Fortunately, they now give you an option on the QuickTime download page to just download QuickTime without iTunes.
As per Safari, while I agree it is a little sneaky that Apple does this, I for one hope people read the little info box on everything they install, and Apple provides no option to install anything unattended (unlike say Windows Update which can happen unattended)/ Apple also provides a mechanism to never be reminded of an update again (I wonder if anyone looks under the menus in the updater). Lastly, Safari is an application which, unlike iTunes, does not install any background helpers, does not change your default browser, does not do anything - unless run. And when quit, it returns its resources. My bigger concern is what it means for the future with Apple's policies. In the interim, Safari itself really does no harm. Even if you installed it, you can uninstall it easily without leaving any traces or just choose to never run it. But imagine if Apple used the updater to install other stuff, that tracks your info, or changes your home page or search engine. Once the floodgates are open, you don't know what might happen next....
...
written by Spiffy, March 24, 2008
Tit for tat:
http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx What is that?
...
written by OzOle, March 24, 2008
You think that's bad? Try signing up with PayPal!
You are asked to fill in your personal details and then you are presented with this: ======================================================= ===== Security Measures For more information on the main characteristics of the PayPal service, please read our Service Description (PDF - 134 KB). ...... ................. User Agreement Printable Version (PDF - 300 KB) ....... .................. Privacy Policy .................. .................... THEN THIS: Do you agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, and terms incorporated therein? Yes I hereby Agree and consent to the terms of the User Agreement, its policies and the Privacy Policy. Expressly instruct PayPal to communicate specific information about me and my account to third parties per the Privacy Policy. Specifically and expressly consent to the use of website tracking methods, including cookies, and to the safe and secure transmission of my personal information outside the European Union (including to the USA) in accordance with the Privacy Policy. ======================================================= ===== Now if you bother to try to read what you so specifically agree to then you are going to read MORE THAN 50 PAGES. Remember, you are dealing with your financial matters here. How many new PayPal customers attempt to read 50 or more pages? I call that a con of the worst kind. Tell us what you think! better to paste your comment - this page will refresh every 15 minutes
|
| < Next story in category | Previous story in the category > |
|---|




Tags









Ipod software check
new version Itunes check
whats safari?
I don't know..
let me click that off and continue on my merry way..
now if adobe version of picasa was just as easy to not install i'm sure that wouldn't of been included either.