Comments on: Apple pushes Safari on Windows via iTunes updater

Company makes a more aggressive move to gain browser market share by offering Windows users the option of downloading Safari 3.1 in its Apple Software Update.

[Seaspray0]

Nothing more than Malware

Malware is software that installs a bunch of other crud you didn't ask for. The download is for quicktime, yet you are now being pushed itunes AND now safari.

MALWARE!

[jelloburn]

Malware?

Malware is installed without your permission or is forced upon
you if you want to install the main software component. You
have the choice to install Safari if you want to. There is nothing
keeping you from unchecking the box next to it and continuing
with your daily activities without Safari on your machine.

Additionally, Quicktime is included with iTunes because iTunes
uses Quicktime components for video and audio playback.
Therefore, it plays an important role in the software that is being
installed, not just piggybacking.

[billsoxs]

Wow - all this complaining

You all sound like a bunch of whiny old men. Pants on too tight?

I have THREE browsers on my laptop. Safari @64 MB, Firefox
@48 MB and IE @ ?? MB. Each has its place and each allows me to
read poorly designed webpages in different ways. (I also have 3
IM programs...)

I also have about 100 GB of free space. So what is a 100 MB of
space? It means almost nothing.

Get a life people!

[lantzn]

Adium

Check out Adium for all your IM.

http://www.adiumx.com/

[wagnerd]

Just say no

All you have to do is say no. It's not like it attempted to secretly install itself.

[jmartin724]

If you don't want Safari, unclick the check box!

For people that are complaining, do you usually just let things install automatically?!?! That is not safe computer use. It is very easy to unclick a checkbox in an installer that is going to install software I don't want. Your computer only does what YOU want it to!

[Lee in San Diego]

They would need a wizard to do that

n/t

[lantzn]

Safari is the most web standards compliant.

You will also find that Safari has been the leader in web
standards compliancy since it's release. Apple has worked hard
to make sure this browser renders pages the way they are
suppose to look. The only trouble I've come across are pages
that have been built to only run with IE. With Firefox and Safari
marketshare increasing monthly this is bound to change. The
Acid3 Test is newly released and Safari once again is the leader.

Check out how your different browsers render this web
standards test. IE is the worst.

http://www.webstandards.org/files/acid2/test.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid2

[kjdinoc]

Not an Apple Fan

That said I gotta hand it to them. They have the nicest looking
easiest to use U/I out there. If they can push this on all the
Sheeple using ITunes all the more power to them. It's a great
way for them to grab a huge chunk of market share with most
people having no clue what they are even downloading.

I've got it, I sorta like it. The stuff they put out just looks nice.
What I love about my HP 64 Bit Vista Notebook is that it just
looks beautiful, and it also performs flawlessly. Now I have a
sharp looking new browser that seems to work just as well!!

[AppleSuxLeo]

Trust Apple ?? No thanks.

Despite Apple?s recent spate of Airport updates, complaints on discussion boards keep climbing over long-standing problems with MacBooks and MacBook Pros holding their WiFi connection. While the WiFi technology chain is complex and problems can be transient, Apple is taking a quality-assurance beating on this issue.

[technewsjunkie]

Give it up Leo

That pales in comparison to the problems with Windows.

Apple has the highest quality ratings in the PC industry.
See cnet's recent story on this.

They are experts, you, are an Apple bigot.

[roark1]

big whoop!!!

what kind of story is this anyway... its not like Apple is offering
some free virus or something... what browser do you think is
running on the iPod touch or the iPhone? Oh geez, the nerve of
Apple to offer its FREE browser over its iTunes network. I use
Safari, have been using Safari for the past 3 years now... not a
glitch or a hiccup, occasionally, once in a blue moon I get a site
that isn't compatible in Safari for what ever reason, so I break
out Firefox.

C/Net always throws up these stupid stories how Apple is now
the evil empire because it gets it products right when they conceive them. People buy them because they actually work, and
work well. The Updater actually works like its supposed to.

You know, I guess instead of using the word "Pushes" Safari on
WIndows, why not state:

Apple "Offers" Safari on Windows....

and actually report on the story correctly. If they "Pushed" Safari
they wouldn't have given you the option to receive this FREE
BROWSER or not. Then again, you wouldn't stir up the stupid
controversy of Mac V.S. Microsoft. Some people like to have
issues in their computing world... so they buy PCs. Some people
just like to accomplish things without having to fix their
computers... so they buy Apple products. You don't help these
people by pointing out how dumb their decisions are. Just stop
hating already.

[jshale]

Irritating at the Workplace

I work at a government agency that doesn't allow personal installation of programs on my PC, except for standard web add-ons like Flash or QuickTime. With a QuickTime intallation, however, I am now stuck with this regularly annoying update for both a music player and browser I can't and don't want.

[sismoc]

Apple will NEVER get a penny from me

I have never bought anything from Apple. Not a computer, not an iPod, not an iPhone, not anything. This deceitful attempt to install another piece of wormy Apple crapware is just one more reason to hate Apple.

[Kelson]

Funny, I thought it was the other way around.

See, all this time I thought Apple was trying to push iTunes on Windows via its Safari updater.

At work I have Safari and Quicktime for development purposes. I don't have iTunes. But every single time Apple releases a new version of iTunes, it tells me new software is available and wants me to download iTunes. So I have to tell it to ignore the item, and it stays quiet, and only tells me about the updates to software that's actually on my machine, until the next time a new version of iTunes comes out, and the cycle starts over again.

[maxdabrit]

Apple = Microsoft . Both are equally scummy.

There is a large number of people who will install Safari because it is presented as part of ITunes. It's sneaky and distasteful. I'm no fan of Microsoft either but Apple has worn out it's welcome mat. Quicktime always installs itself in the system tray and wants to control all Audio/Video files Enough of this crap !

[Brian]

Yes, Apple = Microsoft

Apple fooled allot of people (including myself) into switching from
Windows.

I own a Mac and an iPod Touch.

I love my Apple products, but Apple has become the monopoly that
they accused Microsoft of being.

[The_Decider]

Safari on Windows is crap

Why bother?

[The_Decider]

The MS shills are out in force today

IE is a part of the OS. It was a purely marketing decision and a fantastically crappy technical one.

IE can not easily be removed and you risk massive stability because of MS horrible decision. This decision is one reason why Windows and IE are both huge security holes.

Safari is simply an application. The OS does not depend on it. Therefore, it can be removed.


There is more than a subtle difference that the shills are desperately trying to avoid..

[Seaspray0]

Everyone is out in force today

It's malware. Perhaps the next time you get an update to your acrobat viewer, you'd like to have microsoft media player dumped onto you mac? What apple is doing is pure malware. Steve Jobs is not the nice guy you think he is.

[old_dog1]

WHAT is the problem?

I thought that the choice tick allows the user to chose? Unless the user is a complete moron he can chose NOT to download. So what has that to do with Microsoft policies?

I just chose to install something called "Version Tracker" from Microsoft. It removed ALL the icons from the files that it thinks need an update. For example the update for MS Office 2003, is MS Office 2007, which must be purchased. Anyway, now all my .doc, .xls, .ptt, etc have no icons. I have not been able to fix this using various tweak tools.

So MS fans and various supporters where is my CHOICE?

[gp2792]

Hmm

I don't want to call BS on you here, but what is Version Tracker? I
have never heard of it and I couldn't find any reference to it on
Microsoft's site. There is a website, but it isn't an ms website. 3rd
party crap isn't ms' fault.

[jeeba83]

wow the acid test are truly amazing

i tried all three on all three major browsers and IE performs fine on
acid1, badly on acid2, and becomes down right embarrasing on
acid3. completely amazed....i've always know IE sucks.

[jeeba83]

oh yeah.

and on acid3 safari didnt pass, however it did score better than
firefox as well. firefox didnt perform to well on acid2 either. of
course, like i already said, IE bombed the latter 2 tests. haha.

[sargear]

actually, it's not bad.

Hey, actually this Safari 3.1 isn't too bad, may become my number 2 choice after FF3.
It certainly has a better UI than those recent IE7 and Office 2007 disasters.
Is there an ad-block plug-in for it?

[Dr Bidoof]

Safari, passes acid 3 test

It might have been better to post the Acid3 test results rather than the acid2, because most engines fail it, and webkit (render engine for safari) gets a 93.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid3

[baldguy61]

iTunes Update

This is clearly unethical on the part of Apple. Why not just call it "Spytunes Update" if you are using it to push software the customer may not want, when all they signed up for was the music download updates, NOT a new web browser? I've removed iTunes and the updater from all the machines I use. There are better, less intrusive options.

[Lawrence Lee]

Apple... Never have never will...

For all the criticisms of Microsoft Apple is a much worse abuser of its iPod dominance, more intellectually dishonest, almost slanderous in its PC ads.

If I were Microsoft I stop supporting Apple with Office, the way Apple vindictively refused to license their typeset technology to Microsoft. At Apple headquarters for their own financials do you think they use "Sheets"? Not hardly, Excel

Apple regularly removes complaints from it support website, and attacks detractors. I can't stomach their politics.

I also don't use Apple's products. I find even Quicktime poorly implemented on the PC. They used to make that impossible to do in the past.Haven't installed I for years.

Recently my wife's laptop was running poorly. I solved this by removing Apple's Quicktime plugins. I halfhearted believe that the slowdown Quicktime causes is intentional.

While my friends refer to the monopoly of M$ they've taken to describing Apple as the "FDA" (fascist dictatorship of Apple). It ring true.

I value choice, not hype, not steering or control, which seem to be Job's vision of himself and his company.

So like others have stated not a dime from me...

[AppleSuxLeo]

Not a dime from me either..

I go out of my way to promote Amazon MP3 and other non-Apple products/services. I educate people how Apple produces products that have the built-in forced upgrade. FlashBlock on FF is the best way to keep Apple`s FUD/Lies off my computer. Isn`t it funny how so many popular services don`t support MAC , and the games I run don`t work on a MAC ? Yes , Apple shot itself in the foot way back in the eighties. MSFT is the standard. Heck...they even copied up and MAC runs on ...you guessed it...A PC. What happened to Power PC MR. RDF ???