Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Freeware, iTunes, Software Update, Bad Apple, Apple
Is Apple pushing Safari 3.1 on Windows users?
Cybernet reminds us that this wasn't quite unexpected -- Steve did say that Apple had made inroads on Windows with iTunes, and that they planned to use those inroads to send Safari around. The only problem is that, while yes, the button and the text do say "Install," the program is usually used for "updating" software, and so getting new software with the deal wasn't something a lot of users expected. And users who don't do anything but the default (I can guarantee you that, since I bought my mother an iPod for Christmas, my parents now have Safari 3.1 installed on their PC, despite the fact that they still aren't quite sure how that Firefox I installed for them works), are basically getting software they didn't plan to have.
Sneaky unwanted software scheme, or just a not-so-subtle hint to Windows users that they could be using a better browser? You decide. I just know that I'm going to be paying a little closer attention to exactly what my Software "Update" is updating (or "installing") from now on.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Cameron Talley said 10:18AM on 3-21-2008
I don't see how this is a problem. You don't want it? Uncheck the box. It's not Apple's problem if users are too stupid to do that.
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Dan Woods said 9:11PM on 3-23-2008
…because Mac users *always* read every word and contemplate every checkbox before clicking "Install".
Dar the monk said 10:17AM on 3-21-2008
I'm kinda ashamed of that sneak in.
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alpayerturkmen said 10:28AM on 3-21-2008
Big deal, you are using Windows, which is already full of unwanted software, not counting virii and adware. Even Windows itself is unwanted software :P
BrianC said 10:36AM on 3-21-2008
@alpayerturkmen
"Virii?"
Please, this is not 1996 script-kiddie land--the plural of virus is "viruses."
That said--I'll call this "taking Microsoft on their own terms." If MS can bundle their browser with their OS, Apple can bundle Safari with iTunes.
You may not like it, but they're only using the same strategy MS used to make IE so ubiquitous in the first place.
Joe said 11:26AM on 3-21-2008
It may be the same game Microsoft played, but I'd like to think Apple is better than that. Windows users tend to dislike Quicktime (I admit that before I switched I didn't like it either), and iTunes is only where it is on Windows because it is needed for iPods (and then users saw it manages libraries much better than WMP). Safari doesn't have that same companion hardware situation.
Derek said 1:13PM on 3-21-2008
What did you think they were gonna do? Make the iTunes music website work with an IE7 interface? iTunes relies on Safari for it's webkit. Instead of writing a controller for a custom webkit installation, they can make it work with Safari's webkit view, and voila it's easy. They probably bundled the two so that they didn't have to reroute all the code just for Windows. This can save them time to keep innovating.
Russell said 6:24PM on 3-21-2008
@Derek:
You would have a point, except that if you choose not to install Safari iTunes continues to work perfectly.
Anyway, you had better believe that iTunes for Windows has next to no code in common with iTunes for Mac. As evidenced by the drastic difference in stability.
sahlie said 10:19AM on 4-20-2008
so much for that... appreciate every comments and "quote" how about this... My iPhone turns out to no music coming out on the speaker of my iPhone... but when i check the sounds for the it's ok and even i use headsets... i think it's just only i mis-on-the settings... anybody there who can help me?
craig.plummer said 10:21AM on 3-21-2008
This is nothing new. Apple software update installed under Windows when I installed the boot camp drivers. I don't have iTunes on my Windows partition but it offers me it every time I run software update.
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Joe said 10:25AM on 3-21-2008
Considering that 3.1 crashes on startup in windows, I'm not sure why they're doing this. The apple support forum on Safari is full of threads saying 3.1 won't open in Windows.
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Cameron Talley said 10:37AM on 3-21-2008
Joe: No problems here on my Windows machine at work, so it's not everybody. I downloaded it the morning it was announced, too.
Joe said 10:42AM on 3-21-2008
I also downloaded it the morning it was released, and it hasn't worked on my windows box since I upgraded.
K said 11:10AM on 3-21-2008
Haha, just installed 3.1 in Boot Camp, and in VMWare Fusion, and nothing crashed. Worked right away, and was VERY quick!
Fred said 10:31AM on 3-21-2008
It's called the Apple SOFTWARE Updater. It looks for any Apple SOFTWARE. It's not sneaky it's just what the app does. It would have been more sneaky if you were installing an app and there was, oh... I dunno a little tiny check box that was already checked to install Google Toolbar. Now, THAT would be a pretty sneaky thing to do. No, I think Apple is pretty transparent at least it shows up in a more obvious way instead of really trying to get in under the radar like Google.
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ceejayoz said 10:40AM on 3-21-2008
"It's called the Apple SOFTWARE Updater."
Capitalise that as Apple Software UPDATER and your comment looks pretty silly, no?
Fred said 12:34PM on 3-21-2008
Only when you are intentionally evading the point of what I'm saying.
eugene said 1:26PM on 3-21-2008
Why is Apple trying to update software I DON'T have installed on my system? This is the sort of crap I expect from Real Audio, not from Apple.
NutMac said 4:02PM on 3-21-2008
Fred, how is ceejayoz evading your point? It's not called Apple Software Installer. It's called Apple Software Updater. Apple does not push entirely new software on Mac OS X via Software Update. It should do the same on Windows.
Fred said 4:15PM on 3-21-2008
Because it's an argument of semantics. I'm sorry if that upsets you, but my point is that Apple is hardly cramming it down anybody's throat. They could call it the Apple Software Thingamabob for all I care. I am irritated at the intonation that Apple is doing something underhanded by placing the option of downloading Safari in their app. And as I stated there are other apps that are actually trying to sneak onto your system that nobody says a word about. Why should there be a pre-checked box to install Google Toolbar/Desktop when I go to install a game, or a driver on my system? Nobody is calling out good ol' "Don't be evil" Google are they?