Thursday, April 03, 2008

Crappy, Sneaky Apple: Safari "Update"

When is an "update" not an update?

When Apple tries to install its crappy Safari browser under the guise of it just being an update of previously installed software.

First of all, I do not have Safari installed on my Windows machines. And, on my Mac machines, I use it as little as possible. Lately, however, Apple Software Update keeps firing off on my Windows machines with an annoying window:

If you read the fine print, you might realize that this is a new installation, but if you just look at the dialog box's label (Apple Software Update) you would think that it's merely an update. And the truly skeezy thing about this is that when Apple Software Update runs in order to actually update my QuickTime software it defaults to installing Safari.

Really, Apple, are you that desperate for Safari users? So desperate that you have to trick them into installing it?

It reminds me of the underhanded things Real used to do to fool users into installing all manner of crap with their media player. It backfired on Real, resulting in a backlash against them that's lasted to the present day. The same could happen to Apple.