Apple Tries Their Own Version of Bloatware
I was surprised the other day when I started updating iTunes on my Vista laptop and saw a dialog telling me new version of Safari is available. I immediately thought this was some kind of social engineering/malware attack because I don't have (and don't want) Safari. Updates don't install new software, or at least they didn't until Apple turned their update service into an unwanted, unsolicited software pusher. This wasn't an attack at all, it was Apple changing the rules of patch management for the worse by installing, not just updating, software through updates.
John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla, had this reaction:
What Apple is doing now with their Apple Software Update on Windows is wrong. It undermines the trust relationship great companies have with their customers, and that's bad -- not just for Apple, but for the security of the whole Web. What they did yesterday was to use their updater for iTunes to also install their Safari Web browser.
I get it that software vendors want to get their products on as many devices as possible. When we buy new computers they are often loaded with trial versions of products that we probably don't want and have to spend our time removing the bloatware. I also get that bloatware subsidizes the cost of PCs so at least I get something out of this deal. Apple's tactics though are a one way street for the benefits traveling to Cupertino and not to users.
Apple's gain in browser market share would be a short term and short sighted gain if they loss the trust of users. I know they've lost mine.
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