iTunes for Windows and Apple Software Update

[Powerlord]

As a music site, I thought it would be appropriate to post this here.

If you've installed iTunes on your computer, you probably installed Apple Software Update as well.

Starting this week, Apple has added the Safari web browser to Apple Software Update. What this means is

1. If you have iTunes or Quicktime installed
2. Apple Software Update will try to get you to install Safari by masquerading it as an update.

To disable the Safari "Update"

1. Start the Apple Software Update program
2. Make sure only Safari 3.1 is checked
3. Click the Tools menu
4. Choose "Ignore Selected Updates" from the menu

Unfortunately, you will have to do this each time a new version of Safari is released.

As a semi-official policy, VGMusic.com recommends the Firefox web browser on all platforms.

[PL-7764]

My computer actually came up front and asked me to install Safari earlier this week rather than disguising it as you said. I hit Cancel, and it hasn't asked me again since, and it doesn't show up on the "Add/Remove Programs" list. That wasn't that long ago though, so I can't say that's defeated it for sure.

I never did like Safari on the school-issue MacBook computers ... so slow next to Firefox. Or anything else, for that matter.

[Powerlord]

My computer actually came up front and asked me to install Safari earlier this week rather than disguising it as you said. I hit Cancel, and it hasn't asked me again since, and it doesn't show up on the "Add/Remove Programs" list. That wasn't that long ago though, so I can't say that's defeated it for sure.

I never did like Safari on the school-issue MacBook computers ... so slow next to Firefox. Or anything else, for that matter.

I used the term disguise because Safari is not an update, contrary to what the program's name (Apple Software Update) implies. Also, Apple Software Update will bug you about it again during its next automatic update check, which is in one week by default.

I have Safari installed, but that's because I use it to see how some pages look in it. It was pretty much for naught, though, as IE is still primarily the browser that looks different from the other 3.

Incidently, I don't use Firefox as my primary browser, despite the semi-official policy mentioned above.

[talking_chicken]

While I like that Apple's trying to extend its browser market share by releasing Safari for Windows (and it's a great thing for Web developers that want to make sure it works on a Mac), you're not going to get someone to use something by forcing it down their throats. Believe me, my dad won't use Firefox even though it's installed on the computer, and uses Safari instead (we've got a Mac at home), no matter how much I encourage it, though Safari isn't a bad browser, it's just different, and it's much better than IE is.

Anyway, I'm on a Mac almost all the time and I use Firefox even then. The fact that Safari claims to be faster (dunno how much faster it actually was) than all the other browsers (one of the few advantages it had) got reduced to nothing now that Firefox 3b4 got a very welcome speed upgrade pretty much planted it in as my browser choice right now. That and it's really flexible.

[SH&E]

Why would you not want Safari? =P

[Blitz Lunar]

in after macfag

[ButzaW]

Why would you not want Safari? =P

That's entirely not the point here.
The problem here is that *new* software is being pushed to innocent users as part of a supposed *update*.
Not only that, but from what I gathered, this is an opt-out installation rather than opt-in.
That means the Safari install is set unless you tell it specifically not to.
When I run an auto update I assume it will update the software I, myself, chose to install, to the latest version.
If I wanted the effing browser I'd go and get it myself.


This is even worse than those bundled "toolbars" and "free subscription" nonsense you get sometimes when you install some software.

[Powerlord]

Why would you not want Safari? =P

As ButzaW has pointed out, this is actually about stopping Safari from masquerading as an update when it's an entirely new program.

On a side note, I have nothing against Safari on the Mac... but the Windows version has its own irritances. For instance, in 3.0 betas 1-4, you could only resize the window from the lower-left corner. In Windows, you can resize windows in eight directions. They did change this in Safari 3.1; I suspect this was because of user complaints.

Safari also does not use the system's sub-pixel rendering libraries. Apple instead opted to bundle its own sub-pixel renderer. There is a visible difference between them, and thus a visible difference between Safari and other Windows applications.

[SH&E]

Oh right, OK

[Nova]

For Windows, I use Opera. For my Mac, I am not sure yet, Currently, I am using Safari, but I'm thinking of using Firefox, or even Opera, but I would have to download and edit all my features, which would be a pain.

[Powerlord]

As a funny side note, it's against the EULA to install Safari for Windows on a non-Apple machine.

Update: Apple apparently fixed their EULA sometime on Wednesday.

[Merit Celaire]

Eesh... is it just me or is Apple getting "annoying" in terms of promoting it's Safari web browser for Macs? o_O

[TestDummy]

After a week or so (I forget), the update appeared again.
Apparently telling it to ignore the updates only works for that time, it was checked once again for me.

Edit: Apparently this was said to begin with. Still annoying.

[Powerlord]

A new version of Apple Software Update was rolled out this week. It has moved Safari to a section titled "New Software" but the install checkbox is still checked by default.