Apple Pushes More Unnecessary Software Updates
Apple Pushes More Unnecessary Software Updates
Posted 09/27/2009 at 8:13pm
| by Justin Kerr
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Apple has been called out in the past for using its software updater to push unwanted applications out to Windows users, but apparently all the bad press wasn’t enough to teach them a lesson claims ZDNet blogger Ed Bott. Apparently Apple has taken to forcing out its new “iPhone Configuration Utility” using their automated Software Updater, and even systems that have never come in contact with an iPhone before are being targeted.
Upon further testing he was able to confirm that this update was being suggested out to every system that had allowed the Apple Software Updater to become installed, and suggests users keep a close eye on it to avoid downloading applications they don’t need. It’s bad enough Apple keeps trying to force Safari on Windows users, but iPhone configuration utilities for those without iPhones? That’s low.
Has Apple’s has crossed the line this time?
More like this
winmaster
October 12, 2009 at 4:38pm
Why is it listed as an "update" and not "new software?" Also, if the computer with this screen shot doesn't already have iTunes, QuickTime, or Safari, then why do they have Apple Software Update.
Also, this shit doesn't bug me as much as the BS that you HAVE to install with iTunes. Every time I update iTunes, I fire up CCleaner to remove Apple Mobile Device support, which I need not. Also, anyone else notice that iPodService.exe is impossible to completely disable.
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
van_helblaze
October 01, 2009 at 10:12am
Yah the Apple update system is annoying -- If it wasn't for iTunes I wouldn't have any Apple software on any of my computers.
I have itunes on both of my computers, but I only sync my devices to 1 of them, I do find it unessessary that Apple bugs us about Safari (which sucks), and the Iphone config (I have and iphone 3G, but as I said it only syncs to 1 of my computers, so it's just annoying on my other one.
COMMANDER_COOK
September 30, 2009 at 2:00pm
Antivirus companies need to add a new category of threats: Bloatware and annoying BS
Zazubovich
September 28, 2009 at 4:10pm
Apple people like to have everything vertically integrated. They are evil beyond the dreams of Microsoft, which Apple people resent for accommodating diversity-multiple vendors, multiple driver architectures, and a wide diversity of applications from a number of suppliers around the world. Apple, on the other hand, wants you to buy everything from their tiny list of Apple products, from phones to music/media players to computer to televisions soon, no doubt. It amuses me in a dark way how much the Apple fanatic is willing to deny this, or justify it, or rationalize it, while trying to claim some moral high ground for totalitarianism in technology and commerce.
Tekzel
September 28, 2009 at 11:10am
LOL. Apple.
Apple products and software are perma-banned from my PC.
Sexysev
September 28, 2009 at 5:05pm
Agreed! Got apple sucks. Plus quicktime runs at startup, even if you disable it!
Biceps
September 28, 2009 at 1:50pm
It's crap like this that makes me happy I turned my Macbook (a gift) into an electronic picture frame. Friggin' Apple.
SysAnalyst
September 28, 2009 at 6:48am
Just give iTunes the boot. I use MediaMonkey for sync'ing and Amazon for my MP3s. Then use any media player you want. MM will sync just about anything -- including the iPod and iPhone!
Evasive
September 28, 2009 at 6:42am
It amounts to spam. I've never owned an iphone yet I got that pop-up from Apple and they keep including Safari and other crud I don't need. Apple needs to allow you turn off certain updates so they aren't included each time iTunes needs to be updated. Thank goodness I have Revo Uninstaller if I miss a pre-checked box. I guess some people don't mind getting updates for crap they don't need...I'm just not one of them nor do I want that to become the norm.
gscrain1
September 28, 2009 at 6:06am
Right there in the picture:
"Select the items you want, then click Install."
Yes, notice the "YOU WANT"..Duh..idiots.
You guys really whine about Apple to much..
fnordfnord
September 28, 2009 at 7:55am
Notice that you do not have an option to use itunes without Quicktime, even though there's a separate check box for quicktime... That is about the biggest piece of garbage since adobe acrobat and itunes isn't much better for a windows pc. I disabled the apple software updater heap of junk because I was tired of being spammed. I think I'll look closer at another way to sync media to my ipod. Steve Jobs isn't soon going to turn away the hard core iBible thumpers from the church of apple, but the would-be converts aren't warming up to this aggressive strategy.
routine
September 28, 2009 at 6:29am
The checkboxes are CHECKED by default, so if you're not looking you're gonna get all the unWANTed software. IDIOT.
FunkySquirrel
September 28, 2009 at 8:29am
Then you deserve what you get. Why would you just click OK without looking at what you're installing? You wouldn't do it anywhere else, but because it's Apple, it's the in thing to bitch about it.
Use some common sense and it won't matter what they try to push.
mattman059
September 28, 2009 at 8:54am
Unfortunately we as PC users dont understand the mindset of an Apple user...Apple users just want it done, they want it to work without configuration, "here do all the hard work for me kthxbai" and we as PC users say "what the hell, i dont need this shit. [uncheck]" Fundamental Differences are important.
dentaku
September 28, 2009 at 6:05am
They will just keep getting away with it too because traditional news sites will never talk about this in fear of saying anything bad about Apple.
rclamp
September 28, 2009 at 8:52am
This is not a big enough story for a traditional news site. Normal people don't care.
Everyone here is most likely a tech enthusiast. You don't click on the popup that says, "INSTALL JIMBO'S ANTIVIRUS NOW!!" so don't click install when Apple Software Update pops up. It's that simple. Sure, it would be nice if it didn't install by default, but it's really a non-issue.
Nailer669
September 28, 2009 at 4:43am
I wouldn't mind so much if the apps were under 50MB. I live out in the country where my only connection is a Verizon 3G card. It seems like every time I turn around, they want to push another 100+MB down to me. Over a cell line, that is a lot.
I only use iTunes ot sync my ipod, but since iTunes raised their prices, I've switch to Amazon MP3. Since the ZuneHD looks so bad-a$$ed and outputs to 720p, to hell with the ipod. All Microsoft has to do is create a ZuneHD phone that'll work on the Verizon network (since everything else sucks where I live), I'll be a happy camper.
wzsteen
September 28, 2009 at 4:33am
I really wanna upgrade to 3.1 to get MMS BUT if I do I will lose my jailbreak! So its a real catch 2 for me right now! What to do???
RT
http://www.total-privacy.net.tc
winmaster
October 12, 2009 at 4:34pm
My shitty $30 TracFone has MMS. Its too expensive to actually use, but its there in case I need it.
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Sonickid101
September 28, 2009 at 4:24am
hey’ve also conveniently selected some additional software for me in
the form of QuickTime and iTunes, which is 137.5 MB of compressed
installers that expands to well over 200MB of disk space when
installed. If I click the Install button, all of a sudden I have a pile
of software I don’t want or need, including the Bonjour network service.Update: It’s even worse than it appears. According to Simon Bisson, this update is actually “an enterprise tool for building device profiles. It’s not for consumers [and] it adds an Apache install
to your machine.” So if I install this update I suddenly have a web
server running on my PC? Yikes. Simon points to this article from
November 2008 for more details.-From the zdnet article that this page links to
zstadt
September 28, 2009 at 4:17am
I don't use iTunes anymore, but I can remember that the Software Updater was one of the single most annoying parts of the package...
shomval
September 28, 2009 at 12:57am
you guys dont like apple a lot do ya
well they 'pushed' safari to me and i quite like it really , it's interface is what i go for
apple crossed the line long ago anyway and why complain so much about it , does a personal opinion call for a post like this? sure some of you guys hate apple but come on..... you're like a cry baby , just uncheck it or uninstall it if you already got it, 22 MB wouldn't cripple your system
1337Goose
September 28, 2009 at 3:49am
I'm glad you liked Safari. I hope you enjoy playing with the iPhone configuration tool just as much. I hear it's a pretty useful tool that everybody should have.
Seriously, what justifies Apple pushing this out to users?
~Goose
greyjasper
September 28, 2009 at 3:10am
It's just poor etiquette son. I disagree with the "cry baby" comment. What's wrong with not wanting ANY unwanted software on my machine? By the way, if you are into nearly transparent browsers, please keep using safari. Shiny things are... Shiny. So enjoy your useless shine. http://bit.ly/HkLtz -there's your nice little safari. First place!
mclovin
September 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
Happened to me. Wasn't at all surprised when I unchecked the box. Apple can suck my bi-zalls.
CorbanT
September 27, 2009 at 9:33pm
"Has Apple’s crossed the line this time?"
Apple crossed the line years ago...
COMMANDER_COOK
September 27, 2009 at 9:23pm
It is stuff like this that makes an IT admin's job harder.
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