Filed under: Internet, Windows, Apple
Shady business practices work: Apple dramatically increases Safari users
by Brad Linder May 1st 2008
Apple's Safari web browser may be hot stuff on the Mac, but since launching a Windows version a little while back, not too many Windows users have bothered to install the browser. So what does Apple do? Simple, the company sneakily adds Safari 3.1 to the Apple software update utility so that you download it automatically if you have any Apple software on your PC -- even if you've never installed Safari on your computer. In other words, a whole bunch of Windows iTunes users suddenly found a copy of Safari on their computers.
While a lot of folks criticized Apple for shoving unwanted software at the general public, the strategy appears to have worked. Net Applications reports that Safari's market share of the Windows browser space rose from .07% to .21%. That's still a ridiculously tiny number. But it's bigger than it was. So the message is clear: Give the people what they don't want. Some will be too lazy to uninstall it. And they might even try using it. Ugh, did we just write that?
[via Fortune]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Christian said 10:21PM on 5-01-2008
Now that's a bad apple!
I did notice that before I press update. I guess some people are too lazy to read what's about to be installed on their PC that they'd be so oblivious even if it was a virus or not.
I already have IE7 and Opera; I even had Hydra but that one was over complicated.
Reply
Firtch said 10:21PM on 5-01-2008
iTunes has been trying to rape my PC for months. If you install Quicktime, Apple Update tries to give you "Quicktime + iTunes" and I keep having to tell it to not offer me that, and it came back with Apple Update was updated.
I just updated Quicktime on a friend's computer and they had the old updater, and the two updates were "Apple Update" and "Safari." So even though they've put it on another "tab", the old updater still forces it on unsuspecting non-expert users.
Reply
Stuart Halliday said 8:41AM on 5-02-2008
No need to install QuickTime at all.
I use the freebie Media Player Classic.
Josh said 2:51PM on 5-02-2008
Technically, QuickTime is the engine that runs any and all video feeds in iTunes. It honestly should be just one app on Windows but on a Mac with Perian and Flip4MacWMV installed, QuickTime is a god when it comes to playing video. I never use anything else unless audio isn't synched right. Then I have to manually fix that in VLC.
Andrew said 10:22PM on 5-01-2008
Not really surprised at all.
This how Microsoft got to where it is today - forcing software on people without giving them a choice. Any PC purchased in the last 15-20 years came with Windows, Internet Explore and Windows Media Player pre-installed.
Vast majority of people are too lazy or tech-ignorant to know the difference and just end up using whatever you put in front of them.
Glad to see Apple pushing Safari - sure its shady but I much rather see good quality browsers like Safari or Firefox on PCs than IE7. Competition spurs innovation.
Reply
Quikboy said 10:21PM on 5-01-2008
So you're saying it's wrong for MS to do such a thing, but it's definitely OK for Apple.
And just in case you didn't know, WMP 11 works far more better than iTunes on a Windows PC. Where iTunes takes up a lot of space, and is bulky and sometimes confusing to navigate through, WMP 11 is far more simpler, and faster to use. It also has it's own add-ons site.
IE7 isn't too bad either. Not the best, but it's adequate. And with an add-on, IE7 is quite ready to use. These browsers have already caused MS to do better with IE8. Did you not hear about it being fully web-compliant?
Andrew said 10:22PM on 5-01-2008
nah, never said that it was right or wrong - it's just what you have to do to have people to try/use your software. Microsoft proved this in the way they have done business in the last 30 years.
Put it in front of someone without any choice and most will be too lazy to try anything else.
I'm just glad to see Apple use the same 'tactic' in order to get Safari in front of people so they can at least try it.
You and I are far diffrent from the vast majority of computer users - we have actually tried out all the options and made an informed decision on the software we choose to use. I prefer iTunes and Safari/Firefox, you prefer IE7 and WMP11 - I totally respect that.
mattbates said 12:11AM on 5-02-2008
I'm going to have to disagree. While people didn't really have a choice as to what OS was installed on their pc when they bought it, it's not the same as the Mac-Safari thing. You get Windows, you get their group of software. You get Apple, you get their group of software. So windows got to where they are today by having DOS, being used by businesses, and being cheaper than Apple.
But to say that getting "bonus" downloads when apple releases it's seemingly weekly itunes update is the same as buying a computer with pre-installed applications. When you buy a mac it comes with itunes and safari, not IE and WMP.
Noshi said 8:45AM on 5-02-2008
On your windows box, how did you get Safari and Itunes installed? Where did you download it from? I think you get my point, every OS should come pre-loaded with a Web browser, Media player, basic things you would expect the system to come with.
You can't say that is shady practice(linux and OSX does it) it's common sense, it's up to the user to decide if they need more or less of what they have and to seek it out. Sure, the large market share of IE is because its preloaded, but if you remove it imagine the headaches caused.
Rich Webster said 10:24PM on 5-01-2008
Wake up people... the content rendering engine for iTunes *is* Safari. The video *is* QuickTime. The ability to rip tunes: QT again. If you knew anything about computers at all, you'd understand that Apple *had* to install this stuff for iTunes to work.
So they might as well give you the full functionality while they're at it. But I guess complete ignorance is the basis of Windows popularity to start with.
Reply
Bufsabre said 10:26PM on 5-01-2008
in my experience people who accuse others of not knowing anything about computers dont know any thing them selves. truth is, they only need to install the program libraries for it to work, not the entire gui and front end.
and do me a favor, stop acting high and mighty for using mac, complete ignorance seems to follow your fan base at about the same 90% clip as windows
besides if anyone really knew anything they'd move to linux not mac, its free (as in speech not always like beer but mostly) you can use any most hardware, and its functionality is way over mac in my experience. windows gets guff all the time for not being open source, but mac is closed source. and closed to hardware unless its apple approved, so theyre really the lowest of the big 3
airmanchairman said 10:25PM on 5-01-2008
Worked for me, was almost a mind-blowing stunt of prescient proportions on Apple's part:
I'd just gotten over my grief at AOL's discontinuation of support for my all-time fave browser, the Netscape 9 series, which had started to badger me to switch either to Firefox (already got it) or Flock, when lo and behold, the QuickTime update reminded me that I had a further choice - Safari.
With barely a nanosecond's hesitation, Safari was on it's way down to my machine. Still checking it out, still evaluating, but without a doubt, it's my replacement for Netscape Navigator, which will be sorely missed.
Reply
Sensai said 8:33AM on 5-02-2008
To you and others who are unhappy with IE7 and FireFox: I urge you to try Opera.
I know, I sound like an Opera fanman...but really. It's fast. Fast as hell. Since the day I installed it on my XP machine 3 years ago or so (back when I wasn't so tech savvy), I have yet to use another browser.
I'm not saying you HAVE to use it, but I beg you to try it, for your sake.
Rocketboy said 6:21PM on 5-02-2008
Only 3 years? Newbie... :)
I bitch about this every time there's a post about a new exciting extension for Firefox. Most of the time, they just make Firefox work more like Opera.
Opera> IE7+IEPro>Firefox
(BTW, I LOVE Thunderbird, and think that Opera's e-mail is garbage, and Outlook is even worse (for home use))
Jamus said 10:25PM on 5-01-2008
As a Mac user, I have done my share of bitching about this issue. I do not like the idea of stealthy installs no matter which platform it is on (I am looking at you Redmond with you oh-so swarmy Silverlight frontpage installs...).
Reply
Rich Webster said 10:26PM on 5-01-2008
Sorry, I should have been more specific... I saw what Firtch said, and it bothered me, as well as the whole assumption that this is an underhanded move. So consider my complaint to Flirtch for the comment about "iTunes has been trying to rape my PC for months."
No, you don't need the UI components for QT or Safari functionality in iTunes. But I did point out: once the bulk of the code is there, is adding the UI component really adding anything that would damage or break a system? Is it adding something to complain about. If you're down to your last half gig on your HD, it could be, I guess. But then, iTunes is not exactly a tool for preserving disk space, it kind of implies you're planning to download a bunch of songs. If iTunes hosed your system, complain, but if you're trying to remove elements of iTunes (Safari and QT) you're out of luck, and out of your element.
Linux is great, and getting greater. I'm going to start using it more (I already use it for hosting, of course).
Apple is great, too. Awesome browser, iTunes is fantastically wonderful, their hardware is stupendous, it's reliable, attractive, and makes my life easy compared to the labor I put into keeping my PCs going.
I know lots of people considering switching, and they should... whether they choose Apple or Linux, it's a step in the right direction. One direction is towards less control and greater ease of use and the other is a step towards greater control and lower cost. Both have merit.
I apologize again for the sweeping statement.
Reply
sey said 11:21PM on 5-01-2008
nothing stealthy about it.
i chose to download it when it was offered with iTunes and QT update.
best thing i've done for a while.........leaves both IE and Firefox in the dust.
Reply
Mysterius said 8:33AM on 5-02-2008
And this is why I disabled Apple's Automatic Updates.
Reply
Mike said 8:33AM on 5-02-2008
And how is this worse than Microsoft which installs all its software on your computer whether you like it/want it or not AND when you try to delete the crap it says "sharing violation" and refuses to get the fuck off MY computer. Wake up, Microsofties!
Reply
dtrain said 8:34AM on 5-02-2008
The point isn't that it's "worse than Microsoft" -- it's arguably very similar to what MS would or does do. The point is that it's "the same" as Microsoft.
Which to me just underscores the fundamental truth that Apple owners/evangelists so often fail to accept:
Apple is not your friend. Apple is not your Mom. Apple is not the roommate that shares his weed with you. Apple is a company, they want your money. They want ALL of your money, just like MS. They are not "better people" than the people that run Microsoft. You are not a "better person" than the people that use Microsoft OSs.
Reply