On Friday, Mozilla CEO John Lilly accused Apple
That's a problem ... by and large, all software makers are trying to get users to trust us on updates, and so the likely behavior here is for users to just click "Install 2 items," which means that they've now installed a completely new piece of software, quite possibly completely unintentionally. Apple has made it incredibly easy -- the default, even -- for users to install ride along software that they didn't ask for, and maybe didn't want. This is wrong, and borders on malware distribution practices.
(With apologies to the good folks who make the new Bud Light commercials:) ... Dude. Malware? Talk about a trumped-up controversy.
What Lilly doesn't mention is that Apple has changed exactly nothing. Mac users (sniff) have suffered through the same interface since Mac OS X and its Software Update utility were first introduced.
Yes, all the potential updates -- even those you don't want -- are checked for you. Don't want 'em? Uncheck 'em. Or, better yet, quit Software Update till there's something you either want or need.
And let's get real about this practice, shall we? Microsoft
To be fair, I should admit two biases. First, I'm a very happy Mac user. Second, I'm a very happy Firefox user.
That's right. Safari just isn't for me. I installed it out of curiosity -- and, well, because my iPhone uses the Safari browser, and I wanted to import my Firefox bookmarks. But it otherwise sits idle. Firefox, for me, is just better. More functional. And, yeah, I admit, cooler.
I'm not alone in that view, which makes Lilly's comments all the more mystifying. What do you have to worry about, sir? You can't really see us users as zombies, can you? As unwitting pawns, unable to uncheck a box?
Give us a little more credit. Or, better still, admit your real worry: that Safari on the PC will disrupt Firefox the way that Firefox disrupted Internet Explorer.
Get your clicks with related Foolishness:
