[Be sure to see my follow-up post on this topic, Taming iTunes 8.]
Un-freakin-believable.
In preparation for a trip next week, I just took a notebook out of mothballs and proceeded to install updates and make sure all the software and data files I need are in service.
Along the way, I noticed an iTunes icon on the desktop and decided to check in with Apple Software Update. The blow-by-blow description appears in the extended version of this post.
Here’s what I saw first:
I don’t want Bonjour or Safari on this machine, so I deselected the iTunes + QuickTime check box, clicked the Safari box so that both it and Bonjour were selected, and then chose Tools, Ignore Software Updates. The entries for Bonjour and Safari went away, the updater refreshed itself, and a new list appeared, containing only iTunes + QuickTime. The check box was selected already, so I clicked Install 1 Item and approved the UAC consent box.
While the download proceeded, I opened the temporary folder where the update program stores its downloads (%LocalAppData%\Apple\Apple Software Update) and watched as the following five installer packages appeared:
Next, I watched as the status box continued to tell me that only iTunes + QuickTime were being installed. And then, when setup was complete, I looked in Control Panel’s list of Installed Programs, filtered to show only Apple software, and saw this:
The mind truly boggles here. I had previously uninstalled Bonjour and Apple Mobile Device Support. When Apple Software Update offered Bonjour to me, I specifically selected it and told the Update program that I wanted to ignore that update. I’m not sure how much clearer I could have been with my wishes. And yet Apple went and installed it anyway and then reinstalled Apple Mobile Device Support. Do they have no concept of how a software installer should work?
If anyone from Apple is reading this and wants to explain why they even bother to offer this choice and then ignore it, I’m all ears.
Meanwhile, I’m going to go uninstall the whole mess.
Update: The closer I look, the worse this gets. While the installer was running initially, I copied the five individual installer packages to a folder on the desktop so that they would still be around instead of being automatically deleted at setup’s end. Next, I uninstalled everything from Apple except Apple Software Update and QuickTime. After confirming that these were the only Apple programs installed, I ran the iTunes.msi Installer package. It proceeded to install itself and Apple Mobile Device Support and Bonjour.
Even more bizarre: I renamed the Bonjour and Apple Mobile Device Support installer packages, then selected iTunes and clicked Uninstall in Control Panel. The setup program appeared to remove iTunes and cleared its entry from the list of installed programs. But after restarting, when I ran the iTunes.msi Installer package, I was prompted to Repair or Remove iTunes. Despite the fact that I had explicitly chosen to uninstall iTunes, enough of it remained on my system that Apple’s setup program believed it was dealing with an incomplete or damaged installation. Choosing Repair finally got me the two programs I specifically authorized and no others.
Update 2: An anonymous contributor suggests a new “I’m a Mac” ad:
PC guy walks on screen with a softball-sized lump growing out of the side of his neck.
Mac: “What is that hideous thing, PC?”
PC: “Oh, that’s my new Bonjour. I didn’t really think I needed it, but the folks at Apple thought otherwise, so they just kind of stuck it there when I was trying to update iTunes.”
Mac: “It looks kind of weird.”
PC: “Yeah, I know, please stop staring at it. Say, did Apple stick you with a Bonjour, too?”
Mac: “Um, yeah.” He squirms uncomfortably.
PC: “So, where is it?”
Mac: “Are we on basic cable?”
PC: “Uh-huh.”
Mac: “Then, uh, I can’t tell you.”
PC guy winces.
You’ve been a wonderful audience. Don’t forget to tip your waitress. And try the veal!
Ed Bott 
Holy dogballs… I can’t believe that!
That bad thing is, I have refused to install iTunes for a long time now because it sucks and so does iPods.
I use something called an “MP3 Player”.
I copy and paste DRM-free songs onto it… what a novel idea.
That said, I am still not exempt from this treachery since I have Quicktime player on my machine… which requires this crappy Apple installer, which then keeps trying to put Safari, etc on my machine.
Thanks Apple, you just decided for me that I will continue to avoid your products.
And they call Microsoft, “Big Brother.”
Apple has always wanted to tell you what you need, just look at their OS and hardware.
Apple isn’t about, “choice”, it’s about controlling your computer as to what they believe it should be/do/reflect.
That’s why I’m a PC man, this doesn’t come as a shock to me at all.
If it weren’t for so many sites insisting on Quicktime, and the fact that I have to sell iPods at work, I wouldn’t ever look at an Apple product.
Mic
Hey, you said to IGNORE the updates. Clearly if it installs while you are ignoring it, that is your fault for not paying attention. The next version of Apple Software Update needs a “Distrust selected updates” option.
You can install quicktime, then uninstall the apple updater. Quicktime will still check for updates from its own interface, although if it finds one, I assume it might reinstall the updater.
I don’t ever notice any of this foolishness from my Zune software, which is awesome in other ways as well. I don’t badmouth iPods, never having owned one, but I like the Zune enough to never consider an iPod.
I’d suggest that QuickTime is no longer necessary for 90% of users. With the Flash video revolution, you can totally get by without QuickTime installed. If they don’t offer Flash, use a competing site.
Flash is still disturbingly prone to crashing the browser. Even then, I’ve found it to be significantly better than QuickTime. Adobe is a better Windows coder than Apple is.
if you need quick time and or Real player jsut get the alternative software.
http://www.filehippo.com/download_real_alternative/
http://www.filehippo.com/download_quicktime_alternative/
oh yes sillie wabbit Itunes is for kids!!!
(excuse my poor english)
ITunes is a great software – in it’s natural habitat Mac OS X. While I was using Windows (some years ago) I hated it on my PC. It felt clumsy, slow and a like a overprotecting nanny I don’t wanted. Apple software for windows is like an OS-culture-clash; Apple seems to have big problems coding regular Windows software. Just compare the font-rendering in Safari for Windows with any other Windows browser. One can argue, that Safari’s rendering is better, but that’s no excuse for breaking the rules. This goes for the UI of Apple software for Windows as well, which follows the rules vor OS X, not for Windows. I guess, from a Mac-perspective Apple has some good reasons for this otherwise unacceptable behaviour. But: if you want to code for Windows, you’ll have to follow the Windows rules.
And besides that: Apple has some serious problems in consumer communications. Nevertheless – I don’t regret switching 😉
(BTW – Bonjour is really cool. On a Mac, that is. Or if you want to connect Windows and Macs in a network.)
@Giesbert
Why do you read this blog if you don’t use windows anymore?
Robert, Giesbert and I worked together in Germany about 15 years ago. I have tremendous respect for him and his point of view, and I think the feeling is mutual.
I uninstalled Bonjour a couple of days ago when I noticed it in Programs and Features. I was sure I had already gotten rid of it. Next time I sinked my ipod it warned me that I was missing Bonjour, and wouldn’t be able to use my Apple TV as well as a few other things I never do.
Itunes was nice enough to tell me reinstall itunes so I could use my Apple TV ect, so apparently Bonjour comes with itunes now like it or not.
Ed, an off topic question about this post. How do you get the torn paper effect on the image? I’ve seen it on many websites and I always got curious.
Thanks
I was surprised to see you didn’t note one of the other misleading upgrade tactic which Apple has recently employed which is the “Mobile Me” Control Panel icon. I believe initially they threw it in with the iTunes 7 update (no prompt/checkbox) and then in iTunes 8 they decided to make a checkbox for it. I really find this to be extremely bad taste on the part of Apple, I mean clearly they want their presence to be felt in the Windows desktop world, but I dont think this is the way to do it.
I’m sure this won’t satisfy you, but Apple treats Bonjour and Apple Mobile Devices as part of iTunes. The separate checkbox is there if you wanted to only update Bonjour and not iTunes. Selecting iTunes will upgrade all components Apple is considering a part of iTunes.
Ed,
Like Time F. says, this probably won’t satisfy you, but here’s a shot anyway
iTunes is going to include all the software that Apple knows is necessary to deliver the features they have implemented. Normal users expect that when they install iTunes, all the iTunes features are going to work. Here’s how the individual packages relate to features:
iTunes – Media library management and iTunes Store browser
Quicktime – Audio and Video decode and encoding
Bonjour – Discovery and connectivity to other LAN connected services, including printers, iTunes libraries, and Apple TV
Mobile Device Support – Communication and syncing stack for iPod Touch and iPhone
Setup Admin – Wrapper around the whole thing.
In your scenario, you are presented with a patch release to an already installed Bonjour separately since your machine hasn’t been on for a while, and iTunes 8, which includes whatever the latest version of Bonjour is. So while you ignored the Bonjour service pack, iTunes 8 is still going to install Bonjour because that’s how some key features in iTunes are implemented.
Here is another example of the same behavior in case that wasn’t clear. You go to Windows Update. You see a hotfix listed for your machine in the same list as a Service Pack. If you uncheck the hotfix, and then install the Service Pack, your going to get the hotfix because it’s included! Same scenario as Bonjour 1.0.5 and iTunes 8 above.
Is Apple deceiving users? Not intentionally, it is a side effect of offering multiple updates at different times. If they did the opposite, hid the Bonjour update and only showed you iTunes 8, people would still complain. Again, same thing as hotfixes and service packs in Microsoft terminology. Further, what you are asking for from Apple, that they change their installer to make some or most features are optional, is irrational. The vast majority of the millions of Windows users that have iTunes just expect it to work, their normal people not geeks. Normal people don’t care if Bonjour is installed, but they do want to be able to browse other user’s libraries in their house, something Bonjour enables. If they are an iPod user, and upgrade to an iPhone, they sure don’t want to reinstall iTunes to get Mobile Device support, they just want it to work.
Asking for it is irrational because the vast majority don’t care, and if Apple implements a branching installer, their test matrix is going to explode with possible install combinations to make what 1% of all iTunes users happy? How about the support calls from frustrated non-geeks because they didn’t install CD burning, but now want it and don’t know how to get it back. Just a dumb use of resources.
Keep railing against the installer that installs all the software needed to implement all iTunes features, maybe they will change it for you, but I am pretty sure this ship has sailed. It would be like railing against Window because you get IE and Windows Media Player and can’t uninstall them, total waste of time and time to move on.
And as for the initial bundling of the MobileMe control panel, which isn’t bundled anymore, that was over the line. The test is “does this component implement a feature in iTunes or not”. The answer is no for the control panel, thus it shouldn’t have been included. Pretty straightforward.
No, Dave, I don’t buy that. They allow me to uninstall Bonjour after the fact, so clearly it’s not crucial to iTunes’ functioning. They deliver it as a separate installer package, so why not (1) offer the user a choice at install time and (2) fire off the option to install Bonjour the first time a user does something that needs it?
Answer: Because Apple’s developers are lazy and rude.
On the planet where I live, you don’t need to reinstall an 80MB package to add a single feature. Apple really needs to change their thinking on that.
As for IE and Media Player, the OS supports web browsing and media playback. That’s true of every modern OS. You can hide those specific apps ro replace them with ones you prefer. So the analogy is bogus.
Does anyone else find this as hilariously funny as I do?
Try replacing the word “Mac” with “Windows”, and “iTunes” with “Microsoft Office Viewer(!)” or any of the other packages that require large upgrades and reboots of my machine. (And if you didn’t catch the side-point, why does Microsoft Office Viewer upgrade require a reboot?)
I agree that the behavior that you saw is odd, I just wonder why you are complaining, and in what “world” you live in, as I thought you ran Microsoft Windows.
Knowing nothing about how bonjour is related to iTunes, I think the service pack analogy doesn’t really work, since the service pack is a superset of hotfixes. If they really want you to have bonjour as part of iTunes, and have the two updates available, perhaps the iTunes one should say “bonjour included” or something like that. However, if you can uninstall it later, then I don’t see any reason why it should be included in an upgrade (it’s more reasonable to include it in the original installer).
Lastly, I fail to see why its a knock on Apple that the Windows registry is so bloated that an application thinks it is half installed. Have you ever run an uninstaller on a Mac? Granted, they are hiding everything from you, but clicking the application and pressing delete can’t be much simpler. Again, I don’t know if there are hidden issues with Apple’s way, but from a user perspective, their installers and uninstallers beat all other OSes (and I’m not even a mac fan boy, nor do I run it on any of my machines)
And since I have already started (or perhaps simply joined) the age-old war about which OS is better, I can’t resist throwing in my personal favorite: the Debian distribution of Linux. I suspect why more people don’t use them is that they have the problem of many technically great products – that they don’t have the marketing, and so most people use technically inferior products because they don’t know about the better ones. I don’t know how to solve that problem.
By the way, another example of a technically superior product that no one knows about: malwarebytes.org – I just spent 7 hours removing a virus/spyware application (Internet explorer proxy run from driver level – really cool spyware app) from a user and I finally remembered to use malwarebytes’ remover, and it was gone instantly (with one reboot). I am not sure if it would have solved it from the beginning, but no other tool was able to remove it completely. Lastly (really this time) the virus came in through firefox, without user intervention, so I am less impressed on that level as well. Just have to stick with lynx I guess.
Jon, you lost me about halfway through with that stream of consciousness stuff.
“I agree that the behavior that you saw is odd, I just wonder why you are complaining, and in what ‘world’ you live in, as I thought you ran Microsoft Windows.”
Apple makes a set of codecs called QuickTime. Apple wants to install them with a whole boatload of software I don’t need or want. A music player. A network service. Kernel-mode drivers for my USB controller. None of which I want. I simply want to play back QT files using an authorized codec.
Btw, I didn’t even mention the Outlook add-in that iTunes installs without my knowledge.
Sorry – I’ve never claimed to be a great writer, just write large quantities…
I am not saying that what apple does is correct. My point is that it does seem that different from what Microsoft, or perhaps even lots of vendors.
You seem to be saying that Apple is unique in its poor installers and uninstallers.
I often service people’s computers, and the first thing I do when sitting down is open their task tray and kill or uninstall 4-8 applications that they don’t know where they came from. Then I open the startup folder, and delete adobe and microsoft office, and maybe a couple other apps that don’t need to run at startup, then I run regedit and comment out a couple things from the HKCU/Run and HKLM/Run, and then I ask them what their issues are.
Most of the time, I have already solved whatever problem they were having.
@Jon Daley
I think Jon is missing one key point to this argument, this is running on Windows, the Microsoft operating system. Based on the fact that this is running on Windows, Microsoft effectively has fair game to do what it needs in terms of updates and installations in order to make their OS run as they please. This is much different from what Apple is doing. Apple is attempting to piggyback its software on the back of iTunes. It has no right in its attempts to mislead users to install their software through an update.
Could you image the uproar that would occur if Microsoft tried to install IE on Macs through a Mac Office update? I can hardly imagine.
Ed,
You don’t have to buy anything, just test it yourself. Install iTunes, then remove all the stuff bundled in separate installers (Quicktime, Bonjour, Mobile Device) and see how much of iTunes actually still works. You can use my list above to guide which parts of iTunes are going to break.
It is unbelievable that you suggest Apple’s iTunes for Windows developers are “lazy and rude”. Have you met any of them? Personifying them through installer packaging choices, when they disagree with you, is just childish. You can keep throwing a tantrum that they aren’t meeting your needs, but you are clearly not their target market. I am sorry, but its true. A Windows journalist that installs Apple’s software to see what they are doing but doesn’t actually use it with their hardware. You’re not even on their user matrix, they certainly aren’t going to add cases to their installer test case matrix to satisfy you. That is not lazy or rude, you are not entitled to have iTunes anyway you like it, this is just software development and testing prioritization. If it’s not meeting your needs, then stop installing it. Do you actually use any iPods or an iPhone as a normal user would?
How wonderfully hypocritical and circular of you on Windows including IE and WMP because all modern OSes have those features, so you can’t choose if you want to install them, nor uninstall them! By your “logic” Apple is free to include any feature that is already in another media library management program. Do other media library management programs have to play by the same rule? If so, you have a deadlock, because then no media library management programs can add any features if it already has to exist. In other words, a chicken and egg problem.
The analogy is certainly not bogus because you want to remove features from iTunes, and MS with IE and WMP in Windows only lets you hide, not install or uninstall, products, let alone hide or remove features. If IE let you remove Favorites or the Phishing filter, that would be the equivalent of what you want Apple to do with iTunes. iTunes is the product. You want Apple to let you be able to dissect all the features out of iTunes, so you can play Dr. Frankenstein with features at your discretion to create iBotTunes, or their deceiving users and “lazy and rude”. If something doesn’t work in iBotTunes, I give you one guess who is getting blamed. You’re arguing for a “double standard” just because you don’t like Apple.
the comments nailed it. Bonjour is installed as part of iTunes. Hopefully the post will be updated to refelct what as learned?
Ed,
If you just want Quicktime, go here:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
It’s the second option.
Dave, let me be clear about this. I install iTunes + QuickTime because my camera records files in QT format and I want to play them back and edit them. I do not desire to share iTunes libraries with other computers on my network. I do not have an Apple TV or an AirTunes server. I do not have an iPhone or an iPod Touch and have no intention of using either one on this machine. If Apple’s installed acted like any other modern program, it would offer me that choice at initial setup. But they offer neither disclosure nor an opportunity for consent. I get all this crap because Apple thinks I might someday need it and they don’t trust me to decide for myself that I don’t want additional network services running here.
So nothing “breaks” for me when I uninstall the crap I don’t want or need. And then, when Apple is forced to patch QuickTime because of its many security flaws, I am forced to reinstall all this crap and then get rid of it again.
Are Apple’s programmers lasy and rude? The actions of the program they wrote speak louder than any words. But if it makes you feel better, fine: The Apple installer program appears to have been written by people who are either too lazy to understand how an installer should work, or too rude to respect the user’s decisions.
As for Windows Media, you are mistaking a platform component that enables media playback for the WMP shell. If I get an Apple PC, I expect it to provide platform components for media playback, and I am not bothered by its inclusion of a preferred media management shell in the form of iTunes. But I didn’t buy an Apple PC, and when I try to install the QT codecs I don’t want all this other unneeded garbage.
Oh, and like I said in another comment, I also dislike the fact they installed an add-in to Outlook. Care to defend that one? I know, if I ever get an iPhone, I’ll be all set. Meanwhile, it’s possibly crashing Outlook and adding nothing that I asked for. But I’m sure the diligent and considerate Apple programmers have nothing but my best interests at heart.
Yes, Dave, I know I can install QT all by itself. Funny how it doesn’t work with Apple Software Update.
If you really have to install Apple crapware, then install it on a virtual machine. Don’t let any Apple trojan horse get in your PC. I don’t understand why people still need QT in this day and age but if you can’t live without it, then try “quicktime alternative” — google it.
Correction: OK, QT does work with Apple Software Update. I deliberately installed a three-month-old version of QT, which installed Apple Software Update by default (I could have opted out). When I ran ASU, it offered to update ASU and QuickTime, but (surprise!) it also included iTunes + QuickTime, with that option conveniently selected for me, so if I clicked OK I would get all the stuff I didn’t want. Once again, Apple is trying its best to install iTunes on my PC even when I’ve made it abundantly clear I don’t want it.
Intosh, I try to use officially released software because I support real users and need to replicate their setups. That’s why I avoid “gray” products like QT Alternative.
Ed,
Thanks for finally documenting your use case. There is not doubt Apple installs what they think is needed to provide a “normal user” a good experience. Obviously, bugs happen and things go wrong, but it’s apparent to me that is their guiding principle, a normal user having a good experience. What you are asking for is an IT Administrator or Power User installation experience, where you can tailor all the choices. Of course there are many programs out there that come with those kinds of installers, but a normal user based on my experience choose “Typical” or “Complete”. A “Custom” install is too opaque for a normal user, a feature listed in a tree control with the options to “install”, “install on first use”, or “never” is very abstract for even power users to understand. You can’t tell me you have never stared at a custom installer and wondered how that list related back to the program you were using, even something you were familiar with, and the features in it.
Again, it’s not lazy or rude just because you are not the majority case (use iTunes with an iPod/iPhone), or even the middle case (uses iTunes without an iPod), you are the minority case (uses QuickTime only). Should Apple change the iTunes installer to meet your needs? I don’t care if the company is Apple or any other, when they already have a stand-alone installer for the component you want, which covers your use case, it is going to be pretty low on the development and testing priority scale to do what you want them to. You assume Apple’s developers are incompetent just because they aren’t doing what you want, but that’s most likely (since I have no inside information of course) it at all, it just not that important to them right now.
So you know you can get QT by itself, but you don’t want to use it? You won’t use it since it doesn’t work with Apple Software Update? If it doesn’t work with Apple Software Update, that is a story which bears investigation.
As for the Outlook add-in, I would have to see what exactly it does to make a call on it. iPods for year have had the ability to sync contact and calendar data through iTunes on Windows to Outlook, so it’s not clear this is iPhone specific or not. If its shared, I think the correct thing to do is install it, but leave it flagged as disabled until the user indicates they want to sync PIM data to their device.
Although I don’t have an iPhone or iPod and never will, I, like Ed, also want iTunes and QT installed on my system. My reason for dong so is that iTunes is the only way I can purchase content from the Apple store. I don’t want anything in addition to the two components that are necessary to make my purchases and play them. Period.
Thanks for an eye-opening article Ed, keep up the work for the good side!
Dave, you obviously missed this:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=2140
My other use case is that I have an iPod Nano I use occasionally. It is used only on this machine. I do not sync Outlook information to it. I do not share its library with anyone else. I do not want to do anything else with it. And yet Apple insists on installing kernel-mode drivers for the iPhone and iPod Touch AND a network service AND an Outlook add-in, any of which can destabilize my system. I don’t want any of them. How hard is it to understand that?
And they have the gall to create an ad about Windows Vista being bloated, when their own software is guilty of creating some of that very bloat?
Your instinctive defense is bizarre to me. Yes, if they want to make the Complete or Typical option one that installs everything, fine, let them. That’s the option the average user will accept. But don’t put this crap on my computer when I don’t need it or want it.
Ed,
No I didn’t miss that, I read it which is why I was alluding to bits from it, specifically the way Adobe has their installer setup.
Go back and read everything I wrote. I have not defended Apple, they can choose to do that if they want. I have been trying to explain why the iTunes installer is the way it is right now, and how your scenario is not some nefarious plot to not let you keep Bonjour off your system. I understand what you want, please I think I described exactly what you want several times. Just because I think your conclusion about what is going on with the installation scenario is wrong, doesn’t mean I am defending the iTunes installer status quo. It would be fantastic if they did make it a branching installer, I would utilize that functionality myself. But just because I would like to have that doesn’t mean I have deluded myself into thinking Apple’s iTunes Windows dev team are a bunch of deceitful, rude, lazy, incompetent, arrogant jerks just because my feature (fine grained installer) hasn’t been delivered. Talk about entitlement and arrogance.
Let me suggest another way you can deal with it. Have you tried disabling all the stuff you don’t want to use instead of uninstalling it? I know most of that stuff maps back to services and drivers that you can tell the system to disable. You can even script it so that on next iTunes install, if it restored those items to enabled or Automatic, you can just turn if all off again.
Lastly, if you really want the situation changed, the best way is to not only blog about it, but file a bug with Apple. Here are the steps:
1) Get a free developer account at http://developer.apple.com
2) Go to https://bugreport.apple.com/
3) Fill out a new issue
4) Give me the bug number so I can file another one as a duplicate of yours (duplicated increase importance)
5) I’ll blog about it asking anyone else that is willing to file another duplicate
Dave, thanks for that thoughtful reply, seriously.
Bottom line: Apple has added all this stuff through the years with no disclosure and no consent. They are completely out of step with mainstream practices on the Windows platform, and they are actually guilty of the things they criticize Vista for (causing crashes, software bloat, etc.).
I’ll consider opening a developer account so I can file that bug. Have some other pressing deadlines and certainly didn’t expect this discussion to go on like this.
Follow-up: Created an ADC account. Went to bug report page. Ironically, the bug-report form has no category for iTunes.
Ed,
Yeah they just have a generic bucket for iApps
Ed:
Thank for documenting this nonsense and writing it up in such a fun-to-read manner.
Dave is right on the money here. Bonjour and Mobile Devices Support are considered parts of iTunes. There is no conspiracy; Apple developers are not out to get you.
I never said Apple developers are in a “conspiracy” and are “out to get me.” Nice way to change the subject.
I said they are failing to respect my choice, and they are offering inadequate disclosure and consent.
I weigh in on Ed’s side, insofar as the Apple ethic goes. I would modify the description of Apple developers: they’re not lazy, merely rude, and possibly incurious or insensitive. Apple needs to poach a handful of expert Microsoft developers from somewhere.
Microsoft occasionally lays an egg. They may or may not acknowledge their mistake, but it’s usually withdrawn one way or another. Usually—often—MS comes up with something better to replace the “egg.”
Apple keeps trying to force something (several things) Windows users DON’T WANT. They’re not listening!
I totally reject the concept of a “NORMAL user”—there’s a huge range of Windows users. The fictitious “exploding test matrix” is exaggerated. What’s called for is known as “software unit testing.” Well within their capability. Apple needs a change in mindset, more than anything else.
I like the way Safari renders fonts. I sometimes use Safari.
Confused, there were two separate installs documented here. First one obviously had Bonjour installed, offered to update it, and did so even when I said I didn’t want it. Second install was clean, after uninstalling everything.
What about applemobiledeviseservice, ipodservice, and ituneshelper that run as services in the background in task manager? And why in the world is ituneshelper trying to access the internet? itunes used work fine without all of this bundled crap, now they’re all supposedly required all of a sudden and itunes may break if I uninstall certain components. Why is that? Is this intentionally done? All signs are pointing to yes. This to me is a sign of desperation to get into the ms pc users face and get us to switch.
How hard would it be to make light versions of itunes, quicktime, and safari? I agree, they are lazy and rude. Apple has lost all the appeal they once had… for me anyway.
This blog post is ignorant of how iTunes works. Apple Mobile Device Support enables the syncing with iPods and iPhones. Bonjour is required for communicating with AppleTV and iTunes library sharing. QuickTime enables the fundamental media playback functionality. These are all a standard part of iTunes even though they come packaged as separate installers. iTunes without QuickTime, Bonjour, or Mobile Device support simply won’t work as advertised or expected.
Stop bitching, and take the time to understand what you’re blogging about.
Hey Ryan, stop being such a … well, I have a whole bunch of words to use here, but I’ll let you choose one.
Meanwhile, you might want to read the previous comments, which basically explain why you’re full of crap.
Ryan, speaking of ignorant…
“Apple Mobile Device Support enables the syncing with iPods and iPhones.”
Hmmm. I completely removed all traces of Apple Mobile Device Support. Then I hooked up my iPod Nano. Wonder of wonders, it synced all my music right up. Even without Apple Mobile Device Support.
I suspect (but can’t confirm because Apple doesn’t document it) that AMDS is needed only for syncing Outlook and other software with iPhone and iPod Touch. Which I don’t have and have no intention of getting.
So, uh, maybe you want to take the time to understand what you’re commenting about before you hit the Submit button.
Just sayin’.
Better late than never:
@#9: Ed, your’re absolutely right 😎
you’re so easily upset by being mislead by a software update utility. apple software developers screwed up giving away free software on a competitors operating system. you got what you paid for and at least it wasn’t spyware.
Mr. Bott,
It is noteworthy that when one goes to the Apple website to download Itunes, the version of Itunes presented for download precisely matches the operating system one is using.
In other words, if I navigate to the website while running Vista 32 bit, that’s the version that’s presented for download. And if I navigate to the site running Vista 64 bit, as I just did, I’m presented with the 64 bit compatable version of Itunes.
I didn’t have to select it, or pick it. I got no script warning, or active x prompt or anything.
I know the website used Javascript or something similar to scan my system, but is that not an invasion of privacy?
Philosoraptor,
No sniffing involved. When you visit a web page, your browser sends information about itself to the server in a header. That information includes the platform. The server is using this information, which you voluntarily (although perhaps unknowingly) provide, to choose which binary file to offer.
You can see browser headers in action here:
http://www.browserheaders.com/
Mozilla Songbird offers all of the functionality of iTunes + Quicktime without Apple’s bulls**t. Just in case it helps anyone.
we are all just victims of consumerism. I’m perfectly happy with my winamp. leave me alone with the 7 jigga-bites of crappy “music management” software! arrrrggggg!