Comments on: Apple fails to listen to Safari "Update" on Windows issue…

By: Karl Schmitt

Karl Schmitt — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:51:22 +0000

I think one of the main concerns is that the updater will pop up demanding your attention while minimizing whatever you are doing (Fallout 3 in my case) to demand that you install Safari. That is my biggest greif with the thing is that even if there are no other updates, it will still bother me because I have not full consented to using all of the apple products that are supported.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:36:00 +0000

Thanks for all of your comments so far.

John — all Apple needs to do is to uncheck Safari by default. Opt-In.

Are any of you annoyed when you download something like Java and it includes, by default, the Google Toolbar? There are a lot of downloads that include the Google Toolbar, and they are opt-out, not opt-in by default.

By: John

John — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:03:11 +0000

I guess we have different understanding of the words ‘Force me’.

Apple is not forcing you. You can uncheck the box and if that annoys you to do too, you can select ‘Ignore update’ from the menu and you should never see Safari again.

So as far as I can tell, the choice is indeed yours. The only thing they’re forcing you to do is to make your choice.

I completely understand why you don’t like Safari, it doesn’t look like a windows application and looks out of place. I bet if Apple made it using Windows native widgets, then more people would accept it.

But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re not wrong in offering it.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:37:13 +0000

John — I scanned thru the link you pointed to. I don’t go so far as suggesting Apple can’t advertise new software. But proactively pushing it is still wrong in my opinion.

Maybe I’d be more interested in Safari if it acted like a good Windows citizen. But, I have the same complaint about iTunes. I know Apple does this to keep the Apple/Mac brand … but it’s too bad as the UI suffers inconsistencies on the PC that make it unnecessarily difficult to use.

And although having it on your box doesn’t force you to use it, it’s one more thing that will need updates, it’s one more thing in “Start/Programs” menu, it’s just clutter.

I don’t mind choice — but I want freedom of choice. Don’t force me.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:14:59 +0000

@Ella – if browsers were standards compliant — and implemented the standards identically, AND they were all bug free, then I wouldn’t mind having more than one browser.

But, why do we need more than one browser if they all implement the same standards identically and all perform adaquately? Or — why would any typical web user care? I don’t need more than one web browser. Plug-ins? Average users don’t use plug-ins.

By: Ella Guru

Ella Guru — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:38:28 +0000

“How many browsers can a web developer support reliably?”

If the browser is built to standards then the number is unlimited. Of course that leaves out Internet Explorer doesn’t it?

By: John

John — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 04:34:45 +0000

I wish Apple would find a way to entice more users to actually USE Safari. While Apple may get Safari on windows boxes, it doesn’t mean that those users will actually use it. Yes, you read that right, despite what you’ve heard or read, having Safari on your hard drive doesn’t force you to use it.

I am a web developer and my biggest wish is for Safari, Firefox, Opera and IE to each have a 25% share of the browser market.

This guy said it better than I could:

http://mymacinations.com/2008/04/19/on-the-safari-for-windows-controversy/

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:23:41 +0000

Although IE may have been riddled with many bugs over the years … it has helped to create a market for higher quality browsers.

Yes, there may be bugs, but they don’t affect most users. IE is good enough. And that’s all most people need from a web browser, “good enough.” Maybe that’s a sad state, but I can hardly blame them.

Thanks for your comments!

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:18:15 +0000

With my software developer hat on, I agree with the spirit of what ‘slaws’ suggests — that we need to protect the clueless.

I don’t blame them. For everything I know about computers, I know one less thing about how the engine in my car works. I don’t worry about it. I get in and go. Many computer users just want to understand their computers at the same level.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:15:24 +0000

Choice is a often bad thing for web developers. How many browsers can a web developer support reliably? Even if all browsers implement some level of CSS/HTML compliance, a good web development shop still will test the various options to confirm there aren’t any issues. And, that takes time and energy. What’s also annoying for web developers is that some standards are left to interpretation — they aren’t hard and fast rules. So, any browser may choose to implement a standard as they see fit.