Safari-Update: Malware distribution practices?

With the new iTunes and Quicktime update users now also get the option to install Apple’s free Safari browser, a safe concurrent to the pre-installed Internet Explorer. But because Apple also offers its browser to users that didn’t run the Safari before, most people condemn this practice.

John Lilly from Mozilla, developer of the concurring Firefox-Browser calls Apples new strategy to gain market share for the Safari browser “bad practice” and close to “malware distribution practices”.

But there is nothing new to this: When installing Windows, in most versions a messenger, a browser and a media-player is pre-installed. Many Firefox downloads offer a pre-installed toolbar from Google or Yahoo! and also ICQ tries to install its own toolbar together with the messenger software.

Unlike this, Apple installs the browser only, if the user did not unselect the installing option. As Tom Krazit, running a blog at news.com, makes it clear: “If you don’t want to download Safari for Windows, don’t download Safari for Windows”.