If you've got a new Mac - Google Earth

[Highmac]

Downloading Google Earth for the new MBP, I noticed there is a checkbox for downloading and installing the Chrome browser.

It is checked by default - and it's not all that obvious IMHO - so if you've been trying to figure out how you unknowingly installed Chrome... Now you do know!  

[krissel]

Sneaky, but I remember Apple doing something similar.  


Found it:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9900727-37.html

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/safar...indows_scam.php

[Xairbusdriver]

"Never trust a company supplied order form." A. Nony Muss
"Never sign a document you haven't read and understand."

[Paddy]

While I have Chrome in both Mac and Windows flavors, in order to do testing of web sites on both the Mac and Windows side of things, that's all I use it for because I don't like the thought of Google collecting data in the background all the time.

Recently, as I noted in the thread on June 21, I stumbled across SRWare Iron - Chrome without the security concerns. It's wicked fast and very nice.

As for Apple automatically adding Safari downloads to updates for QuickTime etc. for Windows users, it would appear that they have stopped doing that (though not before going back and forth a few times...)

From Wikipedia:

QUOTE

Distribution through Apple Software Update
An earlier version of Apple Software Update (bundled with Safari, QuickTime, and iTunes for Microsoft Windows) selected Safari for installation from a list of Apple programs to download by default, even when a pre-existing installation of Safari was not detected on a user's machine. John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla, stated that Apple's use of its updating software to promote its other products was "a bad practice and should stop." He argued that the practice "borders on malware distribution practices" and "undermines the trust that [software companies are] all trying to build with users."[39] Apple spokesman Bill Evans responded to Lilly's statement, saying that Apple was only "using Software Update to make it easy and convenient for both Mac and Windows users to get the latest Safari update from Apple."[40] Apple also released a new version of Apple Software Update that puts new software in its own section, though still selected for installation by default.[41] In a newer update, Apple Software Update no longer selected new installation items in the new software section by default (as of late 2008).[citation needed]
On September 22, 2009, Apple once again checked "Install Safari 4" as a default setting with their update to iTunes v9.0.1.[citation needed] As of September 30, 2009, Safari is not a pre-selected application in Apple Software Update when it is not already installed.[42]