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Apple Gets Bad Press from Microsoft for Acting Like Microsoft

Many people have been complaining about Apple’s recent foray into automatic updates as they pushed their software browser, safari, on thousands of people that happened to have itunes installed on their machine.  This is a tactic and device that Microsoft has used for years to automatically update and install programs and software on people’s machines.  It was also one that Microsoft drew a lot of flak over.

So there was no small irony this week when Microsoft announced that Apple’s move into this type of deceptive distribution of software created a security breach for PC users around the world.

“Security Advisory (953818) does not refer to vulnerability in either Safari or Windows,” Tim Rains, security response communications lead for Microsoft said in a statement sent to InternetNews.com.

“Rather, it describes a blended threat in which files may be downloaded to a user’s machine without prompting, allowing them to be executed. This results from a combination of the default download location in Safari and how the Windows desktop handles executables.”

InternetNews Realtime IT News - Microsoft Warns of Apple Flaw

Many people would like to believe that Apple is smarter and nicer than this, but the truth is that unfortunately this type of software distribution works and Apple will and has used it just like other companies have and will into the future no matter how much IQair they take and no matter how much their fans and customers wish they would not.

Microsoft Opens Old Bag of Tricks to Chip Away at Google Search with HP

Microsoft this week unveiled an agreement with Hewlett Packard to have Microsoft’s Live Search Engine set as the default search engine on new HP machines.

Under the agreement, Microsoft’s search engine will also be the default on Internet Explorer, which is preloaded with HP machines.

Microsoft did not disclose the terms of the agreement, which will begin in January in the US and Canada. 

PC Pro: News: Live Search to be preinstalled on all HP PCs

Google has a little over a year and a half left on its own deal with number two computer manufacturer Dell, who is keeping their options open after 2009.

Whether or not this new deal will work for consumers will likely depend on the results.  If a person searches for President Bush’s Watch and comes up with results for Rolex President, consumers may not be terribly pleased.  However, as Google’s search results have been on the decline over the last couple years, this might be an opportunity for Microsoft to eek out an extra couple percent of market share and possibly break past the 10% range.