Parallels Update Installs Unrelated Daemon Without Permission 170
Calibax writes "Parallels recently released version 9 of Parallels Desktop, their popular hypervisor application for Mac. They also released a new product named Parallels Access that offers access to Windows applications from an iPad for $80 per year. Access has received less than stellar reviews. When a user upgrades Parallels Desktop, he is asked if he wants a free six-month subscription to Parallels Access. Even if he says no, the product is installed on his system and the application is started each time the system is rebooted. It is installed with ancillary files scattered around several directories in the system and Parallels has not supplied an uninstaller or listed the steps to fully uninstall the application, despite a number of requests. In other words, Parallels has decided it's a good idea to silently install a difficult to remove daemon application on the system, even if the user has explicitly stated they do not want it. They have not provided an uninstaller or a list of files installed or instructions on how to remove the application files. These are scattered to at least four Mac OS X OS system level directories."
Burning bridges (Score:5, Insightful)
When you decline to install something you expect that it doesn't get installed. Parallels is going to burn a lot of trust by pulling this stunt. The cost of acquiring their customers has certainly got to exceed the profit from people who decide that they will change their mind and want to run this software anyways.
At a bare minimum they need to start by building a package that will remove all traces post haste for the anyone that wants it. For people that don't want to run the package explicit instructions need to be made available about how to completely remove this. Any number of companies have screwed up royally before this, those that are still respected are the ones that instituted proper damage control.
Re:Macintosh's ease of use (Score:5, Insightful)
Funny enough, a software like Parallels Desktop needs such low-level access to the system that it would most certainly be prohibited from being approved into the Mac App Store. Apple is pretty strict about what kind of low-level access its App Store apps are allowed and where they can install their stuff.
So if the user would have stayed inside the walled garden, he would actually be safe from this particular threat.
I do not want to say that the walled garden is flawless or does not have some significant problems, but your guess is really simply wrong in this case.
Re:Macintosh's ease of use (Score:4, Insightful)
What exactly does Apple have to do with shoddy 3rd party software?
Neither Parallels or VMWare Fusion are in Apple's App store. So if grandma is going to the store to buy virtualization software, I would hope she has some idea of what she is doing.
Also, if grandma happens to hose the Ubuntu machine you gave her and she has to look at this:
~#:_
Does that mean Linux is shit and just for freetard lusers?
Re:Macintosh's ease of use (Score:0, Insightful)
You've been corrected bra boy, own it.
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Re:Burning bridges (Score:3, Insightful)
Apple itself does this kind of crap. Back when QuickTime was necessary to view some online video, they'd bundle iTunes and not allow you to remove it.
Everyone does this, this happens all the time. I really don't know what the big deal is, I've installed many programs that had extra crap I didn't want and this is nothing new. Use a different product if you don't like the package.
Firefox didn't ask me if I wanted their update service installed either, it's probably an NSA spy machine.
Difference is that is a Windows problem. Macs are better in that you have simple folders and no registry. To back up a program you copy it to a source then copy it back and run it. No install programs that install malware. Windows users are just used to bad things.
Back to the Future (Score:5, Insightful)
Ah, the advantages of OSX. No "ancillary files scattered" all around the system when you install something. Remember when all you had to do to uninstall a Mac app was drag it to the Trash?
But the most unsettling part of this is the fact that Parallels had to know they would be found out, and went ahead anyway. When a company gets caught with its pants down, at least there's an indication that they realize there was something wrong with their behavior. This is much worse, because they just didn't care what you think.
Re:Macintosh's ease of use (Score:2, Insightful)
You have no idea how bad you have it with Windows.
Yeah, it's terrible. Having to worry about whether the latest game will run on the operating system I'm running... or buying hardware at OEM pricing online and incrementally upgrading my system instead of just buying a new one every year... and then there's that pesky problem of having to lug it into an official microsoft store whenever something breaks on it instead of the nearest 14 year old kid. It's rough.
Registry entries, malware, every free app including malware to slow down yoursystem including sourceforge using i3, eyecandy, ask, or whatever michevious crap!
Yes. Because malware authors target the OS with the biggest marketshare. Should Apple one day rule the world, and the Fanboys walk tall... they too shall feel the pain of worms, malware, and things being installed without your consent--oh wait, what was this article about again?
No fancy installers, no bizaare registry entries, simple folders, nothing hidden.
Yeah... that's really hard stuff there. Having to double click on an icon and click next a few times... or opening regedit and going through a tree-structure until you find the right entry, laid out just like any other filesystem.
So if the Mac turns into windows why spend 2x for the switch.
You're spending 2x now... you'll spend a lot more if Macintosh becomes the dominant OS... since you can only buy a Mac from Apple, and you can only buy the OS from Apple, and you can only get the apps from Apple, and all the peripherals are sold by... Apple. All that competition in the PC world sure does keep prices, er... really high, I guess.
While Apple still has bugs like in its store it is known as a superior platform...
To fanboys yes. To the rest of us, it's just another walled garden...
In the east it is more 50/50 windows vs mac.
Citation needed. Go ahead, I'll wait. While you're busy looking for that magical unicorn, articles like this [computerworld.com] continue to crop up suggesting that China doesn't want to pay the Apple tax.