Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Bundles Toolbar With Adobe Apps

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the jab-landing-close-to-home dept.

grammar fascist writes "Sci-Tech Today reports that Google is paying a 'significant amount' to bundle Google Toolbar with certain Adobe downloads. From the article: 'The initial venue for the Google mini-app will be downloads of the popular and free Shockwave multimedia player. The move is seen by some observers as an effort to outflank Microsoft, especially as Internet Explorer 7 nears its formal launch this summer [...] Interestingly, Google's search toolbar will be available only when Shockwave is downloaded for use with Internet Explorer on Windows.'"

7 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Alternatives by Phroggy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If the alternative is bundling the MSN search bar, I'm completely in favor of this.

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
    1. Re:Alternatives by jb.hl.com · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, so it's alright if Google does it, but not if Microsoft does it? It's a pain in the hole either way.

      Google are inconveniencing everyone through this. Acrobat Reader is already a 20MB download for reasons I can't imagine. Why bloat Shockwave in the same way?

      --
      By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
  2. this hurts ADBE more than it helps Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This reminds me of the Yahoo-Toolbar in Acrobat7, this brings nothing for Adobe - but a slight decline in reputation as a manufacturer of high-end software tools.

  3. Obnoxious by rm999 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hate bundled software - I find it annoying, and everynow and then I forget to unclick the box when I am quickly installing something. I know a lot of freeware and toolbar companies do it, but I always thought (hoped?) Google was above that.

    1. Re:Obnoxious by vistic · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I began looking at the comments for this story just to see how many comments will say it's a good thing or how many have excuses why it's acceptable.

      I was disappointed there were so many.

      Google Toolbar is a good program for those who use IE (I think it's totally unnecessary for Mozilla) but Google or not, bundled software is just obnoxious. It's sad to see Google going down this road. If I want to install Google Toolbar, I will go to google's website and download and install it. If I go to the shockwave download site, then I only want shockwave.

      Google's contributing to the problem a lot of people have, where they have too many programs installed on their systems they never wanted. Too many programs installed even, that they don't even know are there.

  4. Thanks, but no thanks by kirun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Although it's nice of them to helpfully include carefully selected sotware from premier partners (where the careful selection process is making sure it's the highest bidder), even if they promise to be really, really, good and not create a bloated installer, perhaps they could get the message that if I'd wanted to install X, I would have. If I'm installing a player so you can make massive profits selling people the encoder, I shouldn't have to look at ads as well. The fact that they've had to create a FAQ telling people why they shouldn't be annoyed suggests they know this.

    --
    I'm scared of numbers that can't be written as a fraction. It's an irrational fear.
  5. hmm?? firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    firefox bundles google search and defaults to google (..and makes millions) and no one on ./ says anything