A brief rant about how Adobe software took over my applications folder.
I recently got a new Mac and did a clean installation of my software. Two of the first apps I installed — primarily because I needed them to finish work on a book — were Photoshop CS3 and InDesign CS4. A few days later, I upgraded Photoshop to CS5.
The screen shot illustrates how Adobe invades a computer system and fills it with software that the end user might not want. Yes, I’ve got three versions of Adobe Bridge — which I never use. Two versions each of Adobe Device Central and Adobe Extension Manager. Then there’s Adobe Media Player, which I suppose plays some sort of media. I don’t want it. And Adobe Stock Photos? Who asked for that?
It gets worse, though, when you peek into my Utilities folder (also shown). One of the installers added Adobe AIR, along with its uninstaller. I do admit to adding Flash — although I really didn’t want to. But tell me, does Adobe really need three folders for its other crap: Adobe Installers, Adobe Utilities, and Adobe Utilities – CS5? Digging deeper into one of these folders (also shown) reveals even more from Adobe.
And these are just the items that aren’t hidden away in secret places all over my hard disk. It’s as if I invited a houseguest and he emptied his suitcase all over my house for the duration of his stay. What makes him think that’s okay? And if I ever kick him out, will I ever be able to find and remove all of his crap?
Even Microsoft Office doesn’t do this.
My question: Why?
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It used to be far worse. On Windows, installing Adobe would write licensing info to your master boot record, meaning everything is fine and dandy until you try and dual boot the machine.
That is worse. What the hell are they thinking?
Adobe is lost. There are too many examples to cite them all, but here are a few of my favorites: the bouncing Adobe Updater that just won’t die (in some versions, the updater itself has preferences, where you can turn off auto-update, but in others you handle that in the Acrobat app); applications that work in 10.5.8 but not in 10.6, so if you buy a new machine you get to buy a new Adobe CS; website that makes the simple things incomprehensible (example: try this page: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/ then click the link that says “Get new Flash Player 10.3” and where do you think you go? To a page called “Install a different version of Adobe Flash Player.” Different? Then, when you choose an operating system (Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.6), you still have to “Select a version”– even though there is only one version in the list. And on and on and on.)
Nice work Maria, as usual.
Oh, gawd, the updater! How could I not mention that? What an annoying “feature.” I especially hate how it bounces the Dock icon to tell you that an installation has been successfully completed. That’s Adobe saying: “Drop everything and pay attention to ME.”
I hope that if enough folks complain about stupidity like these examples, Adobe might wake up.
But then again, they probably won’t.