Apple uses Microsoft move to spread Safari

Apple's little gamble paid off.

Tearing a page out of Microsoft's playbook, Apple used one monopoly to help it gain marketshare in another field. Instead of Operating Systems (Microsoft used Windows to spread IE adoption), Apple used iTunes to spread its Safari browser...and oh boy, did it ever work!

Last month, iTunes for Windows users found an interesting new little application in their Apple Software Update window. Safari 3.1. Even if they hadn't ever installed or wanted to install the browser, it was there. And it was ticked.

That ticked (har) off a lot of people who generally saw Apple as having the moral high ground. Not the least of which was Firefox's CEO who called the move "a bad practice" that "ultimately undermines the safety of the Internet."

Apple eventually (on April 18th) created a box called "new installations" in the updater but continues to leave the Safari 3.1 installation ticked. Obviously Apple knows how valuable this "iTunes trojan" has become on Windows boxes and at the same time knows that its method of spreading it is considered wrong by many.

But you can't argue with the results:

Safari browser marketshare grew 3 fold on Windows machines. Perhaps helped partially by good reviews, the browser is on a serious uptick as you can see on the graph.

When you play in Microsoft's playground you have to play by Microsoft's rules if you want to succeed...I guess.

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The perils of stealing the moves of others:

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