Well, one good thing about Windows 2000 is you don't see this bundling.

Google is the new Microsoft

Well there is a big headline telling you about the inclusion of Chrome and you still get the option to decline that offer and only get Google Earth, plus it is not like the homepage is cluttered with unnecessary stuff so that you actually have to search for that option.

So the only thing they could do for the "quick scrollers and clickers" is to label the download button according to the option selected, so that everybody knows what they are getting when they press the mouse button.

I don't mind so much when vendors place other software they want to promote in a bundle with their more popular software (well, I mind, but it's a valid business practice that works, so I can't blame them)... but having it checked by default is not good (regardless of how readily you advertise the fact that it's there).

It's downright sneaky; sounds like something Apple would do; not Google.

Bad Google! Yes Chrome is amazing, but don't force it on people! I hate bundled software.

Yuck! That's disgusting. (Although it's worth pointing out that Google previously installed Google Toolbar instead of Chrome when you tried to download Google Earth. There's a screenshot at the bottom of this post: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/04/google-updater-new-installer-for-google.html)

Here's a link to Google Earth without the Updater and the Chrome bundling. Just the pure Google Earth: http://earth.google.com/tour/thanks-win4.html

Google should give me the option to check the box, not the option to uncheck the box!

FAIL

I think they have definitely crossed the line.

Fail, definitely. In fairness to Apple, who I don't like and despised utterly for their auto-ticking of Safari on the standard Apple updater, at least that was also clear on the list.

However, while I accept that updates to existing products can legitimately be pre-ticked, new products shouldn't be. Whether or not they're in big letters at the top of the page.

I'm *still* working on PCs with an unused Safari install and users who don't know how it got there. When I mention how, they ask me if I'm sure it's OK to remove it – or will it damage their iTunes?

Google, you are blowing it here.

C'mon, uncheck that box. You're just gonna end up pissing off people. It's a bad, evil practice.

And you know it.

Make it available, sing its praises, but

uncheck that box, dammit.

You're shootin' yourself in the foot.

Don't be evil.

Case closed.

Don't really mind them them bundling it, if at least the button would change accordingly, in other words; If the checkbox is ticked then change the text to: "Download Google earth and Google chrome now"

These bundling pracitices are annoying as of other vendors.
It's one of those things that jeopardize trust for Google as it's not putting the user first.

I was recently surprised to find a Google toolbar installed on my computer and it turned out it was bundled with a Flash player. I'm sure you could probably find a notice of it somewhere in the flash download process but who reads this stuff?

I don't know if you guys noticed but the ad at the bottom of this thread is an ad for Chrome from Google. Haha! I wonder how much that ad costs Google ;)

also check this out:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=browser&btnG=Search

AdSense is also probably setup to trigger a Chrome ad whenever the text mentions a browser...

Alex K
Google has always used its AdSense to promote its services.

>Well there is a big headline telling you about the inclusion of Chrome

So what? Is there also a big headline telling you about the inclusion of IE? If Microsoft wanted, could it get Google to add the big headline, telling you about the inclusion of IE?

Since the answer to both of those questions is a most resounding NO, I would have to say that this Google practice is, as Ionut says, disgusting.

One commenter (Leif902) writes ("well, I mind, it's a valid business practice that works, so I can't blame them"). To me, that is a sad commentary of the current state of affairs. So what if it works? Google is supposed to be a "better" company than that. Google is supposed to have principles. Microsoft doesn't have principles, so it bundles, and does "what works" because it cares more about itself than its users. Google used to have principles, used to do not "what works", but "what was right", because it cares more about its users than itself.

Google has now adopted those very same "it works" Microsoft business practices. We need to realize that.

Verdict? Fail.

I have tricked me with this, the only option I had was do abort the Chrome download. I really do not like it.

Strange, I've got Google Earth 4.3 on my machine but couldn't find any option to install Chrome with it. The package from the Medibuntu repository must be broken ...

Just kidding, of course. No Chrome, no evil, that's how Google passes its "self-proclaimed litmus test" on Linux – by doubly failing it.