Have You Looked in Your Windows Task Manager Lately?
I get so frustrated with software companies like Netscape and Apple that install TSRs along with their software. TSR stands for Terminate and Stay Resident, which is a program that is loaded and stays in your computers memory when the computer first boots.
When you install something like iTunes for example on a windows machine, Apple just assumes that you are going to want iTunesHelper.exe and iPodService.exe continually running in the background taking up a combined 7,260 K worth of memory. During the installation I didn't see anything that told me that they are going to install this permanent program that is going to load into memory when the computer boots and then continue to sit there and really do nothing except take up space. I mean, why can't they just give you options like, do you want to A.) Have two processes loaded when the computer start that sit there and suck up your memory and really do nothing or B.) Don't install our stupid crap processes.
Apple isn't the only company that makes software that does this either. Ever installed Netscape? Netscape just assumes that everyone is going to just love and want Real Time player so it goes ahead and installs the Real Time player along with Real Time's TSR that runs in the background. First of all, what web sites even stream anything in Real Time anymore and why would you even want it when websites that stream in Real Time also stream their stuff in QuickTime or Windows Media Player format? By the way I recommend using Real Alternative and QuickTime Alternative rather than the actual programs. They take up less space and run faster on windows machines.
Message to software companies: Give us the option if we want your TSR loaded or not or at least tell what the dumb thing does so we can more easily decide later if we want it or not!
I would think since there is so much spyware and malware out there that software companies would want to be on the up and up and just come forward and describe what their TSRs do. Anyway, that's just my two cents. Feel free to sound off on this if you feel the same way I do or even if you don't for that matter. However, I can't imagine someone disagreeing with me on this. :)
Related tags: Apple, Manager, Task, TSRs, Windows, XP
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While I generally agree with your sentiment, I think these kinds of options are just too darn confusing for newbie users.
Taking your example of iTunes/iPod: if Apple doesn't install and run the iPod service, it completely shatters the automatic/ease of use experience that is what makes the iPod so popular. They could give people the option, but all those who chose "no, don't install it," end up with a sub-par experience.
It would be nice if there was an "advanced install" or "custom install" option that gave users the choice, but the bottom line is that when dealing with newbies and other non-savvy folks, sofware companies simply have to make some baselines decisions for the user, because the user plain isn't smart enough to know what they want themselves. Software preferences have to default to something, right?
Jeff,
I agree that the average user isn't knowledgeable enough to make those sorts of decisions and I think the advanced install option might be the way to go.
However, on that note of users not being knowledgeable enough, is it not somewhat our fault? I mean if we always make everything for the lowest common denominator of people how are we ever going to get that lowest common denominator to grow and improve? In school you don't teach kindergarten level stuff for 12 years just because it's hard for some to learn new stuff. Anyway, just a thought.
It just seems like companies that install these TSR's without telling you what it does or even that they are installing it seems underhanded and sneaky. I guess it would be like if you went to the store and bought a refrigerator and then when you get the refrigerator home you discover it's accessing your wireless internet and ordering groceries for you when you run out. It's a nice feature and all but wouldn't you be just a little ticked knowing your refrigerator company was making those kind of decisions for you with out your knowledge. This is obviously and extreme example but it does illustrate my point.
see, there are 2 kinds of people--those who care, and those who don't. software companies make those decisions for those that don't care. we who care have to deal with the people that don't care.
you wrote this on my birthday DEC. 18
Jordan
Well, Happy Belated Birthday!
More programs that take this strategy: Kazaa, Morpheus (but these two were obvious, right?), Sony digital camera software (I was even woken up at night from the CPU working like crazy for hours), Real Networks...
Any more?
I couldn't agree with your post more. Unfortunately I don't think we're going to win this fight. So, here are some things you and your readers can do:
To kill persistent TSRs on the fly, such as iPodService.exe, grab a nifty free utility called pskill from Sysinternals. This will knock out even the processes that your task manager can't kill and works on both local and network processes. Needless to say, be careful with it :)
You can keep them from loading at startup too. Most TSRs aren't going to be in your startup folder (Start > Programs > Startup) but check there first. Then look in the registry at [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMICROSOFTWINDOWS CURRENTVERSIONRUN]; that's where they hide out. Delete items you don't want Windows to load. Assume the usual disclaimers about editing the registry.
Keep on stickin' it to the man.
jeremy
I guess the question of dealing with newbies will go on forever.
One of the problems with vendors writing software for newbies only is a similar problem in the school classroom. When the teacher imparts a lesson, and one student (call him Johnny) has difficulty understanding, instead of asking Johnny to stay after to help him individually (really the best solution,) the whole class has to "wait for Johnny."
This way, the whole world progresses slower so Johnny's feeling won't get hurt.
I am a pretty advanced user (I was pretty advanced in class too incase you hadn't guessed,) and I'm damn tired of waiting for Johnny all the time.
The way I figure it, if software vendors DON'T tell you what they are doing, then they are probably doing something they don't want you to know about.
When AIM installed the WDinstaller with it's free IM package and didn't tell you about it, I decided that even big companies can install spyware. This includes Microsoft, Apple, Real...
In fact, I've noted that the bigger the company, the more likely they will be in bed with someone attempting to spy on you and they sure as hell don't want to tell you about it. The spy and ad guys want to court the big companies 'cause they are the ones that have the money.
It's too bad really, if things continue in the underhanded way they are, sooner or later the government is going to get involved and really screw things up.
I guess I put in 5 cents, if someone wants to give me change....
Mark.
Good points Mark, I like the analogy you used about the slow kids in school. I guess it is a little like having to wait for the slow kid to catch up. :)
I couldn't agree with you pro's more. I honestly think that choices with regards to these kind of things should be made by the user and not the company that manufactures the software.
Anyone got a change for me....