When it comes to judging software, there are several different aspects to consider, such as its stability, interface, performance, price, and overall usefulness. Sometimes a program or app might seem great at first, but after using it for a while, it updates into a bloated piece of crapware. Now is the time to vent about whatever software out there bugs you the most.
Everyone has a program out there that they love to hate. It could be a program you’re forced to use at work, or maybe a home program that doesn’t have a good alternative. Maybe it’s just software that you’ve given up because you managed to find a good replacement. Whatever the case me be, we want to hear in the comments section below. What do you think the worst software in the world might be?
The software that receives the most complaints will receive a groovyPost Award for the Worst Software of 2012 and earn a place among a list of the top ten apps/programs to avoid that is coming soon.
Norton. It is the 1st program I uninstall when I setup new PCs. If you do use it, it crashes processes for a number of other running programs. Anytime you google search an issue, the first thing that shows up is “check to see if Norton is running.” Garbage
Now you got me thinking about all the Junkware installed on my HP when I bought it last year….
Yeah, crapware gets a big + for new PC’s. Unless it’s a Microsoft Signature PC, the first thing I do to a new computer is reformat and install a fresh copy of Windows.
Exactly. Microsoft actually wins in my book on the AV side of things — Windows Security Essentials.
Hey @disqus_8H4zdmnIVx:disqus / @mrgroove:disqus — is AV built into Windows 8?
ShockerSH Yes! Windows 8 has built in Antivirus now. It’s called Windows Defender, and it’s the original Windows Defender, which protects against spyware, and merged with Microsoft Security Essentials, which is Microsoft’s free Antivirus protection — which we fully endorse here.
If you want to check out more about that, here’s an article I wrote up about it:
http://goo.gl/CtnVg
Adobe cs5. Actually Adobe anything. I can envision the development thinking, “Hey, this feature works, let’s change it, it’s too intuitive., Useful Help? Ha! They don’t need no stinkin’ help…let ‘em ask each other”. Overpriced, overfeatured bloatware.
Adobe Anything
I like that…..
Adobe anything, squared! Awkward, bloated, and now that they’re drunk on their own version of design, illegible and unreadable. I’ve dumped everything, yes, even InDesign, which I used to love.
iTunes! It’s the worst and most terrible software I’ve ever installed on Windows. It’s even worse than most of the bundled bloatware that comes with prefab PCs.
Have you seen how many processes iTunes installs and runs in the background? Here they are:
AppleMobileBackup.exe
AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe
AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
AppleMobileSync.exe
distnoted.exe
iPodService.exe
iTunesHelper.exe
iTunesPhotoProcessor.exe
MDCrashReportTool.exe
mDNSResponder.exe
SyncServer.exe
qttask.exe
dotmacsyncclient.exe
And that doesn’t even include the 6 or 7 sync processes that are installed if you try to tie it into your Outlook or webmail contacts.
It’s almost as if Apple purposefully made iTunes bad, I’ve heard it is better on Mac but that doesn’t make it excusable. While we’re at it, Safari for Windows is also terrible. Apple went as far as to entirely stop updating it about a year ago.
Seconded. iTunes is the worst software in history. It has caused nothing but problems. It is the main reason I switched to Android early on.
+1 more for iTunes….. That’s the first one that came to my mind. Now that I’m past that….. I’ll think of the next one!
+100 for iTunes on Windows. I think iTunes 11 is even worse too. I got off my iTunes habbit a couple of years ago though, and haven’t looked back.
What alternatives are there on a PC?
ShockerSH There’s much better alternatives. Personally i like Foobar2000. It’s definitely more geeky, but you can skin it to death and it works with iOS devices…and other mobile players too.
Here’s an article I wrote on it: http://www.groovypost.com/howto/sick-of-itunes-intall-foobar2000/
Otherwise, I still have my collection of Music stored on my Home Server, then most of the time I use the streaming service MOG — http://www.groovypost.com/reviews/mog-windows-desktop/ — I like it better than Spotify, it streams at a higher bitrate, and has most of the music I need.
You know what, I think the same thing. It’s like they make iTunes crap on my PC so i’ll buy a MAC.
Is iTunes any better on the MAC? Anyone?
I have itunes on my iMac and it is fine. In addition it works very well with the Apple TV and Airport Express Wi-Fi set up and of course the Remote app. Never had a problem. All these perople saying it is “the worst” are probably anti Apple. I am anti Windows having changed to iMac 2 years ago after using Windows since it started!! Worst software? Windows in all its forms.
I agree totally that iTunes is the worst. I’m not a big Apple fan anyway – I think they started in the wrong direction when the dropped the Lisa and, now that Steve Jobs has gone, I think they’ll just go downhill at an ever increasing rate.
My daughter bought me an iPad Mini for Christmas and I want to synchronise the calendar on it with my PC. I have tried to use iTunes to do it but it just doesn’t do what the instructions say it should. It might work OK for music but it’s absolutely useless for anything serious. I have an Android based (Samsung) phone and synchronising that with my PC, using Samsung Kies, is an absolute breeze.
I just got home from a frustrating day at work using- or trying to use Lotus Notes. Its a sin that they make people use that garbage especially in work places. Despite that, I have to cast my vote for iTunes, it actually makes me mad just thinking of that big big bloated piece of $#@! Even more when I see an update throwing another shovel full onto the pile.
I’ll go with BillyBean on this one. iTunes always finds new ways to make me hate it.
adobe reader is one of the worst i’ve ever seen. A lot of useless updates, big ram consumption, and a few other issues. By far the best reader is foxitreader, light and easy to use and the ability to use tabs like any browser. Also Adobe flash is just awful, a lot of security issues, useless and frecuent updates, I open three videos or more and the browser crashes, using around 600mb of my ram wich is unaceptable for me and the worst part is that android ics and jelly bean doesn’t support this crap.
I have to agree with Adobe Reader too. I use either Foxit Reader — http://goo.gl/PwQJV
or better yet, set Chrome as your default PDF reader — http://www.groovypost.com/howto/howto/set-chrome-pdf-reader/
Foxit is on my craplist too now.
Sumatra is the best out there now: http://www.groovypost.com/reviews/sumatrapdf-free-windows-portable-browser-pdf-reader/ (although I still prefer Chrome as you said)
Yeah, Foxit is getting pretty bad recently. It’s still faster than Adobe in my experiences, but using Chrome is set as my default PDF reader, and I use FoxIt if I need more than just the ability to read one.
Just off the top of my head: iTunes, Java, Flash, Adobe Reader, Norton, McAfee, Digsby, WinZip, Worthless Toolbars, any and all Crapware!
DID YOU JUST INSULT JAVA?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?? YOU PROBABLY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT DOES, DO YOU?? lol but srsly?
You know, Java itself isn’t bad. What is bad is Oracle mixed with Sun and Microsoft. Terrrrible combination.
You forgot IE
Actually I don’t hate IE like I used to. IE 10 for desktop is pretty tight now, the metro-style version on the other hand, leave a lot to be desired. I use IE 10 for Microsoft sites, but Chrome is still my default
Aye
Chrome is my default but IE 10 metro in my Win 8 tablet. It works.
Microsoft Vista by far would have to be the worst software, Nightmarish to say the least. So for me, it’s “Hasta la vista”, Vista!
You think Vista is bad?! What, you don’t remember Windows ME?
Did you ever see Microsoft Bob?
I bow in reverence to you, daikyozin! How on earth did I fail to remember good (bad) ‘ol Windows ME. Must have been blinded by Vista’s eye-popping candy and all its bells-n-whistles. I think I need to visit Microsoft Bob. I hear he’s handing out more candy and party balloons…
iTunes, monster system hog, svelte & sleek Apple my A$$ – It is so bad I refuse to have it anywhere near my primary rig. and if Adobe ask me for yet another update…..
Adobe… Isn’t Adobe the reason Windows always gets hacked at Hackathons?
Well….. this is more of an online service but I’m going to have to go with Google DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers).
Super confusing. Very annoying trying to start out on it.
iTunes for Windows is the easy, cheap answer. Quite the temperamental resource hog.
But my real favorite, the disk management tool I tried years ago which quickly and effortlessly let me erase my hard disk – which I had not intended to do. Bad on me.
Nice… And the name of this feature rich disk tool?
Any of the Microsoft Office products since they went to the ridiculous ribbons at the top. The old menus worked just fine. The new ribbons are complex, tedious, poorly named (what’s the difference between “View”, “Review” and “Slide Show” in PPT, I ask you??). I so much hate the ribbons that I installed a program that sits on top of the ribbons with a quasi-old-style menu. But someday that’s not going to work, and I’m going to be out of luck. Stupid, stupid, stupid “enhancement” that adds absolutely no value. Thanks, Microsoft!!
Has anybody played with ACT!! ? This is the worst by far. I have to use this at work. Everyone hates it but no one admits it because it is supposed to be this awesome database where we can reference anything and everything. Instead everyone has to come to me to access anything. ERR! It runs in the background even when you shut it down it still has little fingers out there in all of your programs just trying to get a grip and rip out everything you love about your awesome work computer.
Act…. wow, that is taking me back. Is that the customer contact app where you keep track of customers and other things?
I remember working on that for a client back…. 20 years ago. Is that still around? wow…
dude… how old are you? LOL
I’m 23 years old. They have “updated” this system to the current year and it is still a giant pain.
I have to agree with the iTunes Folks. I absolutely hate it & the newest version is even worse. Is there an alternative to use for updating & adding music & books to my iPad & Kindle?
Yeah, I don’t know. That would be a great groovy topic!
Peggy Dorgan To add books to the Kindle, or iPad using you can use the Kindle App. Then you can just drag music over to your Kindle Fire by plugging it in to your PC. Or you can just use Amazon Music Scan and Match too. Here’s a few of our articles that might help:
http://www.groovypost.com/howto/download-amazon-kindle-ebooks-different-devices/
http://www.groovypost.com/howto/kindle-fire-put-music-on-tablet/
http://www.groovypost.com/reviews/amazon-cloud-player-scan-match/
I guess I am not sure if you can put music on the regular Kindle Reader or not?
Thanks a bunch. I would like to get rid of iTunes completely. Mobi Pocket Reader seems to work fairly well on my ‘old’ Kindle but I haven’t been able to find anything that will work with my iPod Nano.
Peggy Dorgan Have you tired SharePod? It’s free and I know several people who have given up iTunes swear by it. Here’s an article about it:
http://goo.gl/GVTkh
Which version of the Nano do you have?
You know I don’t remember. It is an 8gig & is about 3 years old. I am going to try the SharePod because I truly hate iTunes. I think every time they update it they make it worse………Many Thanks, Peggy
OK – you know what drives me crazy? Quicken.
Every year they bug me like hell to upgrade to the next version. I say “Why, Quicken runs great already!”.
So, to get even they timebomb me and after two years drop all bank update support so I “HAVE” to upgrade.
GAH!!!!! Die Intuit!
ok. I feel better.
I think Java ranks right up there with iTunes and Norton
I had to use Dell DataSafe Local Backup to make recovery disks for my laptop. It used half the screen and half the CPU time pestering me to upgrade, the whole time it was running. You would have to see it to believe how obnoxious it is.
How about JUSTCLOUD. It’s an iCloud backup which runs an app on your computer. Looks good and looks great value for money. Mine then stopped and they told me that the software has a bug that they cant fix. (Have it in writing!) Their suport took FIVE MONTHS to tell me this. Get my money back? Well they kept 3 months of use. “I had a service” they said. Crap!
Ouch….
Ok looks like we will do a roundup of best cloud backup solutions OK.
Thnx for the comment. I know backup is a hot topic for readers. A good warning in this JUSTCLOUD.
Steve, happy to see the “Ouch” comment. Companies that produce software that fail and 1) Do not help 2) Deny liability and 3) When faced with an abuse report as with BBB.org decide to try and rectify the situation, but only marginaly, derserve to be “Named and Shamed” Perhaps that’s the next title for a “Cloud Post”. Glad you took notice.
Probably against the tide but have to hate Windows 8 – It wants too much control over how I set up and use it. Can’t imagine how much they had to spend in subsidies(bribes?) to get computer companies to install it for new sales.
+1 for iTunes for Windows. This piece of software after an upgrade would no longer recognise my Apple devices. It prompts you to uninstall iTunes and re-install it, this in itself is crazy and time consuming. I did this about 20 times over a few weeks and also tried various tips to get the Apple Mobile Support drivers to work, in the end I gave up.
I managed to fix the problem bu re-installing the OS and then crossed my fingers when i installed iTunes, so far so good. My confidence in Apple is now dented
iTunes + QuickTime + whatever other services and BS get’s installed — Try MediaMonkey as an alternative on Windows. It’s deep and can be daunting at times but it will sync just about any device including Apple i-(your choice). Been using it for years and have it completely dialed in to do exactly what I want. One of the best apps I’ve ever owned.
Oh, come on.
As an IT engineer, I can name in a second flat the worst crapware ever written.
AOL Desktop
Internet Exploder, hands down.
Mac OSX is the worst ever. Windows 8 is the second worst.
itunes – cant tell you how many times it has wiped my ipod music colletion despite synching only selected playlists and folders.
It does as much for Apples reputation as Windows Vista did for MS !
Can I sue apple for wiping my music collection again ?
iTunes and Adobe Reader. Both are at version 11 and have become so overgrown that they are in need of a reboot.
Windows 8. Have you ever tried to explain the Start screen, charms, and hot corners to someone who just purchased a new laptop without touch? What do you tell them when they can’t play DVDs out of the box?
Adobe Flash and Java. Great technologies, but age and popularity have taken their toll in the security department.
Web Browsers. It’s awesome we have a choice, but with so many web browsers (and their 20+ versions a piece) makes it hell on a web developer and e-commerce! Throwing in smartphones and tablets only puts more fuel on the fire. Why can’t the world ever be perfect where websites render the same under all available web browsers?!