iTunes 8 is a neat application but I still get frustrated every time I upgrade or install a new version. I have alternative means of watching for program updates, namely FileHippo.com's
Update Checker, so I don't need Apple's update program clogging my StartUp registry key. I don't have any Apple mobile devices, so that is another group of programs I don't need installed. I also don't need '
iTunesHelper', '
QuickTime Task', or '
AppleSyncNotifier' loading on startup.
The biggest offender, however, is the Outlook plug-in. Whenever someone is complaining that their Outlook is crashing quite a bit, or will not shutdown in a timely manner, the first thing I ask is if they have iTunes installed on their machine.
Even though you can uninstall the Apple Mobile Device Support, the iTunes Outlook Add-in will stick around, which means you have to go into the 'Trust Center' of Outlook 2007 to disable or delete the COM Add-in. I like to keep my Outlook Add-in-less as much as possible due to potential memory leaks and strange problems can creep in without warning. Outlook does a good enough job by itself for that.
Honestly, I just want an 'Advanced' install option so I can deselect the items I don't want installed by default. I wish it was a required item for all programs in order to get the 'Certified for...' label.
Keep in mind, I'm only picking on iTunes right now because I upgraded my previously rock solid 7.7.x 64-bit install to 8 and the curse of the Outlook plug-in crash happened on my system. Plenty of other programs out there will add unwanted or unneeded 'features' without permission. Microsoft is just as guilty.
Other COM Addin offenders that I disable:
Streets and Trips add-in for email communication, MapPoint Office Add-In, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Colleague Import Add-in, Microsoft Outlook Mobile Service, Microsoft VBA for Outlook Addin, Send to Bluetooth.
Note: I'm not affiliated with FileHippo.com, but I use their update program quite a bit.