It used to be a notoriously MS-DOS attitude, that the software vendor would write intrusive (and often stupid) install routines to mess with the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files of customer computers.

Mac software was usually more respectful --it asked first, and it explained what it was going to attempt.

This wasn't always true, but it seemed to be that way, a basic cultural difference.

Now, a decade into the new millennium, Apple is happily getting on board with that attitude, with its new devices and its App Store.