In a move that’s likely too little, too late, uTorrent has decided to stop bundling crapware with its (once) popular BitTorrent client. While it hasn’t come up with an alternative just yet, the developer plans to be more “open and transparent” as it considers its options.
A post on the software’s official forums by “The uTorrent Team” outlines the developer’s desire for change:
For the past several months, we’ve had internal conversations around how we can create a better uTorrent experience. Specifically, we want to find a way to improve uTorrent for our customers while financially supporting the amazing team that works every day to make uTorrent great.
As you know, uTorrent is a free piece of software. To support it, we use bundled software and offers to offset the cost that would otherwise be paid directly by the user. This is a familiar revenue model that is commonly used by software companies. It allows us to fund the costs associated with software development, as well as other projects and innovations.
It goes on to mention that the team has “never been satisfied” by the bundled software approach and that it “requires compromises” to the user experience it is no longer willing to make. It all sounds a bit product market-y, but at least uTorrent has admitted in some form that it goofed.
There’s no mention what it plans to replace the bundling with, other than the following comment:
Provide our users with clear options for supporting uTorrent (with options for every budget)
Which suggests something tiered is on the cards.
The problem is the damaged may already be done. With great alternatives including qBitTorrent, Deluge and Transmission available — alternatives that gained even more traction once uTorrent started bundling software — it’s going to be hard to not only win back the trust of users (especially after the Bitcoin miner debacle), but convince them to swap clients again.
uTorrent: Looking forward [uTorrent forums, via gHacks]
Comments
13 responses to “uTorrent Finally Realises Bundling Junk With Its Client Was A Terrible Idea”
Never going back at this point.
The adware was bad enough, but the bitcoin miner was past the point of no return. There’s zero reason to trust them.
Really, what?
Huh?
Bitcoin miner… I assume they were using my machine to mine bitcoins, not helping me mine them, yeah?
Yeah, they packaged a Bitcoin miner in uTorrent that used your computer to mine coins for them.
It is a bit hard to get people to pay for something they use to steal stuff so they don’t have to pay for it…
It would almost be like buying a gun!
I would pay for it.
What could a torrent site provide, that users would want AND be willing to pay for?
That would be – VPN.
There are already several choices in that market, so it will be hard to stand out.
Even with out the crapware, I don’t how utorrent looks. I am using 2.04 version.
Damage done! I moved to qBitTorrent and ain’t never going back. That’s what greed gets you.
Just use an old version. I haven’t updated in years. Don’t have the installer anymore though 🙁