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Google Earth - APP vs. WEB PLUGIN - what's the difference?

J

jon08

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 14, 2008
1,893
109
So I mounted the app today and on the left is the Google Earth icon that you install in your app folder, while on the right is the Web Plug-In version of it.

Apart from accessing Google Earth through an app VS. through web browser, is there any other difference? Why should I install web plug-in as opposed to the app?

Thanks
 
I don't think there's any difference.

I just use the App since i don't like browser plugins much. I expect Google Earth will eventually move to just a pure HTML5 and WebGL experience once things are more stabilised.

Once you've installed the app don't forget to follow this hint to disable the Google auto-updater, unless you don't mind it.
 
Middling said:
I don't think there's any difference.

I just use the App since i don't like browser plugins much. I expect Google Earth will eventually move to just a pure HTML5 and WebGL experience once things are more stabilised.

Once you've installed the app don't forget to follow this hint to disable the Google auto-updater, unless you don't mind it.
Click to expand...

Oh, dang, I already agreed to the auto-updater. Is it really bad to have it on?
 
I don't know if it's bad per se, i just don't like the idea of a third party app running a background updater at all times, whether the related app is running or not.

The tip i linked to does provide a means to remove it if you've already been infected.
 
Middling said:
I don't know if it's bad per se, i just don't like the idea of a third party app running a background updater at all times, whether the related app is running or not.

The tip i linked to does provide a means to remove it if you've already been infected.
Click to expand...

Would completely uninstalling the app and installing it a new without selecting the auto-update option not work?
 
jon08 said:
Would completely uninstalling the app and installing it a new without selecting the auto-update option not work?
Click to expand...

No.

The updater is installed separately as a LaunchAgent. Supposedly if you deleted Google Earth (and every other Google app/plugin that uses the same updater) it will delete itself a few weeks later after it's detected it's no longer needed. Whether that works or not i don't know.
 
So you're saying the updater will keep running in the background all the time?
 
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