Why does Adobe install 3rd party software with PE 10 without asking?

Question

I purchased Photoshop Elements and Priemere Elements 10 together. During installation Adobe installed SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 5 on my computer. The installation did not ask if I wanted to install this software and there was no option to not install it. I am the only one who installs applications on my computer so what gives Adobe the right to decide what to install for me. Sonicfire Pro 5 is unwanted by me and it pains me greatly that software was installed on my computer without my consent. Besides it takes up 30GB of disk space. Yes I can uninstall it and I will but it should not have been installed in the first place. I bought Photoshop Elements 10 and Premiere Elements 10 because I was happy with my purchase of Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4 and wanted to have newer versions but now I am very unhappy. I will never buy a Adobe product or suggest Adobe products to anyone ever again. The only thing that would change my mind would be if Adobes next version did not contain any 3rd party software or if it did one should be given a choice during installation as to install it or not and Adobe should give me a free version to replace the one I have. As those two things are unlikely to happen I will continue to never buy any Adobe software or suggest to anyone to buy Adobe products and faithfully watch the stock market as Adobe stocks continue to decline. Guess what I do for a living!

Answer 1

I did not answer you question, because I have no answer. That was why I recommended contacting Adobe. Though, at times, it might not seem like it, but they do listen to their customers. They collect tons of data, and try to prioritize things, based on that input. This is for Feature Requests, or just comments on how one likes, or does not like, the software.
In very general terms, I find Adobe products to be very benign, and especially to many other companies' software.
Over the decades, I only recall a few instances, where something was installed, without my input, at some level. Back about PS CS, there were some NIK Filters that were installed, and a few of them were "trials," which I am not keen on. SmartSound would be another example, except that I would want it, regardless (and probably only complain, if it was missing).
One of the biggest rubs that I had with Pinnacle Studio was that even if one bought their biggest, most expensive package, a ton of Effects and Transitions were loaded as trials. To get all of those, one had to spend about US $400, above the price of the NLE. Not sure if that is still the case, as I switched to AVID Liquid, about they time they bought Pinnacle, and have not seen Pinnacle Studio in many years. When I moved from Liquid, to PrPro, and the CS2 Production Studio, I never looked back at AVID/Pinnacle. Now, CS2 Production Studio came with about 8 programs, and then a ton of "Goodies." I would have loved to have the Goodies as options in the full suite installation. As it was, I had to do the main, muli-program install, and then run installation routines for maybe 30 other plug-ins, add-ons and stand-alones.
No, like you, I refuse to update my iTunes, as so much "other stuff" gets installed, and then I have to clean it out. You are not alone, except that we see SmartSound from different sides. Though I understand your not wanting anything, but the program, I view that as a necessity.
My suggestion to Adobe would be to include that as a separate, user-selectable install, though I have never heard of anyone complaining, unless SmartSound did not work for them.
I understand personal principles, and try to adhere to my own, but before you pass on SmartSound, I beg you to try it out. That will not ameliorate the need for Adobe to let the user decide what is/is not installed, but with a few sessions, you might change your mind about the program, itself.
Do let Adobe know how you feel, and perhaps SmartSound will become an additional installation, like the additional Functional Content.
Good luck,
Hunt