

(Yes, I've seen Bonjour disable local and Internet connections on Windows networks. Bonjour has required patches for security issues in the past and has been known to cause a complete loss of network connectivity on Windows networks. I strongly recommend not installing Bonjour unless you need it. It is installed by default with the iTunes download.

Bonjour (Bonjour64 on 圆4 systems) is Apple's implementation of the open-source Zeroconf, a multicast DNS responder used to discover services on a local area network.If you know where the individual installer package is located, you can install just that piece without having to go through the tedious full install. That is, of course, a bogus error message. If you remove it, or if you install iTunes without also installing this package, you'll see the following error message. It is a required component for both iTunes and QuickTime. Apple Application Support was added in iTunes 9 as a framework for managing applications on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

For an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you must use iTunes to update its firmware and sync its content with your PC. If you own an iPhone or a 3G iPad, you must use iTunes to activate your device. iTunes also provides access to the iTunes store. It is the only officially supported way to sync music, videos, and other content with Apple-branded devices, although third-party alternatives are available.
