In general, software packages that Apple makes available through Software Update are also available on the company's Web site, so you can download them manually if you wish from www.apple.com/support/downloads/.
Starting with the second minor release of each Mac OS X versionsuch as 10. 4. 2 for TigerApple typically produces three separate updaters: the updater available only through Software Update, known as a "patch " or "smaller-sized delta " updater; the standard (or "regular-sized delta ") updater; and the "combo " updater.
Delta updaters require the most recent previous release to be installed; for example, a 10. 4. 6 updater would require that 10. 4. 5 already be installed. A combo updater, on the other hand, will update any previous version of the major system release (in this example, any release from 10. 4. 0 through 10. 4. 5) to the new version. Because of this, combo updaters are always largerin some cases much larger. Software Update chooses the smallest applicable updater, which means it chooses the smaller-sized delta updater if you run Software Update regularly.
Why should you care? Well, on a few occasions, users have found that using the delta updaters (whether manually or via Software Update) for some reason left out essential files that prevented proper operation of some Mac OS X features, whereas these files were included when the same users applied the combo updater.
Although I've never had problems with the delta updaters, anecdotal evidence suggests that you may have a slightly lower risk of problems if you manually download the combo updater for each Mac OS X update instead of using Software Update.
Software bugs are a fact of life, but in general, applications improve with each release. You can avoid, or solve, many maintenance problems simply by making sure you have the latest version of every program installed.
Note
In some cases, getting the latest version of a program means spending hundreds of dollars on a major upgrade. In cases where you can't afford the absolutely latest version, you should at least install the latest free update you can find. This may require some searching on the company's Web site; earlier updates may not be featured as prominently as the most recent update.
Because Software Update handles only Apple software, any other developer wanting to offer similar capabilities must devise a separate update mechanism. Happily, almost every major application (and a good percentage of minor ones) contains some sort of software update feature. Unhappily, they don't all work the same way. Some of them check for updates on a schedule, while others don'tand of those that do, not all have this feature turned on initially. Some programs can download and install new versions of themselves automatically, while others simply download a disk image and expect you to open it and run the installer yourself; still others do nothing but open a Web page with links to updates you can download manually.
In an ideal world, updates would require no intervention other than a single click to confirm that you're aware of, and approve of, the installation; everything else would happen automagically. Because only a few applications currently offer that level of automation, though, you may have to perform some extra steps.
I describe how to handle ongoing updates ahead. For now, do just two things:
Don't forget: Be sure to check for updates of preference panes, menu extras, plug-ins, Dashboard widgets, and other system enhancements. These types of software frequently lack an automatic update feature.
Grip
Some applications check for updates every time you launch them, and display an intrusive alert after each check just to tell you that no updates are available. Ugh! An alert of that sort should appear only after a manual check for updates. In such cases, I either turn off automatic checking or change it to a weekly or monthly check.
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