[Preciousss]

I take care of Windows updates in my office and was wondering how software update on the Mac compares.

In my network good practices training that I've been receiving, I learned that the Windows Update site is "for weenies", as my guru told me. His concerns lay more with security though and he recommeneded that I schedule regular visits to microsoft.com/technet for the real up to date security bulletins. (There's a link to "Hotfix & Bulletin Search" on the right that lists all of the updates by month.)

He even insisted that I sign up to be notified as soon as something comes out--I get the impression that Windows Update experiences a lag when compared to getting security updates this way.

Anyway, not to turn this into a Windows discussion--I might even be wrong about this Windows stuff (which would make for another thread). My immediate concern now is Software Update for the Mac.

First time I ran it, it pulled OSX.2.3, Quicktime and iPod updates. Does it check all of my Apple apps or do I have to do something extra (like with Windows) to get fully updated and secure?

And about firmware. I noticed in the OSX reinstall instructions that it recommeds installing firmware updates first, and it directs you to a different url (don't have it on me now, sorry). Are these included when Software Update scans?

Sorry for the length of this. Thanks!

[Developer]

All security updates of the OS have been in Software Update first - available before the standalone installer usually.
Apple also distributed security updates for the third party apps Internet Explorer and Stuffit Expander via Software Update.
You can rely on that.

[aaanorton]

Some available updates will not show up untill another update (such as firmware or OS) is applied. For this reason, it is best to keep re-running SU till it says "up to date" (or whatever) or only lists s/w you don't want/need.
SU will list OS updates and updates to all iApps, as well as updates to some other core apps like Office security releases and Stuffit updates.
It is an excellent way to stay up-to-date. Generally, SU will be the first way to get an update, with a stand-alone installer following soon after.

[-Q-]

Software Update is definitely the first to receive an update notice. It's typically scheduled to check for updates once/per week but you can schedule it to check as often as you'd like. I'd like to be able to customize it to check for updates for my major applications but so far, it's only used for Apple stuff and the occasional blessed third party. So for your system and Apple stuff, it's a pretty good system.

[Preciousss]

Originally posted by aaanorton:
SU will list OS updates and updates to all iApps, as well as updates to some other core apps like Office security releases and Stuffit updates.
It is an excellent way to stay up-to-date. Generally, SU will be the first way to get an update, with a stand-alone installer following soon after.

Hmmm, with the release of an iCal update in the past week I ran SU first to see if it would pick it up. It didn't. And I'm still running the old version of iCal...

This makes me think that I have to search for updates for all of my apps, including the iApps.

[sandsl]

You usually need to download updates to iApps yourself (unless security update). Check versiontracker.com.

You don't have to search for updates to iApps they're currently on the front page of Apple.com

[TheMosco]

its odd that there was nothing in software update for ical since they usually have updates for itunes.

but like someone else suggested, versiontracker.com is probably the best place to keep track of updates for all applications.

[Jasoco]

Software Update also knows exactly what order to install things. Which is great. It makes sure a file that should be replaced with another file gets replaced with the right file in the correct orde... great.. what was I saying? I don't know.

Anyway, you get what I mean. It knows exactly how to install them in the correct order. All automatically.

Software Update > Windows Update

[wataru]

iCal has never been available via Software Update, so it is not surprising that 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 are not showing up.