Software Updates: Bloatware??

Question

Software Updates: Bloatware??

What's up with the size of software updates?

Has Apple succumed to the Microsoft tradition of bloatware? Recommending almost 300MB of updates on a Mac mini I've owned less than two months? And this is after already updating 10.4 to 10.4.2. And it does not count updates for products I am not using, like Pages and Keynote.

I do finally have fast internet, so that's not a problem, but since I'm outside of the US, my provider permits only 500MB monthly traffic from outside the country (the US and most of Europe too) before extra charges start to build. (I can't use Apple software updates on local servers, because these updates do not support English).

Going from 10.4 to 10.4.2 was over 50MB. Now, going from 10.4.2 to 10.4.3 is another 54MB? Or is it 97MB? Different links on apple.com can't seem to agree. Worse, the last update provided no additional functionality that I could notice.

Ten years ago, 300MB is the size of a large hard drive. Today, it's the size of recommended updates??? What's up with this?

Posted on Nov 15, 2005 12:01 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 15, 2005 12:39 AM in response to Matt Shalvatis

Well, I think we're far, far away to having to compare ourselves to Microsoft...I really wouldn't think of it as bloatware as some of the new code replaces old code rather than adding to and supplementing existing code. What's more, OS X is unique and remarkable in that with each update the system becomes speedier.

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Answer 2

Nov 15, 2005 12:51 AM in response to Matt Shalvatis

Hi Matt

Or is it 97MB? Different links on apple.com can't seem to agree

If you use Software Update then the download only contains the files needed to update your model of Mac. If you download the stand alone update then the download contains the files necessary for all models of Mac. That is the reason for the difference.

I'm interested to know what updates added up to 300MB.

May I also suggest you shop around for an alternative to your ISP. The one you have sounds positively backwards, today.

Matthew Whiting

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Answer 3

Nov 15, 2005 1:48 AM in response to matthew whiting

If he was also updating QT and iTunes and doing the security updates then it would be a pretty big update.

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Answer 4

Nov 15, 2005 1:59 AM in response to Matt Shalvatis

Ten years ago, 300MB is the size of a large hard
drive. Today, it's the size of recommended
updates??? What's up with this?

My first HD had the incredible size of 40MB and I remember an article in Byte where the author wondered why people would need HDs with 10MB. Back then MacOS could be installed on a single 1.4MB diskette leaving space to install Word or Excel and saving some documents. Now the OSes are much more complex and have grown bigger with every new version. This, however, doesn't mean they are bloatware. All the features we have come to love in MacOS have a price: bigger code and more disk space used.

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Answer 5

Nov 15, 2005 7:47 AM in response to Matt Shalvatis

Worse, the last update provided no additional
functionality that I could notice.

Every Apple updater includes docs that describe what features are updated. Read it first, then decide if the upgrade benefits are worth whatever pain you have upgrading (download time, etc). Nobody said "all Mac users must upgrade and do it now"🙂 Here's the 10.4.2->10.4.3 feature list. There's even a link there explaining why installer sizes can vary.

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Answer 6

Nov 16, 2005 7:58 AM in response to matthew whiting

Updates that add up to 300MB are.....

Keynote 1.1.1 * 31.3
DVD Player 4.6 * 9.8
GarageBand 2.0.2 * 14.6
Airport 4.2 * 12.3
iPhoto 5.0.4 * 41.0
Java 1.3.1 & 1.4.2 * 45.3
iPod updater * 32.8 (Apparently doesn't cover Generation 2 iPods so I'm not sure why it's listed)
QuickTime 7.0.3 * 33.1
iTunes 6.0.1 * 12.8
Mac OS X 10.4.3 * 56.8
TOTAL = 289.4MB

I don't consider all of them mandatory, so I'm certainly skipping a few when I download.

Where I am, in Ukraine, there are many places the phones don't work all that well. But at least Kiev does have most of the wonders of the modern world, but not multiple choices. So, shopping for another ISP really isn't an option. And what do I expect for $20 a month anyway? But I can live debt free here, which is a miracle in itself, and, as Lennon & McCartney wrote "The Ukraine girls really knock me out".

Where I lived previously, in NJ USA, the local phone company did not supply fast internet. The cable company did, but I couldn't see spending for cable tv in order to get cable internet.

Matt

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Answer 7

Nov 16, 2005 9:58 AM in response to Matt Shalvatis

Thanks for filling me in, Matt. I see your problem. As you have said, you don't need to do them all in one month, and I don't suppose those apps will be updated again for months.

Matthew Whiting

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