Am I the only one getting a little fed up with the volume and intrusiveness of Apple Update?
I’ve not checked the validity of the iTunes update history on wikipedia, but it seems about right. That’s 6 updates in less than 3 months. Even Microsoft manage to keep it to one set a month.
It’s not actually the volume of the updates that frustrates me though, it’s their intrusion.
Take this morning’s update as an example.
The first thing is the update dialogue:
It pops up slap bang in the middle of the screen and tells me that I have four updates available. Thanks for the blatant interruption.
It’s a strange list too. Why am I being asked to install a Security Update for QuickTime 7.1.6 and QuickTime 7.2 and iTunes + QuickTime 7.4.2. I could understand it if they were all incremental updates but two of them are full on installs, they aren’t part installs. They are full installs of different version of the same thing.
Rather than messing about (because I have enough bandwidth) I click “Install 4 Items”, and then for my next annoyance:
License agreements – yes agreements plural, one for QuickTime, one for iTunes + QuickTime and yet another one for Apple Software Update. These are agreements that I have had to click on 6 times in the last three months. Agreements that I don’t think have changed and if they had changed I would be struggling to notice where.
So I click – accept and accept and accept, then we are off:
Having downloaded and installed 85MB of software for what appears to be a minor update to do with ring-tones for the iPhone. An update about which I couldn’t care less. I’m in the UK and I couldn’t buy an iPhone even if I wanted to for another six weeks, and I don’t want to.
Then it’s time for the ultimate intrusion, the ultimate software installation sin.
Reboot? What for? This is supposed to be a minor update. Then I remember that I have this to go through all over again for two more devices, a real productivity killer.
I like to keep my software up to date because it’s normally easier that way. I think I might make an exception though and remove Apple Software Update only updating iTunes and QuickTime when I absolutely have to.
Am I really seriously considering getting locked into this software by buying hardware from them as well.
Rant over.
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Graham Chastney 
Hmm…you’d probably expect a reply from me – and maybe a defence. I run Apple Software Update on my PowerBook and yes I suppose I have got used to the variety of things you see. I would agree that a) the frequency of the updates have got greater; b) the agreement screens are disruptive; c) the reboot is painful; d) it is strange that there is Quicktime and then the iTunes+QT updates – the second implies that the QT upgrade is included – so why is it also separate?
In response, I’d say that the reboot is not always required – in this case it is more because of the QT changes. The Agreement screens (iTunes and QT respectively) – agreed – disruptive. The thing that worries me the most is a) the increasing frequency. The fiasco (my words) of iTunes 7.4>7.4.1>7.4.2 in as many days is utterly ridiculous. iTunes is usually updated when 1) a new device is added 2) a new service to the Itunes Music Store is added. Recent examples are the new iPods and the iTunes Plus.
IN my little bit of defence – I get more frustrated by reboots on my WinXP system just to install an AV update.
I hope that this does not detract too much from your thoughts about a new media player. Though of course, there are many solutions available to use an iPod as a device without using iTunes. But much of the benefit comes from the integration between Itunes and iPod.
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Hi Graham, nice post, you are not the only one annoyed by their frequency AND size!!!!
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Its stories like this that remind me why I like using Ubuntu so much, with its unobtrusive software update icon letting you know when updates are available. No license agreements (that I can remember) to have to accept, and even the two times I can remember a reboot being required, just another subtle icon informing me.
Oh, did I forget to mention I’m a happy Ubuntu camper!? 😉 Just a shame I have to suffer Windows at work 😦
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Terrible programming on Apple’s part!! Their programmers must have thrown caution to the wind with the enormous size of those updates. The LEAST they could have done was implement a patch to only upgrade the files that have actually changed. Is this the “dumbest” Update software ever written or what? Someone needs to infuse some modern technology into Apple’s programming department. Especially QuickTime – what a turd! There’s no excuse for such piggish software in today’s age.
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