Tiger was updated lots when it first came out too but as it matured the updates came further and further apart. I expect this trend to continue with Leopard.
Yeah - all this brouhaha is for nothing.
Safari Update: also updates WebKit, a core component of OS X used by many apps for HTML rendering, JavaScript support and more. Reboot unsurprising. Note how WebKit nightly builds do not need a reboot simply because they install beside the system-level version, not replace it. Every Safari update I've ever installed since its first appearance back in the day has required a restart.
Mac OS X Security Update: low-level update which touches many core components of the OS. Again, reboot unsurprising -- every Security Update since the dawn of time has required one.
Software Update should be used for its intended purpose:
notification of the availability of updates. Note that Software Update shows the small 'reboot required' symbol next to updates which require a restart. Not only that, but it notifies the user that a reboot will be required before the updates are installed and provides the option to cancel. Finally, after the updates are ready to be installed, Software Update
once again asks the user if it is convenient to restart, providing a handy
Not Now button. You'll notice that in Leopard, the actual file-copy process for reboot-required updates only occurs during the shutdown sequence, so it's perfectly safe to answer 'Not Now'.
Really -- the power is in our hands
🙂