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Apple SW Update for 3rd Parties?

Re: Apple does it again. A repeat of Watson.

Originally posted by speechgod
I personally know the developer of UpdateRadar, Ricci Adams. Update Radar already does most of this.

Seems Update Radar is going to become the next Watson.

His site: ricciadams.com
Click to expand...

he has a good start, but that program doesn't look like it actually updates the software, right?
 
Re: Apple does it again. A repeat of Watson.

Originally posted by speechgod
I personally know the developer of UpdateRadar, Ricci Adams. Update Radar already does most of this.

Seems Update Radar is going to become the next Watson.

His site: ricciadams.com
Click to expand...

Watson had a number of specific features that Sherlock then incorporated. Update Radar has one feature that's based loosely on Apple's software update to begin with, and he takes the next step. Not a terribly original idea, just a larger implimentation. So i wouldn't complain too loudly, i doubt they did any personal programming plagerism. He had something before Apple did, and he has something nice to put on his resume.

:)
pnw
 
Since this topic seems to have shifted to me, I suppose that I should make my grand first post here on Macrumors.com :)

First off, Apple incorporating 3rd party software into Software Update is truly awesome and it will definitely help both the developer and end-user community.

Even though many of my friends have been informing me that I have been "Watsoned", I honestly do not feel that this is the case. Yes, UpdateRadar tells you when your applications need updating; however, it also helps you find new programs to try out via integrated "Search", "Latest Software", and "Top Software" panels ("Top Software" panel available in UpdateRadar 4.0, which should be released very soon).

Rest assured that UpdateRadar support will continue even if Apple adds 3rd party options to Software Update. Adding these features to Software Update is a very logical step for them to take and will definitely benefit a lot of people out there :) I wish Apple the best for all their new features in 10.3!
 
Ricci,

First, let me welcome you to MR. Hope to see you stay a while :)

I've not yet used UpdateRadar, tho i plan to after seeing that it can track software that's not installed. I usually spend a few minutes a day at VT or download.com looking for/at the latest software releases and updates, so this will greatly simplify the process. I'm glad you're not upset by rumors of Apple implimenting the feature, as you can see by my prior post I agree with you. A feature implimentation is much different than a complete overhaul of a program to look and function almost exactly like another...

I'm also tempted to try out Checklist-- you have some very good ideas that seem to be well implimented...

Keep up the good work!
pnw
 
Not for me

Call me old-fashioned but I prefer to download updates manually. The reason is that with Software Update I cannot keep the big file I just downloaded into my hard drive for backup purposes. In Australia we have download limits for broadband connections so re-downloading a file is a waste. If third party developers start using Software Update I would like to see an option to save their files in a user-selected location.
 
I would think it would an extension of OSX Downloads, where items can be searched (freeware, demo, shareware etc). Or it would check your system profile for applications and then compare that with Apples database therefore giving a list of updates that can be installed.


James.
 
record

I just thought that there may be some privacy issues with this function of OS X. Would Apple have the right to police for infringements to its licences on user's computers once it has a record on its servers?
 
Re: Not for me

Originally posted by Sol
Call me old-fashioned but I prefer to download updates manually. The reason is that with Software Update I cannot keep the big file I just downloaded into my hard drive for backup purposes. In Australia we have download limits for broadband connections so re-downloading a file is a waste. If third party developers start using Software Update I would like to see an option to save their files in a user-selected location.
Click to expand...

Actually Software Update has this feature. I'm not at my mac, so I can't tell you how (its not intuitive). I remember someone on the apple discussion boards commenting on it. It is good to have in case the download gets interrupted.

I'll post later, when I'm at my mac, if no one else does in regards to this.
 
Actually, I found a reference to it early, so here you go:

In the Software Update application goto: Menu Bar->Update->Download Checked Items to Desktop. This will allow you to download the full packages to you desktop for archiving.
 
Actually I remember reading a long time ago (pre 10.1, before most of your OSX newbs got into the OS ;-) ) that Apple was planning on opening SWUD to 3rd parties. i think it worked like this: you have an update, you pass on the info to apple, and they update the master SWUD server. The client side SWUD detects if you are using this software or not, then informs you of an update. Apple doesn't seem to have any plans for forcing you to install new (err, well new 3rd party) SW.

not that i don't like SWUD reminding me on my 2nd computer than i didn't install iSync, saves me hassle. I agree with an earlier post, it's sad to see people running old software with bugs they fight with which have since been fixed. As for individual updaters i'm starting to hate them. Quicktime seems weird, SWUD will tell you of a QT patch, but doesn't handle it (i think??). Also something like PhotoShop which goes online EVERY TIME I OPEN IT didn't even tell me about 7.0.1. Talk about crazy coding.
 
Originally posted by arn
if this does happen... the other question is how to deal with paid upgrades...

Let's say a major revision of an application comes out... and costs $99. Will SoftwareUpdate handle it? Or will it only do free-upgades?

arn
Click to expand...
I think there should be a window that shows all the paid updates. It should have tabs with a window that allows you to ignore that update and to pay for it. Ignored updates will not show up once it's put in the ignored window. A fourth tab should show all the updates you've downloaded and all the up dates you've paid for. You shold also be allowed to search for freeware in a fifth program. This window should show what that application does etc.
 
NFVersionChecker

Originally posted by paulwhannel
i've been waiting for this since software update became stable. It only makes sense. Even the apps that automatically check for updates don't do a good job, you're never sure if they'll open a browser window, use the one you're surfing in, automatically download, use browser download, automatically install, overwrite data, need restarting or not. hell, sometimes they don't work at all. Mozilla's update function never worked properly on my system; Norton's leaves the LiveUpdate app running once it's done (and there's no updates to be found).

This would dramatically add to ease-of-use for the semi-computer literate... one of the things i found most as a computer consultant is people who were running software that was years old, dealing with bugs on a daily basis that had long ago been fixed. There are whole new sets of bugs out there to be had ;)

pnw
Click to expand...

i have made it easy for cocoa developers to implement there own version checking through NFVersionChecker, it always opens the user spesified web brower to the URL that the devloper provides, wether that is directly to the file or to a web page, that is up to the developer, and it does not self install - unless the developer uses the new wiz-bang self install disk images ;)
 
Might have already been mentioned, the software update should support resumable downloads for the people who still have 56k. It is one of the worst offenders of the program that this feature is missing, and puts people wanting to update their system either waiting for a CD to purchase, or trying to download software at work and transfering it home, or waiting for the update to become available in the knowledgebase. Even better would be if Apple started getting power companies to agree to start power line based broadband in every country. With no infrustructure to build, Apple could become its own big broadband service provider should it so choose, and make Software Updates via the web a viable option for the 85% of the public that doesn't have broadband now.
 
Re: Not for me

Originally posted by Sol
Call me old-fashioned but I prefer to download updates manually. The reason is that with Software Update I cannot keep the big file I just downloaded into my hard drive for backup purposes. In Australia we have download limits for broadband connections so re-downloading a file is a waste. If third party developers start using Software Update I would like to see an option to save their files in a user-selected location.
Click to expand...

Actually you can, just look under the update menu. Next you download an update go to update > save as before installing.:D
 
Actually. . .

Originally posted by gopher
Might have already been mentioned, the software update should support resumable downloads for the people who still have 56k. It is one of the worst offenders of the program that this feature is missing, and puts people wanting to update their system either waiting for a CD to purchase, or trying to download software at work and transfering it home, or waiting for the update to become available in the knowledgebase. Even better would be if Apple started getting power companies to agree to start power line based broadband in every country. With no infrustructure to build, Apple could become its own big broadband service provider should it so choose, and make Software Updates via the web a viable option for the 85% of the public that doesn't have broadband now.
Click to expand...

Software Update uses a cache function which allows it to keep it and install it all in the same program session, and it's in some CoreServices folder.
 
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