Software Update to Move Inside Mac App Store in OS X Mountain Lion

[jonnysods]

I work in academia, and can say that software updates via the app store is a royal pain in the ass. Really creates headaches for our lab managers when they need to update the software in OS X 10.7.

Since Lion, I went from loving Macintosh for the last 6-7 years, to now thinking about switching back to Windows. This crap about making the desktop OS work and feel like iOS feels like a huge step backwards. I am also very turned off by the whole App Store integration. Maybe this works good for home users, but for users in corporate and academia, it creates all new headaches.

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Worse than that. Since you don't want the App Store on end users machines, and public machines, you need to download the updates to a main computer. Then push them out by hitting all of the machines manually. Really obnoxious.

Thats' crazy.

 

[aquajet]

Hey y'all save yer bellyaching
Without NDA-breaking-specificity let me just say
The sky isn't falling.
Terminal textualist don't despair.
It's a transition for GUIs is all.

As long as the process remains scriptable and the software update service in OS X server remains, I'm not too worried. But these features are absolutely necessary and their removal would likely mean the end of Macs in our organization.

 

[iLilana]

Why? All Software Update really does is check an update-site, all it'd be is publishing how to handle your own update site, and add URLs to Software Update. Add signing so it's easy to see, and verify, where an update is coming from and what it's for.

Then make it all a background service and stuff it into the Notification Centre. That avoids the clutter of having two apps doing updates, neither of which really need to when a service will do, at which point the Notification Centre becomes the ideal means for seeing when updates are available/downloaded.

Never said it was better or worse. Just a personal preference. I did mistakenly infer that it may cause issues but I meant to infer that people who are not careful (but make fun of me for being cautious) end up bringing me their garbage to repair. Most recently .. my cheap ass brother who finds it difficult to even say thank-you for fixing his kid's crap then calls me paranoid in practically the same breath.

 

[chaosbunny]

But you need an Apple ID to download Mountain Lion.

So, you'd already have one.

Most people would have an Apple ID when they purchased Lion.. unless it was via a new machine or USB key.

I bought the Lion USB key, and would do so again IF it would be available for Mountain Lion. But it isn't.

I'm glad I'm not the only one not willing to use the MAS for various reasons. It's great for those who like it, but it should be an option. The concept that you have to have an Apple ID to use an Apple computer is just stupid.

And with this updates to the MAS thing you can't even create a fake acount using something like http://10minutemail.com to purchase Mountain Lion with coupons, create a ML dvd or usb stick and delete the account afterwards.

 

[Macman45]

This makes sense, a one visit update solution...Save having to run SU...On the whole a good thing, but what about people who can't get iTunes accounts?