software updates or wait for Leopard?

[bolly]

I'm new to Macs, and have my first iMac as of Oct 1. I was surprised to find that I *already* need 14 software updates (according to the software updater), which amount to quite a few MB's.

Probably not a problem to those with a fast connection, but I am on dialup (I know, very dinosaur, but I'm out in the boonies for now), so these would take huge amounts of time to download.

I've ordered Leopard upgrade already. So, my question is:

? will the Leopard upgrade take care of these needed updates?

?or should I go ahead and install those updates, at least those that seem the most important? (I'd pretty much have to do them one at a time)

Thanks in advance

 

[juanster]

well it is up to you, but if it was me i would update it, just leave it plugged in and d/l and installing all of them while you are not using the phone, or while u don t want to use the phone or can't, i dunno im a big update kind of person i always wnat everything up to date, software wise...🙂

 

[Cloudsurfer]

If these updates are Mac OS-related, then yes, Leopard will have those fixes built-in.

Updates to applications, such as iTunes or Pages, will not be included in the operating system as far as I'm concerned.

 

[overanalyzer]

Either way, heads up to get used to this (and get broadband, if you can). Apple is notorious for released extremely frequent software updates, often with bug fixes you'll want to keep up with (and even more often with little or no explanation of the fixes). You can probably expect to see several sizable updates to Leopard within days of its release.

In general, I'm a proponent of always staying fully patched, no matter what, once updates have had some time in the wild to expose any compatibility problems or major oversights. So I'd recommend patching even given your pending update to Leopard, unless you're planning on doing a full erase and install.

 

[J@ffa]

? will the Leopard upgrade take care of these needed updates?

Yes, with a few qualifications.

The OS update to 10.4.10 will obviously be redundant, as will any security updates or any core system components (like QuickTime and possibly iTunes). Leopard will either already contain these versions, or far more likely, completely new versions of such elements. However, any other Apple apps you may have installed will not be; however, since you're new to Macs, it's unlikely you have any such software. My advice is to wait until after you install Leopard, then run Software Update.

 

[notsofatjames]

I'm new to Macs, and have my first iMac as of Oct 1. I was surprised to find that I *already* need 14 software updates (according to the software updater), which amount to quite a few MB's.

14 updates isnt that many. When installing XP (Late 2003 version, with SP2 already in) I have an additional 114 updates to install.

A lot of the mac updates may already be bundled into an installer. Which version of Mac OS X are you running? If you only select to upgrade 10.4.10, that may save you a few extra downloads. None of them are really necessary, the same way that upgrading to leopard is necessary. None will particularly add functionality, and if your worried about bandwidth, i wouldn't bother. But it doesnt hurt from a security point of view to be up-to date.

 

[overanalyzer]

...however, since you're new to Macs, it's unlikely you have any such software.

Except iLife, iTunes and iWork (even if you didn't buy it, you have the trial pre-installed), which you certainly have and have definitely had several updates in the last several weeks.

14 updates isnt that many. When installing XP (Late 2003 version, with SP2 already in) I have an additional 114 updates to install.

Yeah, not to mention fully patching XP from a base install requires something like a dozen plus restarts, whereas Apple updates often don't require restarts at all, and when I rebuilt my old G5 from a Tiger base install to 10.4.10, it only took 2 or 3 restarts to download and install every update from the last couple years.

 

[suneohair]

Yeah, at my work we have an image that is only about 6 months old. Yet we need 90+ updates. Time for a new image I guess.

To the OP, broadband is becoming necessary. Leopard will need to be updated. They can't catch every problem so I would expect a nice sized update a few weeks to a month after release. And believe me you will want that update.

 

[bolly]

A lot of the mac updates may already be bundled into an installer. Which version of Mac OS X are you running? If you only select to upgrade 10.4.10, that may save you a few extra downloads. None of them are really necessary, the same way that upgrading to leopard is necessary. None will particularly add functionality, and if your worried about bandwidth, i wouldn't bother. But it doesnt hurt from a security point of view to be up-to date.

Right now I'm running 10.4.10.

Thanks guys, all good insights and a quick education. I appreciate your help.

I'm chomping at the bit for a faster connection, out here in the land of rattlesnakes and jackrabbits ; one that doesn't require selling the children; it just takes longer in some locations.

 

[overanalyzer]

I'm chomping at the bit for a faster connection, out here in the land of rattlesnakes and jackrabbits ; one that doesn't require selling the children; it just takes longer in some locations.

Sounds like where my mother lives. They've been able to get a receiver dish with terrestrial tower signals (it's like satellite on their end, except instead of pointing at a satellite dish, they're pointing at a tower on top of a mountain a few miles away). It's comparatively far slower than my cable modem living downtown in a city, but it's astronomically faster than dialup. Not sure if there's anything like that near you, but it pays to look around - a lot of people near them don't realize that option exists and still have dialup.