Update Mac OS or not?; USB-C port service life?

[AMSOS]

1) I’ve noticed Mac OS is now as heavily updated as iOS. Not only is one expected to get the major OS update every year, but smaller updates are also now being regularly sent out. I’ve generally stuck to the OS version I got with my Mac laptop and just gone for the smaller updates, and that too intermittently.

Is there a problem if I ignore the yearly updates? The laptop is stable and there are no irritating phone apps that “require” constant updating. Also, is it okay if I go for the smaller updates once every few months, instead of as soon as they are issued?

2) I hook up my laptop to an old external monitor and need a USB hub to connect the two. I plug in about 4 times a day. Is there a chance that this might wear out the USB-C ports on the laptop? If yes, how much service life should I expect from either port?

Thanks!

 

[casperes1996]

1)
Every update patches security vulnerabilities. It’s your prerogative to decide how comfortable you are delaying those. The biggest security patches get back ported two major versions back. Some huge patches get ported further back but that’s quite rare. There are security updates that are only on the very latest major release though.

2)
I don’t have exact numbers but ports are worn down over time. But they are typically rated for many daily plugs and unplugs for the expected lifetime of the product as a minimum.

 

[benwiggy]

1) I’ve noticed Mac OS is now as heavily updated as iOS. Not only is one expected to get the major OS update every year, but smaller updates are also now being regularly sent out.

The update cycle hasn't really changed since OS X Lion in 2010. It's an annual 'major' release, with 6 or so minor updates. (So roughly every two months.)

Computing is like maintaining a garden: there's always things that need doing to keep it in good order. You could 'freeze' your computer's state, but you would gradually find that it became incompatible with new software (or new versions), internet technologies (e.g. your old computer won't work with some web pages); and other aspect of communication and progress.

It's generally easier to keep everything up to date, rather than leave it for years, and then discover that everything needs updating and nothing works until it's all done.

According to the internet, a standard USB-C port is rated for 10,000 insertion and removal cycles. At 4 cycles per day, you can expect it to wear out in 6.8 years.

 

[baconcat_8964]

For Q2. Most damage to USB-C ports in my experience is caused by dropping a laptop while it’s connected. Normal plugging and unplugging won’t cause that much wear and the port should last as long as the laptop.

 

[AMSOS]

Thanks for your replies. Even the security updates are pretty big and run into at least a few GBs. So, I was wondering how much of a big deal it is if update only now and then.
Perhaps I could just keep a tab on the kind of security update sent out, and update selectively?
About the yearly upgrade to the latest OS. I could just upgrade every 2 years. Does that offer any benefits of more reliable operation along with a general enhancement of performance?
Doesn't all this constant updating and upgrading also wear out the SSD read/write faster, making for an overall shorter lifespan of the drive?
I do hope the ports last for at least 7 years with this usage. I do plan to keep the M1 for at least that long. Maybe I should look into using AirPlay and projecting the display wirelessly.
Thanks!

 

[chrfr]

Doesn't all this constant updating and upgrading also wear out the SSD read/write faster, making for an overall shorter lifespan of the drive?

This shouldn't even remotely be a concern for you. As far as the storage goes, it'll last for many, many years, and system updates are a tiny fraction of how much usage the disk receives over its lifetime.

 

[benwiggy]

So, I was wondering how much of a big deal it is if update only now and then.
Perhaps I could just keep a tab on the kind of security update sent out, and update selectively?

Let me turn it around: why do you not want to install security updates? They can download in the background; they can even be installed automatically overnight. "Wear and tear" on your SSD just isn't an issue.

Having to spend time reading about what's in an update; and accurately assessing whether that's a vulnerability you can live with is needless effort. Why bother? Just install the update, and know that you're up-to-date.

I have never worried about whether I might wear out a port, either; and I can't remember it ever happening in over 40 years of using computers.

 

[AMSOS]

Let me turn it around: why do you not want to install security updates? They can download in the background; they can even be installed automatically overnight. "Wear and tear" on your SSD just isn't an issue.

Having to spend time reading about what's in an update; and accurately assessing whether that's a vulnerability you can live with is needless effort. Why bother? Just install the update, and know that you're up-to-date.

I have never worried about whether I might wear out a port, either; and I can't remember it ever happening in over 40 years of using computers.

Haha. Sure, you can turn it around. I always liked the simpler "log on and do your work" feel of Mac OS. Unlike the crap that Windows was-and is.
Which is why I don't want to be bothered with frequent updates. I could automate, it but I like to retain control. There is also the issue of security. In case of a really serious attack, I suspect hackers will manage to send malware via the update. So, waiting for some weeks (at least) makes sense.
Ditto for the yearly upgrades, which I don't really need, if the system is working fine. There have been many changes to the OS that have made usability worse, so I can't say I am always excited to be jumping on to the next upgrade.

Thanks for the clarification about SSD and port life span. It's reassuring and I am not a heavy enough user to have to bother much about this now

 

[benwiggy]

There is also the issue of security. In case of a really serious attack, I suspect hackers will manage to send malware via the update.

So, because you fear the extremely remote hypothetical possibility that hackers might somehow infiltrate Apple's update delivery system, you're not going install fixes to actual real vulnerabilities, which hackers will almost certainly exploit....? 🤣

One every couple of months, I'll turn on my computer, and there will be an update. I'll click OK, and go and make myself a drink, and it will be done when I come back. Meh.