HEY!! DUMMIES!!

[rone]

Since Apple seems to be wholly unable these days to go two weeks without putting out another dot version of iTunes, would it absolutely kill them to issue an upgrade installer as well as a full installer?

Comments

[xdice.livejournal.com]

The magic 8-Ball I keep on the desk says simply:

"Yes."

[pentomino.livejournal.com]

Also, do I have to agree to the EULA twice per install?

Of course I do, because how else am I going to know they own me?

THANK YOU SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?

[schwa242.livejournal.com]

Apple is taking us to the technological singularity! Soon iTunes will have a new version on an hourly basis! iPods will halve in size every twelve days, until the iPod Event Horizon model is released, an iPod so tiny and dense with music, it will bend light and warp time. Just don't drop it on your foot... the fuckers hurt!

-- Schwa ---

[thedarkages]

The bundling of QuickTime with ITunes is also a pain in the ass. Do I really want a 34 Mb download every time? Apple probably thought it was a slick marketing decision, but I am one of the (apparently rare) people who does not need ITunes. I have no intention of getting an iPod, and I just want to play my CDs, not rip them. Even a little "advanced install" within the installer to let me reject iTunes would be a plus.

[kerri9494.livejournal.com]

Also, I have QuickTime Pro, an old version, on my pea sea. If I upgrade iTunes, I HAVE to 'upgrade' QuickTime. And it's not a free upgrade. So if I want to upgrade iTunes, I either have to stop using the pro features of QuickTime, or PAY for an upgrade that I don't need.

Feh.

[nothings.livejournal.com]

There is an unbundled QuickTime install (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone.html). They go out of their way to make it non-obvious, but it's there. It looks like a bullet item rather than a link if you're not actually reading the text, e.g. here (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html), it's a link named "Quicktime standalone installer" in the block of bullet items beneath the "upgrade now" button.

( Ron, consider this to also be a response to your response to bc about "just wants QuickTime". Comments should be in DAGs not trees.)

[plorkwort.livejournal.com]

But inside a paracelsvs, it's too dark to comment!

[haineux.livejournal.com]

I will forward this important feedback the usual people in charge of such things. The trouble being that 34 MB is considered "reasonably sized."

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

It's not about "reasonably sized", it's about not sending out more than they have to. If someone just wants QuickTime or just wants to upgrade a dot-version of iTunes, they can grab a smaller installer. Less throughput means less money spent. HELLO APPLE SAVE MONEY.

[haineux.livejournal.com]

Fully understood.

Here are two obvious problems that affect ALL software updates, not just Apple's:

1) Developing, Building, and Testing a "delta" installer is almost as much work as a "full on replace" installer. Indeed, I'd say it's harder. So either schedule, budget, or quality must be compromised to handle the extra work.

2) A "delta" installer is considered less reliable than a "full on replace" installer. After all, what happens when you, the nice customer, have some bitrot in a file that isn't replaced, but which causes the updated program to crash?

No excuses here. Apple should produce more delta installers. But when the question comes up, "Why don't they?", well, there's some reasons.

There's the old adage, "Gasoline is cheaper than sweat." In this case, bandwidth is cheaper than engineering/QA. In any case, it's CERTAINLY faster.

The real answer is: "HEY APPLE, STOP HAVING A NEW RELEASE EVERY 2 FEMTOSECONDS, YA MAROONS." Sheesh.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the real answer, but i suspect that one has deeper roots. I wonder what the release notes for 6.0.1 say.

[xdice.livejournal.com]

As I recall, some boilerplate blurb about stability or something.

*shrug* I never seem to have the issues that they use as a justification for the minor release updates, but Software Update on the Mac Mini installs 'em anyway.

[sambushell.livejournal.com]

I completely believe that you're using a dialup connection. Doubt never even crossed my mind.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Vide supra. It's not about the download delay.

[sambushell.livejournal.com]

So... it's the sheer bigness? You're ideologically opposed to bigness?

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Except in my pants! HAW!@!@@

I'm ideologically opposed to waste.

[damienw]

YOUR MESSAGE WILL COST HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO DISTRIBUTE WORLDWIDE

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

YOUTHFUL INDISCRETION! YOUTHFUL INDISCRETION!!

[ikkyu2.livejournal.com]

Um, yeah. It's called "Software Update." You need a Mac to run it.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

You misspelled "GET A MAC." iPlonk!

[ikkyu2.livejournal.com]

That's what iLove about uRone, you are so quick on the uptake.