Why are OSX updates so slow?

silverlining

I have a 3Mb connection but when I reinstall OSX I have to download all the updates which takes a long time. It's particularily annoying when I have to download large updates for programs that I rarely use like iTunes. I am aware that I can download the updates manually but it's a bit awkward.

Do OSX updates install as they download (hence slowing things down) or is the Apple update server not able to handle the bandwidth?

K.O.Kiki

Well I used to always UN-tick updates I didn't want (eg iTunes, iPod) until I was sure I was using the program enough.
AFAIK, OSX updates download, then install, like a self-running .dmg (disc image). Never found it "awkward" to do manual updates neither; in fact, sometimes, manual updates are to be encouraged as the automatic ones have some reported faults.

silverlining

Cool, thanks for the info. I'll start using the manual updates. It's a pity the autoupdates are so slow to download though

m_stan

There are rumours that the next version of OSX will include a system level BitTorrent client that will be used to distribute their software updates. If it happens it should increase the speed of the downloads, though I don't find them a real issue.

Of course the benefit for this is mostly for Apple themselves since their bandwidth costs will be dramatically reduced.

babypink

dunno why you're having a speed issue....At home i'm pulling down 190k/sec(which is almost my full 2MB line capacity) and at work i get closer to 700k/s, whenever i use software update.

apple use akamai for distribution....they do bandwidth like nobody else does bandwith

Clank

I use auto updates too but never had a problem.
They always max out my 2Mb line.

crosstownk

K.O.Kiki wrote:

Well I used to always UN-tick updates I didn't want

That's the simplest solution.