OS Updates Should be Faster

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I'm a huge advocate of doing OS updates right away, especially on critical systems. Some may argue that it could introduce side effects and other problems. Although this is potentially true, most updates these days really are security fixes and are tested quite well before being pushed out as critical because of this very issue. This applies across Windows, Linux, and Mac machines (plus some other OSes out there, I'm sure). Not updating a machine, though, puts other machines at risk. At some point, there may be liability issues for having a compromised machine because you didn't update. So, make sure you update -- and frequently!

I usually have automatic updating on my systems. This works great for systems I use all the time or that are on all the time (typically the same, these days, since having a machine on all the time is expensive). However, lately there's been a machine that isn't being updated. Why?

The simple answer is: When it does get used, it's not for very long and an update would be very distracting. For me, it's an inconvenience and I just ignore the notices so I can get to what I'm doing on it (watching TV, in this case). By the time I'm done with it, I want it off or I've forgotten that there was an update it needs.

Problem is, I suspect this is how many folks use their primary machines and why they don't get updated. I'm still convinced the a large majority of people who don't update find it far too complex to do. Now, though, I think there may be other reasons. And this is one of them.

Please streamline updates and make them faster. A big part of this would be figuring out how to do them without a reboot. Yes, that's a complex problem. But... figure it out. It will make computers safer, friendlier, and more usable. That's a good thing for everyone.

Posted by Shane on February 6, 2009 9:50 PM | Permalink