Updates
Updates are almost as important as the initial purchase of the app itself. Updates can provide crucial bug fixes as well as new features.
Intel AppUp
AppUp has an Updates pane in the My Apps tab which lists all the available updates for your downloaded apps. Simply click on the button beside each app to update it. None of the apps we downloaded had any updates available at the time of writing so we can't say for certain how well this works, but we don't anticipate any problems.
We're still waiting for confirmation from Intel on whether developers can offer paid upgrades with discounts for existing customers, as they can with traditionally-sold software.
Mac App Store
The Mac App Store has an Updates tab that lists which of your installed apps have updates available. Clicking the button installs the update a process which looks identical to purchasing a new app. Apple's rules specifically prohibit apps from using their own separate updating systems, so all updates will take place through the App Store. If you keep the App Store's icon in your Dock, it will automatically update to show the number of available updates which is useful visual reminder.
If you already own an app sold through the App Store, it should appear marked as 'Installed' in the store so you don't accidentally purchase the app again. In our experience however, while our pre-existing copies of Apple's iLife apps were correctly recognised, our copies of Apple's iWork apps weren't. Unfortunately, pre-existing apps can't be updated through the Store unless you purchase them again.
We're also awaiting comment from Apple as to whether developers can offer paid upgrades with discounts for existing customers. Since this isn't possible on the iPhone App Store, we're not holding our breath.
Winner: Tie. Neither AppUp nor the Mac App Store are perfect when it comes to updates. Both have room for improvement. The approval processes on each app store could delay the availability of important updates though.
-
Why patching velocity matters as Claude Mythos supercharges vulnerability discoveryFrontier AI models such as Claude Mythos and GPT-5.5 make patching more urgent than ever. How can firms increase the velocity at which they apply fixes and mitigations?
-
The UK is running on fumes as data center build-outs can’t keep pace with demandNews The country's vacancy rate has dropped sharply, with much of the pipeline early-stage and uncertain
-
AI is coming to Ubuntu: Canonical exec teases future AI features and agentic workflow capabilities for version 26.10 — but on a ‘strictly opt-in basis’News A range of new AI features are coming to Ubuntu over the next year, according to maintainers, but only providing they’re of “sufficient maturity and quality”.
-
Windows 10 extended support costs could top $7 billionNews Enterprises sticking with Windows 10 after the October deadline face huge costs
-
Why Intel is pushing for developers to adopt AI PCsNews A new Intel initiative aims to drive developer adoption of AI PCs and improve synergy with the hardware makers building these next-generation devices
-
Tiny11 review: Windows 11 with only 2GB of RAMReview A version of Windows 11 for older machines that don't meet the full requirements
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux becomes foundational operating system for Cohesity Data CloudNews New strategic partnership between Red Hat and Cohesity aims to drive innovation in the data security and management space
-
Ubuntu shifts to four-week update cycleNews Critical fixes will also come every two weeks, mitigating the issues involved with releasing prompt patches on the old three-week cadence
-
AlmaLinux follows Oracle in ditching RHEL compatibilityNews Application binary compatibility is now the aim with 1:1 now dropped
-
How big is the Windows 10 cliff-edge?ITPro Network With some comparing the upcoming Windows 10 end of life to Windows XP, we ask members of the ITPro Network for their insight
