Insider Software has released UpdateAgent X, a new version of the Mac software updating service for Mac OS X.
UpdateAgent brings applications and operating system programs on a Mac system current with the latest updates. After determining precisely which updaters are required to bring a system up-to-date, UpdateAgent downloads the updaters over the Internet or copies them from CDs. The program can run automatically at regular intervals, maintains the confidentiality of users’ hard drive contents, and provides hot links to vendors Web sites. And UpdateAgent X lets you automatically download the latest Carbonized versions of software.
“The only way to take advantage of Mac OS X is to have Carbon or Cocoa versions of the applications you use,” said Rio Sabadicci, president of Insider Software. “UpdateAgent X is the only way to automatically receive OS X-savvy applications as soon as they become available. There is no faster path to Mac OS X.”
The initial release of UpdateAgent X updates Classic and Carbon applications. Insider plans to add support for Cocoa apps, according to MacTech magazine. When they do, existing users of UpdateAgent X will receive the new functionality for free.
A demo version of UpdateAgent X displays all files required to bring a system’s applications up-to-date and downloads all Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, and Mac OS X updates for free. The full version of UpdateAgent X downloads all updaters for every third-party application and costs US$49.95 for a full year of Internet-based updates. Mac OS 9 and MacOS X users should download UpdateAgent X, while users of Mac OS 7 and 8 should use the current UpdateAgent 8.1, Sabadicci said. All versions are available for download from the Insider Software Web site.
Insider UpdateAgent requires 3 MB of memory to run on the Mac system being updated, as well as whatever disk space is required to store any relevant updaters.