AppFresh - software update for the rest of your apps | TUAW

Apple's Software Update is great and all, but unless you've purchased a membership to MacUpdate or VersionTracker for their software management clients, it might be tough to stay on top of new versions of all your non-Apple software. Sure, more and more developers are building in support for Sparkle, the auto-update framework from Andy Matuschak, but that's on a per-app basis and it simply isn't a development standard yet. Luckily, for the rest of us, there is AppFresh, a new utility that is perhaps best described as 'Software Update for the rest of us.' It can scan your Applications (though, for now, we suspect only apps in your main directory; not any that might be in ~/Applications if you've created it), AppleScripts, widgets and even Preference Panes to see if any updates are available. We don't know how and where AppFresh is checking for new versions, though Apple's own Downloads section and possibly MacUpdate and VersionTracker are the likely candidates.

Since AppFresh is truly brand new (only at v0.2 so far), its developers warn that it is certainly a work in progress. Still, this looks like a great tool with a lot of potential. AppFresh actually does seem to use Sparkle to help you stay on top of its own updates, and you can also read up at the development blog for more info on just where AppFresh is headed.

Thanks, Nathan

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Source: http://metaquark.de/appfresh/

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Apple's Software Update is great and all, but unless you've purchased a membership to MacUpdate or VersionTracker for their software...

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David Chartier

I read over the site and glanced at the development blog. Sometimes people miss things guys; it happens. Life will go on.

March 28 2007 at 6:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ECHO

Awesome! I've always wondered whether such an app exists.

March 28 2007 at 5:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Clair: True, but he didn't need to say they "were likely candidates", if he'd actually read the site for the application hes touting.

March 28 2007 at 7:09 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Clair

@Unknown Coward

Chartier mentions Macupdate and Versiontracker, but does not say or imply this application uses either.

March 28 2007 at 6:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

MikeRapin

Ubuntu... yes, it has a Software Update application that works like this... and it comes right along with the OS.

But really, I'd like to see this program get developed. As mentioned before, it's quite helpful when you have 150+ non-Apple applications on your computer.

March 28 2007 at 1:51 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sunrunner

Since the update location used by this app seems to have been an open question, I checked on it: The application connects to osx.iusethis.com after scanning for applications to check. This would seem to be the primary source for update information.

March 27 2007 at 7:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Shaaheen

Some progress bar for the update is needed, or just wait until your software is updated and God knows when it is appearing on the desktop!

March 27 2007 at 6:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Lars

I always thought I kept quite up to date with my software, but I found there was quite a bit outdated. Excellent program, though I had to force quit it on two occassions. 0.2 eh...

March 27 2007 at 5:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

joshua

The application update widget at least lets me ignore a particular version. If the version reported by an app isn't the same as what the feed says it just keeps reporting there is an update.
Some downloads say it happens but it doesn't actually download either. I like the fact that it can automatically download, but it would be nice to have a link to the location.

March 27 2007 at 4:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

@Georce Carlin - you are such a sweetheart...anyway, when you have 341 apps, it's pretty great:)

March 27 2007 at 4:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply