Download Mac Updates Once and Install on Multiple Computers

Mac OS X updates are huge with the installation files running into several gigabytes. The same is true for Mac apps like iMovie or Microsoft Office that have massive installers. The problem is compounded when you own multiple Mac computers and you need to upgrade them all to the latest OS X update. It will not just take too much time but you may end up consuming your monthly download bandwidth

A simple and obvious workaround to the problem is that you download the installer files on one Mac machine and then transfer the downloaded apps to all your other systems through AirDrop or WiFi. The Apple website says that “Apps [downloaded] from the Mac App Store may be used on any Macs that you own or control for your personal use.” This is however easier said than done.

Install Mac OS X Updates on Multiple Macs

You download a 5 GB Mac OS X installer from the App Store, the machine restarts, your system is upgraded to Mac OS X Yosemite or El Capitan but wait, where has the installer disappeared? Your Mac, in a bid to save space, deletes the original installer automatically after the upgrade and thus you cannot reuse it on other machines.

To get around the problem, after the installer has downloaded, quit the installation routine and do not restart the machine. Go to the ~/Applications folder on your Mac, find the installer file and Option+Drag it to another folder like ~/Downloads to make a copy that will stay even after the machine is restarted.

For minor updates, like OS X 10.10.8 or 10.10.9 updates, Apple releases standalone installers as .dmg files that you can download once and install on multiple machines. The releases are available as incremental updates (containing only changed files) or combo updates (all changed files since the last major release).

A simple Google search for “download mac ox x 10.10. combo” will reveal the direct download links for the .dmg files on the Apple support website.

Install Mac Apps from the App Store

In the case of apps downloaded from the Mac App Store, you’ll find the .app files in your /Applications or /Users/username/Applications folder that you can easily copy to your other Mac machines. Internally though, the App Store downloads the installer as a package file (with a .pkg extension) and this will not reside in the Applications folder but in a separate hidden folder.

You can grab these Installer Package files and install the same Mac app on other machines without having to download it again thus saving data. To get started, open terminal on your Mac and run the following command to know where the App Store has downloaded the installer files:

defaults write com.apple.appstore ShowDebugMenu -bool true

Now open the Mac App Store app and you’ll see a new Debug menu (see screenshot). Click the “Show Download Folder” menu and it will open the location of the download folder inside Finder where the Mac apps are temporarily download. You can find the .pkg files inside one of the sub folders that you copy to your other Mac systems via Airdrop.

[Bonus Tip] If you are upgrading to a new version of Mac OS X, like the upcoming El Capitan, press Cmd+L at the installation screen and it will open the installation log so you know what’s exactly happening behind the scene.

Upgrade Your PC with Intel Skylake

If you are in the market for a new PC that is more modern, more efficient, and able to run the newest apps and games, you should consider upgrading to an Intel Skylake processor. Unlike laptops, which tend to have a fixed hardware configuration, desktop computers are much more scalable — you can easily upgrade a PC without having to replace all of the built-ins. 

Choosing the Right PC Upgrade Kit

Your upgrade kit will consist of a motherboard, a processor, and possibly some RAM modules. You can keep components with the following connectivity: SATA, PCI, and PCI-Express. Components that are more than 10 years old should be discarded (AGP, PATA and IDE). 

Upgrade Your Motherboard

You can choose a motherboard from the following brands: Biostar, MSI, ASRock, Gigabyte, orAsus. All motherboards must be equipped with an LGA 1151 socket (compatible with Skylake processors), and most importantly, it should fit into your current PC case. Most of the modern motherboards integrate an audio chipset (sound card), a network interface (Ethernet port), and at least one video output to connect your screen. High-end models tend to provide more connectivity options: 

H110: Basic model for lightweight configuration dedicated to multimedia, office use, and computer graphics. 

B150: Allows full use of the latest high-performance graphics cards (PCI-Express v3.0). 

H170: In addition to the features described above, an H170 allows you to configure multiple hard drives in RAID, and use Intel's SSD Caching feature, which allows the combination of a regular hard drive and an SSD. 

Z170: In addition to the features described above, a Z170 allows you to configure multiple graphics cards to operate simultaneously (NVIDIA SLI or AMD Crossfire). It also provides an ideal platform to overclock your Core i5-6600K and Core i7-6700K processor. 

Install New RAM

Skylake processors officially support DDR4 with a voltage of 1.2V and DDR3L with a voltage of1.35V. Regular DDR3 can still be installed, but its higher voltage of 1.5V - 1.65V will prematurely wear out the processor. In this situation, it would be better to opt for low-voltage DDR3. 

Always buy your RAM modules in matched pairs if you would like to benefit from the advantages of a dual channel architecture. It is recommended that you have at least 4GB of RAM for office, internet, and basic multimedia usage, 8GB of RAM for video games, and between 16 to 32 GB of RAM for heavy computer graphics and video editing. 

Some motherboards are compatible with both DDR 3 and DDR 4. Choosing DDR3 over DDR4 won't have much of an impact over the performance of your PC. You may either use DDR3 or DDR4, but be aware that they should never be mixed. 

Intel's Skylake Processor

All Skylake processors have an integrated graphics chipset that can handle most of your basic tasks. Most of them also include a heat sink, which is an electronic device that incorporates either a fan or a peltier device to keep components cool. Note that the 6600K and 6700K models do not have heatsinks, as they are commonly used for overclocking, or forcing a computer or hardware component to operate faster than the manufacturer-specified clock frequency. These models thus require a more effective cooling system. 

The choice of the processor will primarily depend on what you do with your computer: 

Pentium G 4000 series: Ideal for a basic or office use. You can also run games video games compatible with the GTX950 or R9 270X graphics card. 
Core i3 6000 series: Multimedia and gaming with a GTX960 or R9-380. 
Core i5 6000 series: Gaming and graphics with a GTX970/980 or R9-390. 
Core i7 6000 series: Gaming and graphics with a GTX980Ti or R9 Fury X.