Why are iTunes updates so big?

SideWinder · 12 Mar 2012 at 15:43

So i have finally gathered motivation to update my iPod Nano, opened up iTunes and it needed an update fair enough. Why is it 77mb?

I swear it is always this big...why does it always need such a big update?

Or am i just downloading iTunes all over again rather than it simply being patched?

bloodiedathame · 12 Mar 2012 at 16:08

Because Apple think everyone has unlimited internet.

MrMoonX · 12 Mar 2012 at 22:16

77mb is hardly big

SideWinder · 12 Mar 2012 at 22:42

It isn't huge, no. But for an update? Hmm.

d_brennen · 12 Mar 2012 at 22:53

SideWinder said:
It isn't huge, no. But for an update? Hmm.

It's all the spyware

oli356 · 12 Mar 2012 at 23:14

SideWinder said:
It isn't huge, no. But for an update? Hmm.

Well the whole application is 70MB or whatever it is, so I presume it just downloads everything again. Same with the iOS updates, (with the exception of over the air updates.. I think)

Supernaut91 · 12 Mar 2012 at 23:16

oli356 said:
Well the whole application is 70MB or whatever it is, so I presume it just downloads everything again. Same with the iOS updates, (with the exception of over the air updates.. I think)

Yep, it isn't a software patch or incremental update. The auto updater will download the brand new client on whatever version it is. Just like you would with an nVidia or ATI driver update. It's an update yes, but the revision based on the update has it's own separate client.

apatia77 · 13 Mar 2012 at 21:35

Today I upgraded my ipod touch 4th gen from 4.1 to 5.1 using itunes, update 750MB!

Terrier_Jimlad · 14 Mar 2012 at 08:53

apatia77 said:
Today I upgraded my ipod touch 4th gen from 4.1 to 5.1 using itunes, update 750MB!

iTunes will always download the full update file @ 750MB, but once you're on 5.0 and higher, you can do on the fly updates on the actual device without the need to use iTunes, and this is an incremental update at about 170MB

edscdk · 14 Mar 2012 at 08:56

since when was 77mb big?