> The frustrating part about the Mac App Store is how it still makes you worry about updating apps.

Wait, what? The Mac App Store updates your apps automatically in background (I know bc sometimes it tells me it can’t update a particular app until I exit it)

> I know bc sometimes it tells me it can’t update a particular app until I exit it

that's the part I find annoying. Contrast to iOS which doesn't have this problem. Obviously the model on iOS is a lot different (more restrictive backgrounding, apps are build to handle shutdown at any time), but its still a minor frustration I have with MAS.

Most Mac apps use Sparkle [1] or the App Store to auto update, neither of which requires admin access or modifies the OS.

[1]: https://sparkle-project.org/

While Sparkle is nice to have a standard way of updating apps, it makes the user worry about updating apps because it pops up dialogs and prompts you to download and install. I would much prefer it just update things for me automatically. If at all necessary, the Chrome approach of "hey, Chrome's been updated. next time you open the app you'll get the new version".

You can do this with sparkle! Our app that uses sparkle runs silent automatic background updates. No prompt for install needed! We could pop a changelog after update, to let the user know there has been one, but most often we don't.

The Mac App Store updates automatically.

You see a download bar on app icons in the Dock and Finder while they are updating, then a badge (blue dot prefix before the name) on recently updated apps.

Rarely (i.e. on new user accounts) it may ask you for the iCloud account (if it was a purchased app, I think) or administrator password (after some major OS installations).

How is that frustrating and "making you worry" about updating?

It seems like you haven't used the Mac App Store or have changed the default to manual updates.

MAS will download updates automatically, but it whinges and demands you tend to it if the app is open. Contrast to App Store on iOS, or Chrome, which just does everything in the background.

Obviously the model here is different, but its still a minor frustration to me.

This honestly. I've considered getting my parents a Chromebook because they're not technically literate (by their choice) enough to manage a Windows install. Non-automated updates is part of how we got into supporting IE7 forever. If updates were optional, they'd be on the same version I originally installed for them. This non-technically literate demographic is much larger than any of the vocal minority on HackerNews.

Those of us who are fine with running slightly outdated software are probably safe from whatever minor vulnerabilities we might be exposing ourselves to. Regardless, the choice should always be left up to the user. It doesn't have to be one way or the other to make you and me both happy—there can be an "auto-update" setting and a "never check for updates" setting.