Why do we need to update our software, anyway? Well, the first thing to understand is that there are different kinds of updates. Some of them add new features or improve existing ones. Others make your software compatible with other programs, different protocols, new or updated operating systems, and so forth. With greater compatibility you’ll see fewer errors, freezes, and crashes. And finally, there are security updates: They patch vulnerabilities and critical bugs in your programs.

So, when you install all available updates, your system and programs should become more secure, stable, and usable. (It’s true that sometimes updates patch one problem and simultaneously create another one — but that’s a story for another day.)