Universal binaries - can anyone enlighten me a little?

[imagenious]

I know that univ binaries run on G5 (and earlier) and Intel Macs, but, do I need to download updated app JUST because it is released in its latest update AS a univ binary?

It seems that many of the shareware authors who created the apps I use also "fold-in" other little "improvements/bug fixes" in their new version updates?

I noticed that Tiger Cache Cleaner now has an option to remove the code from a univ binary that one doesn't need for their machine. Wonder how safe/good that might be?

AND, does it mean that the univ binaries are "fatter" than necessary, especially if one doesn't own/use an Intel Mac (yet)?

Thought somebody might be able to give a reasonably simple answer - maybe some others could benefit by reading about it also. I've looked around a little (would be more but I'm on 28.8) and haven't really found anything that fully clarifies univ binaries, or at least not that answers my questions.

Thanks for any info provided, as always.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

imagenious Wrote:
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It seems that many of the shareware authors who created the apps I use also "fold-in" other little "improvements/bug fixes" in their new version updates?

It's the other way around, actually. Developers continue to improve their apps, but they now also make them available as Universal Binaries. Such development would occur even if there were to be no move to Intel.

[BigGuynRusty]

UniBins are HUGE, easily twice the size.
There is a utility that slims them down called "Trim the Fat".:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/20404

BGnR

[microchip13]

Yea, trim the fat!


My cousin used it and it took over 300MB off iLife 06.

I have no need to yet, I've got plenty of room on my iBook.

[imagenious]

Thanks for the answers here, and thanks for the link BigGuy - may use that utility or maybe just use Tiger Cache Cleaner as I already own it and it purports to do the same thing.

Anyway, I got some good answers and now have a bit better idea of thw whole issue.

Thanks again.