Is is possible to download the latest version of Safari without having to use Software Update?

I've had a look on the Apple Support pages and it doesn't appear to be available as a stand-alone download. In fact AFAICS the only way to get Safari since version 6 is by using the Software Update App. I have 4 Macs to support and it would be nice to only have to download each updater once and then distribute them to each Mac that needs them. However for some reason Safari isn't available separately. Why?

The latest version of Safari is part of the 10.8.4 update I think - because it's integrated into other parts of the system ( WebKit, security etc) that's probably why it's not available as a separate installer.

You can download 10.8.4 as a standalone installer though.

I assume you're on 10.8 Mountain Lion, yep?

No. I'm still on Lion with all 4 Macs. I haven't yet seen a compelling reason to switch to Mountain Lion.

According to Software Update there is a new version of Safari (6.0.5) available for my Macs.

Also Safari seems to get update a lot more often than the overall system. It seems stupid downloading a combo updater just to be able to update one app.

Ah right, just assumed you were on 10.8. It seems that Apple have bundled Safari 6.0.5 into the 10.8.4 Update for Mountain Lion users, but for 10.7 Lion users there doesn't appear to be a standalone update on the Apple site, so you need to use Software Update. You can always choose the "Download only" option and then find the .pkg file* to transfer to the other Macs and install - although as it's only about 49Mb it's not that huge to have to download it on each Mac I suppose.

*The location for downloaded installs used to be within the top level "Library" folder I think. Never used the Download only option on Lion so can't be sure if the location is the same, but I imagine it will be in Library > Updates)

BTW: I notice Apple have recently dumbed down their Downloads section, so it only shows "Featured Downloads" and makes it harder to find more specific updates behind the "Browse by Product" button...
http://support.apple.com/downloads/
It was much better before, IMHO.

The "Download Only" option in software update was removed ages ago. It's certainly not in Lion and IIRC it wasn't in Snow Leopard either.

I just thought it was weird that Safari was no longer available as a stand-alone download. It used to be available from the Safari product page (like iTunes), but the download link was removed around the time that version 6 was released.

I also don't like the new Apple downloads page. It made searching for and downloading all the updaters I needed this time much more time consuming. I guess that Apple would like to do away with it completely and just make everyone use Software Update.

I have a feeling this coincides with the windows version being killed off. You needed to be able to download that as there's no in-built way to deliver it on windows and it was required fro the EU-mandated 'browser choice' system. Once the windows version went, Apple could feasibly reduce the delivery method only to software update. Anyone who wanted Safari should have access to that, at least in theory.

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/15675/apple-safari

Links all appear to be working.

Also found an official Apple link in the Apple Discussions - why the feck it isn't available in the Downloads section is anyone's guess, an oversight perhaps...
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/41 ... 0&tstart=0
(see the post by 'yourmacexpert' at the bottom)

it's about a 49Mb download.

Thanks!

Unfortunately when the next update of Safari comes out I'll have to go through this all over again...

Can't you use the App store?

The App store app is really finicky about updating things that you didn't initially install via the App store app. It can be bodged, but I wouldn't trust it to update something as tied into the system as Safari.

Apple need to maintain separate links for those running older OSes especially.

Doesn't the App Store work like Software Update? TBH I've only used it once to buy Lion and then it involved jumping through hoops in order to make sure that I could use the installer on my other Macs. The whole point for me of downloading a standalone installer is so I can do it just the once and then distribute it around each of the 4 Macs that needs updating.

Well, on 10.8, clicking on Software Update just launches the App Store now, so it's pretty much redundant and just there to ease the transition to using App Store from now on. I expect Software Update will be removed from System Preferences soon, if not in Mavericks then in the next version of OS X. So, we'll all have to get used to using the App Store and downloading updates multiple times in a network of Macs. That's just the way Apple are heading - I suspect the dumbing down of Apple's Downloads website is part of this strategy.

Actually, there is a way to make one mac an 'update server' so you download the update to that and all the other Macs on the LAN pull the update from it. Can't remember the exact details though. MIght be something to do with Apple Remote Desktop.

Ah, you need OS X Server. Mind you that's, what, 20 quid or something now?