SUMo 5.17.10.542

Overview

SUMo (Software Updates Monitor) is a nifty little utility that regularly conducts scans to automatically check for, and aid in the process of installing updates for your favorite programs.

Installation

With a download size of only about 3 MB, this app downloads almost instantly and is a joy to install. Simply follow the step-by-step guidelines and within five clicks you'll be approaching the end of the installation. Before finishing the setup you'll be asked if you want to install some third-party toolbars and change your homepage. If you select the custom installation bubble you can uncheck these options and complete the setup without installing any additional items.

Interface

It would not be surprising if this software did not include any help documentation at all, because the user interface is so simplistic it is practically self-explanatory. Fortunately for the non-techies out there, as with most other Windows applications there is a help menu located along the top of the main window. At the very bottom of the interface you'll see the amount of software products that are loaded on the list, as well as how many of them have updates available. Overall, the developers did a great job of keeping clutter down and creating a layout that anyone could get used to.

Pros

• Lets you retrieve and install updates for every software on your computer simultaneously within just a couple of minutes time

• Is by for the easiest way to ensure that all your applications are up-to-date at all times

• Click the 'Scan' button to instantly scan your entire operating system for every installed application. The found software will then be displayed in a list that shows the product name, company, current version, and whether an update is available. You can also choose to manually add/remove programs to and from the list

• Click the 'Check' button on the far left to instantly check all of the software on your list for updates. If updates are found they'll be listed under the update column, along with the newest version number.

• After you've found all of the software on your computer and have checked for updates, you can instantly update all of them by clicking the 'Get Update' button on the far right.

• You can also select specific software and choose to ignore them by clicking the ignore button.

• Hold control and click software titles to perform batch functions on multiple items at once

• If SUMo fails to find a specific software you can always drag and drop the .exe file of the program directly into the user interface to check for updates

Cons

• Doesn't always find every application, so you may have to go through the slightly time-consuming process of adding certain programs manually

Alternatives

There are several other free programs online that help to keep all of your software up-to-date, including FileHippo's Update Checker, Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector), AppFresh (Mac), and Software Informer. If you're using the Linux operating system you can use Ubuntu Update Manager. Although SUMo is a bit newer, many believe that it provides functionality that is speedier and more convenient than any of the aforementioned competitors.

Conclusion

If you're looking for an easy way to keep all of the software on your computer up-to-date at all times, SUMo is one of the good choices you can make.