What kind of updates can help improve the performance of applications?

Software updates are vital for improving the performance of applications for several reasons. First, these updates often include bug fixes that address issues affecting the functionality of an application, which can lead to smoother operation. By fixing known bugs, software updates can enhance application speed and stability, reducing crashes and lagging.

Additionally, software updates may introduce new features that optimize performance, leverage advancements in technology, or improve the efficiency of existing features. For instance, an update could enhance an application’s algorithms or modify how it interacts with system resources, leading to faster execution times.

Software updates can also include security patches that protect against vulnerabilities. By ensuring that applications are secure, these updates can indirectly improve performance, as security breaches can consume significant system resources and disrupt regular operation.

In contrast, while hardware updates can also enhance application performance by providing more processing power or memory, they involve different considerations and are not the primary method for delivering performance improvements specifically related to software on its own. GUI updates, although helpful in enhancing user experience, do not directly affect the core functioning or performance of the application's underlying processes.