Installing updates on a Mac

Question

When I got my new MBP a few days ago, one of the first things it did was try to install a large number of updates from the internet.
At the time, I refused since I was just getting to know the computer and didn't want to change things.
Now I have ordered the main software that I will run on it- FCP Studio 2 and CS3 Master Collection.
I know from Windows that sometimes intalling updates creates problems with instability or compatibility with installed software, so I was wondering two things:
Is it a good idea to allow the Mac to update whatever it wants?
Is it better to do the updates first and then install the new software or will it make no difference?
Thanks for any advice.

Answer 1

Thanks guys. I really do have a lot to learn about Macs.
Format and reinstall on my Win xp system is an all day thing and I only do it about once a year.
I wipe off the hard disk, reformat it with whatever partitions I want and then I have to reinstall each of the software beyond the operating system.
Lots of software now needs activation (Microsoft and Adobe are the ones I use most and they all need activation) and when you wipe off the hard drive all activation info disappears and you have to go through the process all over again.
Some companies don't recognize the activation if the software was recently activated and then there is the interminable hassle of calling and convincing someone that you are a legitimate user.
For this reason I have stopped reformatting and reloading software on a yearly basis. Right now, my old Dell laptop has gone for 3 years without any reformat and reinstall because doing so is such a huge pain. I got fed up and just put Windows on automatic everything and I let it do whatever it wants and so far it has behaved. I'm not too concerned because I built all of my PCs and I can fix anything Windows throws at me if it misbehaves. But I am a total novice on Macs.
It seems to me that installing software is going to be the same on a Mac because if I use MS Office or any Adobe products they all need activation.
I can't see reformatting and reinstalling everything on a regular basis under such conditions. It would drive me crazy and probably back to my Dell in frustration.
Is there a different way to do this on a Mac so that you don't have to go through this process each time?
Once I get all of the softwares I want loaded and working, could I ghost the system drive and use that to reinstall in the future in case of a serious problem?
Do Macs handle software installs differently than Windows? For example, in Windows, a software installs files to its own directory but also to many other directories in the OS itself. Do Macs keep an installation completely in the applications folder so that just the applications folder could be backed up and after a fresh install of OSX you just copy the applications folder contents back to the Mac hard drive?
I find it hard to believe that Mac owners are spending the better part of a day reformatting, reinstalling and reactivating (or trying to) all their software on a regular basis.
Thanks for all advice.