Is OS X upgrading too quickly?

[zhanghuan]

When 10.11 is out. I will never upgrade until I am sure it is safe.

 

[lowendlinux]

Developers who worked on/with those disagree with you on that. Arstechnica has some nice insights and there have been numerous posts by disgruntled Java devs both here and on discussions.apple.com.


Not according to Microsoft. Update 1 (officially known as KB2919355) is a major update and should be considered as a new OS (it doesn't have a lot of changes but the changes it has are substantial). Both 8.1 and 8.1 Update 1 are considered to be Microsofts Snow Leopard. Microsoft did promote it like that as well (not sure if this was limited to Microsoft partners and their larger customers). There is a huge difference between hardware/apps that work on Windows 8, 8.1 and 8.1 Update 1. What used to work fine in 8.1 didn't always work in 8.1 Update 1 . Not very nice if you have to install it within a month in order to be able to receive support and further updates (which Microsoft acknowledged was a bit too short notice and extended the period with a few months to somewhere in June 2014). Update 1 is a mandatory update.


Apple has always been slow in releasing the source code there. In some cases it even took them a year to post. It has been a major nuisance to those who use the open source code. Things have improved to some extent (they are less slow than they used to be but less slow still is slow). At least they still publish open source code.


Those who hate yearly updates...tough luck because almost everything is on a yearly update or quicker (lots of Linux distros are on half yearly updates and there are rolling releases). It's not just Windows and OS X.

But they offer LTS releases which is what Apple should do if they are going to keep the yearly update thing going.

 

[zombiecakes]

the upgrades are coming too fast and the updates are coming WAY too slow. Apple needs to release hotfixes for major issues like the wifi not working, not roll them into service pack updates which come every few months. Its insane.

I dont think my next laptop will be a mac, and I hate Windows laptop build quality (I dont mind Windows, just hate the hardware). Apple's failure to fix the wifi has been absolutely pathetic and Im not going to forget Apple's incompetence when it comes time to get a new computer.

 

[padapada]

Same kind of feelings here. Switched from Windows to a 17" MBP and loved it. Still going strong and very fast with the original 512GB SSD.
However, I can't understand what Apple is doing with retina and OSX. The new 15" laptop is very powerful, but it is clearly hampered by the OSX graphics subsystem: people are having trouble with lag. To me it's clear that retina and OSX is not a very good combination and I will not buy a new MBP before Apple has proven otherwise.
Don't even get me started on wifi. A company that removes Ethernet ports and subsequently messes up wifi. In the process it renders existing TM backups useless.
Buying the maxed out MBP now would result in enormous buyer remorse. I am still hoping, the situation is 180 degrees different by Q1 2016 and my mid 2010 MBP keeps going strong until then.

 

[jcmeyer5]

Releasing Yosemite didnt break Mavericks, if you feel it is too frequent/quick then dont update. Simple as.

Yes, however, if they never take the time to get it right, then it is never right, and you can never upgrade and expect it to be right. For some things (like Xcode), that limits upgrades to other software products.

Apple has always had a very aggressive obsolescence program. I see these stepped up software upgrades (on the annual cycle) as an extension of that program. One day, even my 2013 MBP will no longer run OSX because they will find a way to make it "break." They do it with iPhones, iPads, and iPods.... why wouldn't they do it with Macs too?

----------

the upgrades are coming too fast and the updates are coming WAY too slow. Apple needs to release hotfixes for major issues like the wifi not working, not roll them into service pack updates which come every few months. Its insane.

I dont think my next laptop will be a mac, and I hate Windows laptop build quality (I dont mind Windows, just hate the hardware). Apple's failure to fix the wifi has been absolutely pathetic and Im not going to forget Apple's incompetence when it comes time to get a new computer.

Install Windows on a Mac?

 

[calderone]

Yes and no.

I usually wait until .2 to actually upgrade, but considering it seems a lot of folks have issues Apple could stand to slow the pace to make sure things are right. No one should be bricking their machine trying to upgrade (hence why I wait).

 

[simonsi]

When 10.11 is out. I will never upgrade until I am sure it is safe.

How will you know when that is?

----------

Yes, however, if they never take the time to get it right, then it is never right, and you can never upgrade and expect it to be right. For some things (like Xcode), that limits upgrades to other software products.

Unfortunately though, computers, especially OSX, isnt like a new car model launch - where on the whole new cars "work" in all respects. OSX increasingly interacts with other devices and systems, not all of which are remotely in Apple's control.

For an example see that ASUS has released a software update for some of their routers to enhance compatibility with Yosemite - they would not have done that unless they had now discovered some latent issue on their side.

We expect and largely value these new functions but they are far harder to implement in the real world than standalone apps and web browsing of old...

 

[Brics]

Upgrading too quickly? No, it's actually the opposite, it's upgrading too slowly. The last upgrade was SnowLeopard 6 years ago.

 

[Partron22]

The last upgrade was SnowLeopard 6 years ago.

The usual convention nowdays is to count updates as upgrades.
Technically, doing that is wrong, but the millenials really seem sold on using marketing terms with a straight face.

 

[dyn]

But they offer LTS releases which is what Apple should do if they are going to keep the yearly update thing going.

Not all of them do, especially the rolling release distros don't.

I currently manage an ERP application and they also have multiple updates within a year (2 to 3). Each update requires planning and testing. Are we complaining? No. The software gets updated, it is done quickly (fixes and new features come quickly as well so we don't have to make major changes to processes to overcome obstacles) and with every update we'll have to do planning and testing because it is the most crucial piece of software that we use, we need to be extremely careful with that. It is a different mindset and good management of the software (quite easy to do). The same with how software is developed. You can do it the old way (waterfall model and such) or the way it is done now (agile thus lots of small updates; it also requires the customer to be very active in the development process). There is no a is better than b.

the upgrades are coming too fast and the updates are coming WAY too slow. Apple needs to release hotfixes for major issues like the wifi not working, not roll them into service pack updates which come every few months.

I would like to see Apple push updates more quickly as well. Save the new features for the next major release but keep a high pace for the entire development process (thus updates and upgrades). Maybe do what Microsoft and many others do: steadily release updates (preferably monthly as to not annoy customers/consumers).

 

[MkVsTheWorld]

People want more frequent updates now because they are reassuring. You can thank Microsoft and hackers for that, i.e. Weekly Security Updates..

 

[bmac89]

People want more frequent updates now because they are reassuring. You can thank Microsoft and hackers for that, i.e. Weekly Security Updates..

...Or less reassuring because there is so many things that need repairing.

 

[grahamperrin]

… Apple has always had a very aggressive obsolescence program. …

I think not.

 

[deluxeshredder]

To me it's clear that retina and OSX is not a very good combination

Windows still has terrible hi-DPI scaling. OS X at least scales perfectly.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Upgrading too quickly? No, it's actually the opposite, it's upgrading too slowly. The last upgrade was SnowLeopard 6 years ago.

The usual convention nowdays is to count updates as upgrades.
Technically, doing that is wrong.

It's not wrong. Any new version of OS X should be considered an upgrade.

Just because you want to take the non-IT (and highly subjective) definition of the word upgrade and apply it to IT is not our fault.

 

[simonsi]

For good or bad, Apple has them defined here

 

[jcmeyer5]

I think not.

Really? Hmm.. So I have an iPad 2 that, with the installation of a SUPPORTED operating system upgrade becomes nearly useless. Maybe they don't do it as much with the Mac line, but there is no doubt they create obsolescence in otherwise suitable hardware through OS upgrades that cannot be undone.

Don't get me wrong, still an Apple fan... Just don't like the way they handle "upgrades"

 

[Partron22]

It's not wrong. Any new version of OS X should be considered an upgrade.

Just because you want to take the non-IT (and highly subjective) definition of the word upgrade and apply it to IT is not our fault.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upgrade

Upgrade: : an occurrence in which one thing is replaced by something better, newer, more valuable, etc.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/upgrade

Raise (something) to a higher standard, in particular improve (equipment or machinery) by adding or replacing components: the cost of upgrading each workstation is around $300 (as adjective upgraded) upgraded computers

What you call an upgrade is Marketing speak, not IT speak. Quality improvements are essential for an update to be called an upgrade.

 

[hakuryuu]

Yes and no. I like the feature and underlying technology upgrade pace, but feel many things should just be a minor point release that get a fair amount of attention rather than during the annual upgrade process.

We'd see fewer bugs (not that I see many of them) if there was more fine tuning going on and more focus on upgrading core technologies.

Also if the shiny stuff wasn't such a focus maybe we'd have a new filesystem! I'm sure liking where BTRFS is going.. hint hint.

I'm a happy customer but i'm way more interested in the underlying technologies and making sure things work well than a bunch of shiny features every 12 months.

 

[grahamperrin]

… an iPad 2 that, with the installation of a SUPPORTED operating system upgrade becomes nearly useless. Maybe they don't do it as much with the Mac line, but there is no doubt they create obsolescence in otherwise suitable hardware through OS upgrades that cannot be undone.

Don't get me wrong, still an Apple fan... Just don't like the way they handle "upgrades"

I don't have an iPad, but I do understand that many people are frustrated with post-upgrade experiences. A small proportion of tweets about the ugliness of Yosemite are not realistic, but the vast majority are from people who truly find it ugly. (Happily, I use Mavericks.)

I decided to get some dictionary definitions of origins of words …

obsolescent

… mid 18th cent.: from Latin obsolescent- ‘falling into disuse’ …​

obsolete

late 16th cent.: from Latin obsoletus ‘grown old, worn out’, past participle of obsolescere ‘fall into disuse’.​

Occasionally I use a 2006 MacBook1,1 that's worn out (the battery failed) and no longer fast enough for my purposes. For those two reasons I treat it as obsolete, but it is usable (and it recently helped me to realise that I don't need a Retina display).

Very rarely, a G3 PowerPC (2000/2001 PowerMac2,2 (iMac DV SE (Summer 2000), snow)). Simply for web browsing, with Linux, without web sites that require a Flash player, this turn-of-the-century CRT iMac was faster and more functional than the 2006 notebook. Older, but 'less obsolete'.

My everyday mobile phone is a refurbished 2007 iPhone. It has neither worn out nor fallen into to disuse. Many people will treat this classic as obsolete; I don't.

 

[maflynn]

the upgrades are coming too fast and the updates are coming WAY too slow.

I think that's the case with Yosemite. They're not really addressing some of the major bugs impacting people. Luckily for me, I've not been bitten by some of those bugs.

We'll have to wait until WWDC 2015 to see if apple sees the error of its ways, whether we get a brand new OS X 10.11 with a raft of new features or something that is being rolled out with stability in mind. As it stands now, I like the features added in Yosemite, but I think the philosophy of rolling out major updates every year is hurting the Apple brand more then helping it.