3 ms·

It's not just a matter of the space on disk to hold 32-bit libraries. They must also be loaded into memory if there are 32-bit processes running. This degrades

It's not just a matter of the space on disk to hold 32-bit libraries. They must also be loaded into memory if there are 32-bit processes running. This degrades performance system-wide, not just for the abandonware apps.

0x0 9y ago
What good is RAM for if not running the applications a user needs to run? If the user is not currently running a 32bit app, drop the libraries from RAM. That is such a non-argument. The amount of space and time needed to load and unload 32bit support libraries is probably 1% of the space and time used every time a user loads a game, or the facebook app, for example.
- coldtea 9y ago
  >What good is RAM for if not running the applications a user needs to run? What good is degraded performance because some BS game/app who on top of it is abandoned from its developer for years, and it will stop working anyway sooner or later, needs 32-bit mode? Especially when you can find 200 replacement that work fine in 64-bit and are upgraded regularly.
  - 0x0 9y ago
    Where do I find 200 replacement apps for a car unlocking app? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15302231 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15302231
    - tinus_hn 9y ago
      If your car can only be unlocked by your phone you made a mistake when buying it. Just like if it features proprietary chargers. These things just don't last.
      - 0x0 9y ago
        I see. Is buying an iphone or an ipad a mistake as well? They require proprietary lightning cables to charge.
        tinus_hn 9y ago
        You can still buy new cables that fit the first iPhone today but you can’t buy a new iPhone that fits the 30pin charging dock in old cars. The main difference though is that you’d expect a device like an iPhone or iPad to last a maximum of about 3 to 5 years while you’d expect a car to last 10 to 25 years. Accordingly it would be wise to use future proof parts, not proprietary parts that go out of style every few years.
  - Nullabillity 9y ago
    That's the point here, if (offline) apps randomly break then your platform is crap. Anything cloud-reliant (in that case) would have broken a long time ago anyway and isn't really relevant.
  - walterbell 9y ago
    If a customers pays Apple $1000 for a device and uses that device to create valuable data which cannot be migrated to another app, they may expect their device to continue providing the functionality for which it was purchased. It still contains their data + app. Customers want access to their DATA, not apps, not devices - those are mediating tools which change over time. If Apple wants to force apps to do something, they can force developers to create interoperable data that can be migrated without the developer's consent or continued existence. Until then, Apple has more resources than Microsoft and Linux, which both provide backward compatibility for old apps on new platforms. This is a solved problem. Why penalize iOS platform customers who were the earliest adopters and had the highest chance of creating data which is now orphaned in abandoned-but-functional offline apps? Let's not get into the Apple's mis-steps on the App Store, which is what caused many iOS developers to go out of business or stop supporting apps.

0x0 9y ago

What good is RAM for if not running the applications a user needs to run? If the user is not currently running a 32bit app, drop the libraries from RAM. That is such a non-argument. The amount of space and time needed to load and unload 32bit support libraries is probably 1% of the space and time used every time a user loads a game, or the facebook app, for example.

coldtea 9y ago
>What good is RAM for if not running the applications a user needs to run? What good is degraded performance because some BS game/app who on top of it is abandoned from its developer for years, and it will stop working anyway sooner or later, needs 32-bit mode? Especially when you can find 200 replacement that work fine in 64-bit and are upgraded regularly.
- 0x0 9y ago
  Where do I find 200 replacement apps for a car unlocking app? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15302231 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15302231
  - tinus_hn 9y ago
    If your car can only be unlocked by your phone you made a mistake when buying it. Just like if it features proprietary chargers. These things just don't last.
    - 0x0 9y ago
      I see. Is buying an iphone or an ipad a mistake as well? They require proprietary lightning cables to charge.
      - tinus_hn 9y ago
        You can still buy new cables that fit the first iPhone today but you can’t buy a new iPhone that fits the 30pin charging dock in old cars. The main difference though is that you’d expect a device like an iPhone or iPad to last a maximum of about 3 to 5 years while you’d expect a car to last 10 to 25 years. Accordingly it would be wise to use future proof parts, not proprietary parts that go out of style every few years.
- Nullabillity 9y ago
  That's the point here, if (offline) apps randomly break then your platform is crap. Anything cloud-reliant (in that case) would have broken a long time ago anyway and isn't really relevant.
- walterbell 9y ago
  If a customers pays Apple $1000 for a device and uses that device to create valuable data which cannot be migrated to another app, they may expect their device to continue providing the functionality for which it was purchased. It still contains their data + app. Customers want access to their DATA, not apps, not devices - those are mediating tools which change over time. If Apple wants to force apps to do something, they can force developers to create interoperable data that can be migrated without the developer's consent or continued existence. Until then, Apple has more resources than Microsoft and Linux, which both provide backward compatibility for old apps on new platforms. This is a solved problem. Why penalize iOS platform customers who were the earliest adopters and had the highest chance of creating data which is now orphaned in abandoned-but-functional offline apps? Let's not get into the Apple's mis-steps on the App Store, which is what caused many iOS developers to go out of business or stop supporting apps.