5 ms·

Apple should move away from yearly software updates

19 points by totaldude87 5y ago

markus_zhang 5y ago
In my dream software updates are not optional but also composite. So I can pick certain components of one update and ignore the others. It's like a tree of update components where I can ignore a whole branch of them if I choose so.
- michael1999 5y ago
  Publishers fail to test interactions enough even with monolithic releases. Introducing an exponential number of component configurations makes it impossible. Ask Microsoft if you want direct experience.
  - markus_zhang 5y ago
    I agree with you. Reality is far from my dream :/ They can't even do something even close for subscription products (those who generate a continuous revenue).
  - ChrisLTD 5y ago
    Microsoft is trying by moving more and more functionality into apps you get from the store. I think that's the right move. There's lots of bits and bobs in MacOS and iOS that could probably benefit from the same approach.
    - tinus_hn 5y ago
      You know why these store apps are these bloated blobs? Because you have million copies of libraries. Al these libraries have vulnerabilities and now there’s a million parties responsible for updating the libraries in their packages. Your security depends on not a single one of them being lazy or out of business.
- lostgame 5y ago
  Just a question - are you a developer of any kind? I’m sure if you are / have been / you’ll obviously understand why this is impractical as all hell; if not impossible, right? When everyone updates to iOS x.x, Apple knows every user has all of those fixes who have upgraded. This would result in the support team needing to support potentially dozens more configurations, offers dozens more potential points of failure, fragments the dev team, and complicates the hell out of everything in general. This is not…something you can realistically expect. And part of me thinks you do know that.
  - markus_zhang 5y ago
    Yes so that's a dream. But at least one can offer the option NOT to update unless absolutely necessary, which some apps don't even afford or difficult to do so.
TillE 5y ago
Disagree with the premise that there's less room for major exciting changes. We're still using the same dumb grid-of-apps home screen on iOS, which has been nearly unchanged since its 2007 inception. I refuse to believe that swiping through pages of icons or typing their names into a search box is the best we can do. Some day we'll get a radically new iOS.
- lostgame 5y ago
  …what? It’s like you’ve never heard of Folders…the App Library…or dragging down for Search? For God’s sake; the App Library organizes things and was only introduced recently. Improvements are clearly happening. Are you an Android user, and not aware of these things? For crying out loud - Widgets were recently introduced! Meaning - literally - my iPhone looks nothing - atm - like a grid of icons. I feel like you’re inferring things haven’t grown at all since like iOS 3…that’s clearly not the case. iOS 7 was probably our radically new iOS. I don’t know or get what you’re expecting. Your comment reeks of inexperience with or bias against the iOS platform. It’s simply factually, objectively untrue. I’m guessing it’s bias against the platform, because it’s HN - and hating Apple is almost as annoying of a problem here as the Linux evangelism. (In the real world - especially in business - we need to run this thing called commercial software, kids. And not through an API emulation layer. That can affect our warranty and support. It’s cute that your unique position as the rare type of developer allows you to use a non-proprietary system such as your favourite distro. Reality check, though - shocker, I know - 95% of people who work with computers in business can’t do what you do. Stop telling us what to do.)
footlose_3815 5y ago
upgrades
musicale 5y ago
I'm glad that stuff only breaks once a year. Usually.

19 points by totaldude87 5y ago

In my dream software updates are not optional but also composite. So I can pick certain components of one update and ignore the others. It's like a tree of update components where I can ignore a whole branch of them if I choose so.

michael1999 5y ago
Publishers fail to test interactions enough even with monolithic releases. Introducing an exponential number of component configurations makes it impossible. Ask Microsoft if you want direct experience.
- markus_zhang 5y ago
  I agree with you. Reality is far from my dream :/ They can't even do something even close for subscription products (those who generate a continuous revenue).
- ChrisLTD 5y ago
  Microsoft is trying by moving more and more functionality into apps you get from the store. I think that's the right move. There's lots of bits and bobs in MacOS and iOS that could probably benefit from the same approach.
  - tinus_hn 5y ago
    You know why these store apps are these bloated blobs? Because you have million copies of libraries. Al these libraries have vulnerabilities and now there’s a million parties responsible for updating the libraries in their packages. Your security depends on not a single one of them being lazy or out of business.
lostgame 5y ago
Just a question - are you a developer of any kind? I’m sure if you are / have been / you’ll obviously understand why this is impractical as all hell; if not impossible, right? When everyone updates to iOS x.x, Apple knows every user has all of those fixes who have upgraded. This would result in the support team needing to support potentially dozens more configurations, offers dozens more potential points of failure, fragments the dev team, and complicates the hell out of everything in general. This is not…something you can realistically expect. And part of me thinks you do know that.
- markus_zhang 5y ago
  Yes so that's a dream. But at least one can offer the option NOT to update unless absolutely necessary, which some apps don't even afford or difficult to do so.

TillE 5y ago

Disagree with the premise that there's less room for major exciting changes. We're still using the same dumb grid-of-apps home screen on iOS, which has been nearly unchanged since its 2007 inception. I refuse to believe that swiping through pages of icons or typing their names into a search box is the best we can do. Some day we'll get a radically new iOS.

lostgame 5y ago
…what? It’s like you’ve never heard of Folders…the App Library…or dragging down for Search? For God’s sake; the App Library organizes things and was only introduced recently. Improvements are clearly happening. Are you an Android user, and not aware of these things? For crying out loud - Widgets were recently introduced! Meaning - literally - my iPhone looks nothing - atm - like a grid of icons. I feel like you’re inferring things haven’t grown at all since like iOS 3…that’s clearly not the case. iOS 7 was probably our radically new iOS. I don’t know or get what you’re expecting. Your comment reeks of inexperience with or bias against the iOS platform. It’s simply factually, objectively untrue. I’m guessing it’s bias against the platform, because it’s HN - and hating Apple is almost as annoying of a problem here as the Linux evangelism. (In the real world - especially in business - we need to run this thing called commercial software, kids. And not through an API emulation layer. That can affect our warranty and support. It’s cute that your unique position as the rare type of developer allows you to use a non-proprietary system such as your favourite distro. Reality check, though - shocker, I know - 95% of people who work with computers in business can’t do what you do. Stop telling us what to do.)

footlose_3815 5y ago

upgrades

musicale 5y ago

I'm glad that stuff only breaks once a year. Usually.