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Apple Allowing Non-Developers to Apply for OS X Beta Program

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,481
30,717



Alongside iOS 7.1.1, Apple has introduced a new OS X beta program that will see non-developers given an opportunity to download OS X betas before they are released to the public. Previously, participating in OS X betas required a developer account, priced at $99 per year.

betaseedprogram.jpg
Join the OS X Beta Seed Program and accept the Beta Seed and Confidentiality Agreement. Apple will provide a Beta Access Utility for your Mac, which gives you access to pre-release versions of OS X in the Mac App Store Updates panel.
Click to expand...
Users can apply to join the beta program on Apple's new Appleseed Beta website, which allows users to apply using an Apple ID.Apple requires everyone who signs up to sign a confidentiality agreement, which prevents users from disclosing, publishing, or disseminating confidential information to anyone not also enrolled in the Appleseed program.

After agreeing to keep beta information confidential, Apple asks users to make a backup on their Macs before downloading a special Beta Access Utility App which allows a Mac to be enrolled for beta software updates. All updates will be delivered via the Mac App Store, similar to standard OS X updates.

Article Link: Apple Allowing Non-Developers to Apply for OS X Beta Program
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/04/22/apple-betaseed-program-opens-to-all/
sbrhwkp3

sbrhwkp3

macrumors 6502a
Jul 17, 2005
552
74
Lake George, NY
Hmmm.... wonder if something like this for iOS could follow, seeing how so many people found ways to adopt iOS 7 months early last year.

If people are willing to deal with the bugs, why fight it? Get it out there and use it to your advantage for GM release.
 
2499723

2499723

Cancelled
Dec 10, 2009
812
412
Hopefully this will result in Apple taking a greater number of suggestions on board. Perhaps it might also improve both the quality and frequency of necessary changes. But here's hoping...
 
C

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
sbrhwkp3 said:
Hmmm.... wonder if something like this for iOS could follow, seeing how so many people found ways to adopt iOS 7 months early last year.
Click to expand...
Would be great if something similar was done for iOS beta releases.
 
polterbyte

polterbyte

macrumors 6502
Sep 24, 2012
353
538
Brazil
I like this. It will pose, I believe, several challenges to the Apple team, which will certainly be flooded with "bugs" resulting from inexpert assessments.

But it tends to speed up the finding of real bugs as well, which is great.
 
bushido

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
haleluhjia. no more "but u aint no dev" complains when u run into a bug and simply want to point it out on here
 
O

omenatarhuri

macrumors 6502a
Feb 9, 2010
897
823
Sweet! I signed up. Not sure if I'll actually download any when the chance is given, but its nice to have the option.
 
B

boecherer

macrumors newbie
Dec 7, 2009
15
2
Better listening now?

I wonder if they will listen more/better. Mac Mail has had a problem connecting to two Exchange accounts for at least 2 years now. I was in the beta program and alerted Apple to the problem on the discussion boards and the threads had over 10,000 views and it was never fixed. I and several others even called them. WE came up with a workaround and it was never fixed to my knowledge. I don't know it it's been fixed in Mavericks as I've given up as I didn't HAVE to have two Exchange accounts in Mail, but it would have been nice.

Even the iPhone could/can handle more than one Exchange account. I don't know who was running the bug department back then, but it was terrible.

Maybe at least with betas for more people, workarounds can be developed sooner.

----------
polterbyte said:
I like this. It will pose, I believe, several challenges to the Apple team, which will certainly be flooded with "bugs" resulting from inexpert assessments.

But it tends to speed up the finding of real bugs as well, which is great.
Click to expand...

but... per my post, even if they know about a bug, if they don't want to fix it, they won't. We'll see if things are changing for the better.
 
5

576316

macrumors 601
May 19, 2011
4,056
2,556
I take it that it would not be a good idea to replace one's only system with the beta?
 
ouimetnick

ouimetnick

macrumors 68040
Aug 28, 2008
3,552
6,341
Beverly, Massachusetts
I'll be running beta versions on a separate partition. I wonder how many people feel the need to satisfy their ego and be able to show off that they are running the latest version.

Just like all the impatient people that HAD TO HAVE major iOS releases before they were finalized. For those people....:rolleyes: it would certainly be a shame to loose all your data now wouldn't it. ;)
 
medazinol

medazinol

macrumors 6502
Jul 17, 2002
268
384
Los Angeles
This is great news. It can only help improve new OS X releases instead of having to wait months for bugs fixes since users are the beta testers. Apple is improving slowly but surely.
 
caligomez

caligomez

macrumors regular
Feb 8, 2011
246
88
San Juan, PR
So you would have to run the software in a virtual environment? As a normal user, I wouldn't want to run into bugs in apps regularly used, if my only OS was a beta.

Sort of a risky move for non devs, if you ask me..
 
A

aheying7

macrumors member
Jun 13, 2012
43
5
They probably rushed to redesign OSX so they are doing this before 10.10 is previewed in June so that more people can help work out the plethora of bugs.
 
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