Apple to Continue Offering Public Beta Versions of OS X Software

[MacRumors]

With the release of Yosemite, Apple introduced a public beta test for the first time, allowing more than a million consumers to sign up for and participate in the Yosemite beta. In past years, beta testing new Mac software has been left up to developers and a select number of Apple Seed members.

It appears that Apple found Yosemite's public beta testing to be successful, as the company today sent out an email that suggests it will continue to offer public beta tests for OS X software in the future. In an email that thanks Yosemite testers, Apple says that members of the OS X Beta Program will continue to be offered beta versions of OS X software updates.

Thanks for participating in the OS X Yosemite Beta Program. As you know, OS X Yosemite brings an elegant redesign, continuity features for using your Mac, iPhone, and iPad together, and major enhancements to the apps you use every day. And it's now available for free from the Mac App Store.

Please install the release version of OS X Yosemite. As a member of the OS X Beta Program, you will continue to be offered beta versions of OS X software updates on any Mac that you installed the beta on. However, if you prefer to stop receiving beta updates, please click here.

Over the course of the beta testing period, Apple seeded six separate public betas to beta testers. While public beta testers received fewer updates than developers early on, towards the end of the beta testing period, updates became more frequent and the final beta that was sent out mirrored the third golden master sent to developers.

It is unclear if Apple will seed minor OS X updates to the beta testing public, or if the next major public beta test will come in 2015 with the release of the next-generation OS X 10.11 Mac operating system.

Article Link: Apple to Continue Offering Public Beta Versions of OS X Software

 

[S.B.G]

I thought it was a successful venture and I enjoyed testing it out before its public release. I'll do it again next year.

 

[street.cory]

I'm going to to see what the new Photos app is like before I eventually upgrade.
(I know they updated iPhoto for Yosemite - but Mavericks is working okay for now.) Can' t wait to use Handoff and Airdop though!

 

[nikicampos]

Yes, I just got that email.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Damn, I'm ready to test ZFS or Apple's answer to it any time now! *hint hint wink wink*

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[TimeSquareDesi]

So they outsourced the rigorous testing to it's intended user-base...?

This is the mother of all "this is not my job" commentary....

 

[klover]

Seems as if we've all been beta testers lately...

 

[madsci954]

I wonder if Apple will consider iOS public betas in the future.

 

[Traverse]

Made me feel special!

I think it's a good practice. Imagine the bugs or UI that would be present in the .0 release without the advanced feedback.

----------

I wonder if Apple will consider iOS public betas in the future.

I doubt it. iOS has such a massive market with non-tech savy users. Too many people would accidentally do it or sign up without real understanding and then the typical beta issues would give Apple a bad reputation among general users for "buggy" software.

If you have a Mac, the odds are greater that you know what the beta is and is for.

 

[iSee]

Compare the release of Yosemite with iOS 8.0.

Hell yeah they're going to continue the public beta. Hopefully they'll expand it to iOS as well.

(We might start seeing bigger issues now with Yosemite, with the features tied to iOS 8.1 that the public hasn't seen yet.)

 

[comics addict]

Anyone that still running the last public beta can confirm that they haven't release an update via the software update mechanism? Found it odd that the email itself provided a link to download the installer from the Mac App Store (something I did first thing on Thursday ) Is this the official means to move to the public release?

PS: When I did that at first I thought that having the feedback assistant was bug but now with the email it clarifies that it was their intent all along to keep the beta testers around. Could have said back on Thursday.

 

[TheMackle]

For a second I thought they were asking me to re-install again. Like I was sleeping for the past few days

I am already ready for the next gen. I am calling my prediction now.

OS X Golden Gate!

 

[macaron95]

frankly, they didn't need to send out an email just for that

what's annoying with Apple is that once they own your email address, they just don't know when to stop harassing us

 

[TheMackle]

Anyone that still running the last public beta can confirm that they haven't release an update via the software update mechanism? Found it odd that the email itself provided a link to download the installer from the Mac App Store (something I did first thing on Thursday ) Is this the official means to move to the public release?

PS: When I did that at first I thought that having the feedback assistant was bug but now with the email it clarifies that it was their intent all along to keep the beta testers around. Could have said back on Thursday.

Same thing I was thinking.

 

[Dilster3k]

It's time to lay down Apple, take this next year off and do another Snow Leopard. We don't necessarily need crazy new features, we want full reliable stability.

 

[iSee]

...I doubt it. iOS has such a massive market with non-tech savy users. Too many people would accidentally do it or sign up without real understanding and then the typical beta issues would give Apple a bad reputation among general users for "buggy" software.

If you have a Mac, the odds are greater that you know what the beta is and is for.

It's not that hard to filter those people out. A small technical barrier will do it.

And considering that the alternative was the release of iOS 8.0, what do they have to lose?

 

[Traverse]

It's not that hard to filter those people out. A small technical barrier will do it.

And considering that the alternative was the release of iOS 8.0, what do they have to lose?

I wish they would because guess what... I'm still noticing some of these irksome bugs in iOS 8.1!

 

[CoriG]

Has anyone who was running the public beta version, updated to the final version? I read on one of the websites that they are virtually the same thing... except the final version uses memory for the updater package.

 

[Alan Gordon]

Apple started offering Public Beta versions of OS X software prior to the public beta release of Yosemite.

I signed up for it, but didn't take advantage of it until Yosemite.

 

[kemal]

I'll vote for public beta for iOS. Seems we are already doing that.

Now installing 8.1 "BETA 4"

 

[djtech42]

I wish they responded to feedback about the interface. I'm hoping for complete Dark Mode and some UI adjustments in the next version of OS X.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I got the email too. I really enjoyed using the beta test and didn't really find any problems. Will do it again next year

 

[Chupa Chupa]

So they outsourced the rigorous testing to it's intended user-base...?

This is the mother of all "this is not my job" commentary....

Not exactly. The intended user base is the "I'm afraid of computers" shoppers in Apple Stores. The Beta program is for people who want a taste of the "latest and greatest," and willing to take the risk that comes with it. In return, Apple maybe gets a better vetted product because it increases its test base and variations by a big multiple.

Apple isn't asking beta testers to do this as full time work. It's not even demanding they use it on their main machine. And it's not relying on this program to vet future OSes. But most of all it's completely voluntary, so your "this is not my job" commentary is 100% off point.

 

[0xyMoron]

I wish they responded to feedback about the interface. I'm hoping for complete Dark Mode and some UI adjustments in the next version of OS X.

I doubt they'll ever take a complete full on approach and go all dark entirely. Most people want partially dark system UI. When you design something for a large consumers base there's a thin line between visually pleasing and visually disturbing.

 

[doelcm82]

So they outsourced the rigorous testing to it's intended user-base...?

This is the mother of all "this is not my job" commentary....

I agree. Using the resource of willing volunteers to test the software before its intended release was brilliant. They only allowed about a million beta testers, and I think they reached that limit.