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Saying 'it's a beta' doesn't hold much weight when it comes out in 2 months.

Zellio

Zellio

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
The larger the code, the harder it is to simply find bugs, much less fix things like visual errors. And an OS is a very sophisticated beast.

This isn't like html, or even basic (Although when I wrote basic programs, they could get pretty complicated and sometimes took me a few hours to find the issue), and this isn't a 30 mb program you wrote in Object C for the app store, this is a huge OS with tons and tons of code, even if it's mobile.

The same thing happens for video games. A game that releases very soon is a game that releases with pretty much the same bugs. At nearly 1 gb for the ipsw file, and being that it's an OS, in alot of ways this is more complicated then a game.

Not only this, but if they find a bug, they must also fix the bug for all versions. This OS isn't like a game or a normal program, it's got multiple versions for whichever idevice you use it on. That will waste time as well.

It's highly preferable to quit using the 'it's a beta' excuse.
 
Developer beta, even at that. The real beta is actually the 7.0 public release, that'll come just before the 5s is out.
 
Zellio said:
The larger the code, the harder it is to simply find bugs, much less fix things like visual errors. And an OS is a very sophisticated beast.

This isn't like html, or even basic (Although when I wrote basic programs, they could get pretty complicated and sometimes took me a few hours to find the issue), and this isn't a 30 mb program you wrote in Object C for the app store, this is a huge OS with tons and tons of code, even if it's mobile.

The same thing happens for video games. A game that releases very soon is a game that releases with pretty much the same bugs. At nearly 1 gb for the ipsw file, and being that it's an OS, in alot of ways this is more complicated then a game.

Not only this, but if they find a bug, they must also fix the bug for all versions. This OS isn't like a game or a normal program, it's got multiple versions for whichever idevice you use it on. That will waste time as well.

It's highly preferable to quit using the 'it's a beta' excuse.
Click to expand...

When it's GM then we can stop using "it's a beta excuse" until then it still fits.
 
Zellio said:
The larger the code, the harder it is to simply find bugs, much less fix things like visual errors. And an OS is a very sophisticated beast.

This isn't like html, or even basic (Although when I wrote basic programs, they could get pretty complicated and sometimes took me a few hours to find the issue), and this isn't a 30 mb program you wrote in Object C for the app store, this is a huge OS with tons and tons of code, even if it's mobile.

The same thing happens for video games. A game that releases very soon is a game that releases with pretty much the same bugs. At nearly 1 gb for the ipsw file, and being that it's an OS, in alot of ways this is more complicated then a game.

Not only this, but if they find a bug, they must also fix the bug for all versions. This OS isn't like a game or a normal program, it's got multiple versions for whichever idevice you use it on. That will waste time as well.

It's highly preferable to quit using the 'it's a beta' excuse.
Click to expand...



Saying it doesn't hold much weight doesn't hold much weight. Another daft thread...
 
I take it you've never used an iOS beta before. This is the way it always is. Heck, they've shipped GMs with show stopping bugs that weren't found till the public release. iOS 7 is really no different in that regard.
 
Zellio said:
The larger the code, the harder it is to simply find bugs, much less fix things like visual errors. And an OS is a very sophisticated beast.

This isn't like html, or even basic (Although when I wrote basic programs, they could get pretty complicated and sometimes took me a few hours to find the issue), and this isn't a 30 mb program you wrote in Object C for the app store, this is a huge OS with tons and tons of code, even if it's mobile.

The same thing happens for video games. A game that releases very soon is a game that releases with pretty much the same bugs. At nearly 1 gb for the ipsw file, and being that it's an OS, in alot of ways this is more complicated then a game.

Not only this, but if they find a bug, they must also fix the bug for all versions. This OS isn't like a game or a normal program, it's got multiple versions for whichever idevice you use it on. That will waste time as well.

It's highly preferable to quit using the 'it's a beta' excuse.
Click to expand...

...and you have so much experience coding massively popular operating systems that you know this. The iOS devs have so much experience and work a ton of hours. Plus, it's not just two guys working on the software, it's tons and they're all working together. They're all working on various things. Like others said, betas are always buggy but by the time the public release is out and the x.0.1 version is out, it's usually pretty rock solid.
 
wall of text just to tell us about how it's not a beta which is false and that it takes hours to find the issue. I got lost about what side you were on halfway through.
 
Zellio said:
The larger the code, the harder it is to simply find bugs, much less fix things like visual errors. And an OS is a very sophisticated beast.

This isn't like html, or even basic (Although when I wrote basic programs, they could get pretty complicated and sometimes took me a few hours to find the issue), and this isn't a 30 mb program you wrote in Object C for the app store, this is a huge OS with tons and tons of code, even if it's mobile.

The same thing happens for video games. A game that releases very soon is a game that releases with pretty much the same bugs. At nearly 1 gb for the ipsw file, and being that it's an OS, in alot of ways this is more complicated then a game.

Not only this, but if they find a bug, they must also fix the bug for all versions. This OS isn't like a game or a normal program, it's got multiple versions for whichever idevice you use it on. That will waste time as well.

It's highly preferable to quit using the 'it's a beta' excuse.
Click to expand...

You've heard Apple use the "it's a beta" excuse? I'm going to assume you haven't. Apple is working on all bugs and optimization issues. We've already seen in the month since it's beta release some massive improvements in stability and performance. I can assure you that there are more programmers debugging iOS 7 than have ever worked on any video game. From my experience, beta 3 is already more stable and optimized than Android 4.2 was when it was released; however Android bugs and failures receive about 1% of the coverage Apple OS bugs receive. http://androidheadlines.com/2012/11/android-4-2-the-most-buggy-release-since-honeycomb.html

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/1...major-issues-plaguing-googles-newest-release/

I'm not suggesting that there isn't work to be done. I'm also not suggesting that iOS 7 will be bug free upon it's release (what software is). I'm just not that worried about it.
 
I'm not saying they won't fix the issues, but it's very likely that with 2 months away they won't, or will miss quite a few.
 
Zellio said:
I'm not saying they won't fix the issues, but it's very likely that with 2 months away they won't, or will miss quite a few.
Click to expand...

The bottom line is they will always miss things and with each point release they will fix more. Software design is fluid and is never cut and dry, and no one has ever shipped a perfect product out.
 
Yes, but to have so many bugs so close to launch... You can like Apple as much as anybody, but for large software that is very little time.
 
Zellio said:
I'm not saying they won't fix the issues, but it's very likely that with 2 months away they won't, or will miss quite a few.
Click to expand...
1 or 2 bugs may still exist because they won't be found until public release when people use the devices in ways they never accounted for. Always happens and always gets fixed. Besides, 2 months is a loooooong time for a massive amount of developers to finish it. Really, this isn't anything out of the ordinary. Beta 3 works worlds better than beta 2.

Zellio said:
Yes, but to have so many bugs so close to launch... You can like Apple as much as anybody, but for large software that is very little time.
Click to expand...
Close to launch would be 2 weeks, not 2+ months. They have plenty of time.
 
Last edited:
Don't people get it yet? The whole point of "beta" is to find bugs and fix them before public release. Yes, it holds up. Beta 3 has just a few bugs and by release, the OS will be perfectly smooth and fine.
 
mrapplegate said:
When it's GM then we can stop using "it's a beta excuse" until then it still fits.
Click to expand...

Yep. Until then you're only authorized to have it if you are a developer and part of that deal is that you report anything odd to Apple so they can see if its an iOS bug or just something screwy with your particular system.

When is rather the definition of a beta. So it's less an 'excuse' and more a point of fact.

----------
Zellio said:
Yes, but to have so many bugs so close to launch... You can like Apple as much as anybody, but for large software that is very little time.
Click to expand...

You can't really say that since we don't have a launch date. Apple won't give one until they feel they are ready for launch. So if they aren't feeling that until November etc thats when we will get it
 
charlituna said:
Yep. Until then you're only authorized to have it if you are a developer and part of that deal is that you port anything odd to Apple so they can see if its an iOS bug or just something screwy with your particular system.

When is rather the definition of a beta. So it's less an 'excuse' and more a point of fact.
Click to expand...

I agree. I also think Apple has plenty of time to work things out.
 
Are you even using the beta?

I have noticed significant fixes and improvements going from beta 1 to 2 to 3. Most major bugs will be fixed by release.

As it stands now I don't notice any major bugs that hinder my use on beta 3, just some UI glitches. Today I used my phone heavily for yelp, navigation, search, text, Siri and pictures and it worked great without any stability issues. Beta 2 would have random complete OS freezes and crashes, especially if the camera was involved.

So as it sits now, Apple has made a ton of usability and stability fixes form beta to beta, and it's not even half way through the beta cycle (assuming they go up to beta 7 like iOS 6). So yes, iOS 7 is most definitely a beta and the "it's a beta" excuse is still valid.

Will it be completely perfect and bug free at release? Of course not. Nothing ever is, software or otherwise. But it will definitely be more stable and fluid than it is now.
 
Zellio said:
Yes, but to have so many bugs so close to launch... You can like Apple as much as anybody, but for large software that is very little time.
Click to expand...

Really? I'd have to disagree with you. How many customized software multi-gigabyte platforms have you shipped recently? Because my company recently launched revision 6 of its software, built off of a brand new OS and codebase. 2 months before it shipped, it was still being written.
 
Zellio said:
The larger the code, the harder it is to simply find bugs, much less fix things like visual errors. And an OS is a very sophisticated beast.

This isn't like html, or even basic (Although when I wrote basic programs, they could get pretty complicated and sometimes took me a few hours to find the issue), and this isn't a 30 mb program you wrote in Object C for the app store, this is a huge OS with tons and tons of code, even if it's mobile.

The same thing happens for video games. A game that releases very soon is a game that releases with pretty much the same bugs. At nearly 1 gb for the ipsw file, and being that it's an OS, in alot of ways this is more complicated then a game.

Not only this, but if they find a bug, they must also fix the bug for all versions. This OS isn't like a game or a normal program, it's got multiple versions for whichever idevice you use it on. That will waste time as well.

It's highly preferable to quit using the 'it's a beta' excuse.
Click to expand...

I don't get your point. iOS 7 IS in beta, so that explanation is viable. There only distinction is more bugs in the beta cycle, which is being actively fixed, along with lower level bugs that aren't as obvious.

Once it's out for the public, then we will quit using the "it's a beta" excuse. The iOS software development cycle will not change much except a shift in resources towards iOS 8.
 
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