Thanks for killing my "update all" button Apple

[geko29]

This is lovely. Now that iOS5 is out, the "update all" button is permanently broken thanks to a rash of apps (of note, iMovie and AccuWeather, though I'm sure there are hundreds) with new versions that ONLY support iOS5. You now get a generic "This App is incompatible with this iThing", with no notice whatsoever of which app it is, or any option to skip the warning and update everything that WILL run. So those of us who haven't drunk the koolaid yet have to manually update each and every app by hand. Which is annoying on the iPad, but a royal pain in the ass on the iPhone.

Thanks Apple for making life so easy.

 

[hcuar]

So... uh... update to iOS5 free on your iPad... and assuming your iPhone is a 3GS or better as well.

 

[geko29]

So... uh... update to iOS5 free on your iPad... and assuming your iPhone is a 3GS or better as well.

Nah, I avoid buggy .0 releases like the plague. And based on the wierdness experienced by the iPod Touch and iPad 1 I put the GM on for testing purposes, (plus the fact that there's no "upgrade" process at all, but rather a "wipe, restore, and hope for the best" process) that's probably a wise decision.

This is the first time I can recall that they've broken previously-working features in an OS that they're STILL SIGNING FOR NEW INSTALLS, simply because there's a newer release available.

 

[h00ligan]

Te apps aren't up to date?

 

[Tycoonguy]

Nah, I avoid buggy .0 releases like the plague.

So it's your own fault.

5.0 is really stable I've been running it since the original beta on my main devices without a single problem.

 

[macse30]

I agree with OP. I'l keep my JB 3GS on IOS4 until there's a JB on IOS5.

 

[geko29]

So it's your own fault.

5.0 is really stable I've been running it since the original beta on my main devices without a single problem.

Beta 2, 5, 7, 8, and the GM all have significantly less reliable Wifi than 4.x on the two devices I've used it on (iPT4 and iPad1) over the past few months, and breaks a number of apps (including one of our two in-house one). It hasn't gotten deployed to my other 22 test devices, 38 production (user) devices or any of my 5 personal ones for just that reason. Well that, and 3 of those 5 are jailbroken.

 

[BrennerM]

Isn't it partly the app devs fault for not keeping IOS4 backward compatibility in addition to IOS5? I agree the error mags could be better but the app devs should also be doing a better job of maintaining compatibility.

 

[IrishVixen]

Isn't it partly the app devs fault for not keeping IOS4 backward compatibility in addition to IOS5? I agree the error mags could be better but the app devs should also be doing a better job of maintaining compatibility.

Yes, but--if an app doesn't work on a given firmware, it shouldn't show in your queue to download. Updates that only work on iOS 4+ don't show on my original iPhone, for example. While the devs share some responsibility, I think that one *should* ultimately be on Apple's end since they deliver the final product.

And +1 on not upgrading on the first day--between the 4 hour plus update process for most people I know and the "bricked" (not long term, but short term) devices being reported, plus the bugs? No freaking thanks.

 

[jsh1120]

I may be wrong but I have a suspicion that the "incompatibility" update problem for some apps may have nothing at all to do with the apps but with the inability of iTunes and its servers to cope with the crush. I, too, encountered the error today but I find it difficult to imagine that Apple would have released an iOS that is not backward compatible with any but a handful of the existing apps.

I suspect the error may just have resulted from a timeout in verifying the match between an application and a device.

 

[IrishVixen]

I may be wrong but I have a suspicion that the "incompatibility" update problem for some apps may have nothing at all to do with the apps but with the inability of iTunes and its servers to cope with the crush. I, too, encountered the error today but I find it difficult to imagine that Apple would have released an iOS that is not backward compatible with any but a handful of the existing apps.

I suspect the error may just have resulted from a timeout in verifying the match between an application and a device.

Entirely possible--but I also wouldn't put it past Apple to be passive-aggressively trying to get everyone to upgrade. Especially those of us who are JB'd.

Given their determined (and mostly successful) attempts to keep people from rolling back firmware, and providing security updates ONLY for the most current version (even though there are still otherwise functional phones left vulnerable this way, like the first one or the 3G), I have to think their general policy is do everything possible to get people to upgrade. This would fit right in.

*puts on tinfoil hat* I know, never attribute to malice what could be an oversight. Or a bug...!

 

[geko29]

Isn't it partly the app devs fault for not keeping IOS4 backward compatibility in addition to IOS5? I agree the error mags could be better but the app devs should also be doing a better job of maintaining compatibility.

You are correct that the devs are at least partially at fault. Guess I'll have to find out who publishes iMovie and bitch about them. Oh wait...

I may be wrong but I have a suspicion that the "incompatibility" update problem for some apps may have nothing at all to do with the apps but with the inability of iTunes and its servers to cope with the crush.
[...]
I suspect the error may just have resulted from a timeout in verifying the match between an application and a device.

I don't believe this is the case. It's the same apps on multiple devices at various different times, all other apps update fine individually, and the response that the app is incompatible is instantaneous, so there can't possibly be a timeout involved, which would likely be at least 10s.

There are two problems here:

1) Apps requiring iOS5 for no reason whatsoever. To continue to flog iMovie, this is a bug release (1.2.2) whose description states "This update addresses minor issues and expands support for videos imported from external cameras". Definitely sounds like a new OS is required. This is a dev problem stemming from ignorance of how to properly configure Xcode, and obviously Apple themselves are not immune to this stupidity.

2) Even if there are apps that DO legitimately require a new OS in order to function, this should be handled more gracefully. I can think of at least two ways to accomplish this: Don't offer the updates to incompatible devices in the first place (just don't display them in the "updates" list at all); or offer them, throw the incompatibility error (identifying the offending app would be helpful as well, but now I'm pressing my luck), and continue updating the OTHER apps that ARE compatible with the device. Breaking systemwide functionality because a dev doesn't know how to use Xcode is beyond stupid.

 

[radiogoober]

Nah, I avoid buggy .0 releases like the plague. And based on the wierdness experienced by the iPod Touch and iPad 1 I put the GM on for testing purposes, (plus the fact that there's no "upgrade" process at all, but rather a "wipe, restore, and hope for the best" process) that's probably a wise decision.

This is the first time I can recall that they've broken previously-working features in an OS that they're STILL SIGNING FOR NEW INSTALLS, simply because there's a newer release available.

This is very "cry baby"-ish. It sounds like you're trying very hard to find something to complain about. I feel sorry for you.

 

[master-ceo]

Apple has other apps just put into the app store that work on 4.3 but their crummy Pages update and iMovie are iOS 5 only. They really know how to pluck your nerves. Not everybody wants to update and loose features on their older iDevice.
They need to cut the crap. iOS 5 only apps make me laugh when their are tons of good apps that support all the iOS's. They need to get off that Bull.

 

[mkrishnan]

This is very "cry baby"-ish. It sounds like you're trying very hard to find something to complain about. I feel sorry for you.

In fairness, how hard would it be to design the app store so it does not try to update apps on your device to versions that aren't supported by your operating system? I mean, that would take, what, fifteen minutes to program in? The app store already is "smart" enough to not try to install iPad apps on your iPhone.

 

[Zcott]

Apple has other apps just put into the app store that work on 4.3 but their crummy Pages update and iMovie are iOS 5 only. They really know how to pluck your nerves. Not everybody wants to update and loose features on their older iDevice.
They need to cut the crap. iOS 5 only apps make me laugh when their are tons of good apps that support all the iOS's. They need to get off that Bull.

So where's the incentive to upgrade in your model?

 

[sracer]

So where's the incentive to upgrade in your model?

You do understand the difference between a "voluntary incentive" and a "forced march" don't you?

 

[WisdomWolf]

So where's the incentive to upgrade in your model?

Incentive to upgrade? That's what all the shiny new features in iOS 5 are. Incentives to entice people to upgrade. However some people prefer to wait out an upgrade (particularly when they depend on their phone daily and need to set aside time for the upgrade in case of potential problems). I could almost understand this app store silliness if iOS 5 had been out for months/years, but it's been out one day and users running a prior OS are already feeling shafted. That's just wrong, plain and simple.

 

[jsh1120]

I don't believe this is the case. It's the same apps on multiple devices at various different times, all other apps update fine individually, and the response that the app is incompatible is instantaneous, so there can't possibly be a timeout involved, which would likely be at least 10s.

I had indicated that I thought the problem may have been the deluge on the servers. The comment above is in response to that.

Actually, I think we may have both been correct--just talking about different apps. In my case I don't have any of the Apple apps that are mentioned in this thread. And I think that Apple may well have changed those apps specifically to force an upgrade to iOS 5. In fact, I happened across an article earlier today that claimed about 100 "security updates" were included in iOS 5. The specific "vulnerabilities" that iOS 5 addressed were associated with Pages and Numbers, i.e. "malicious" code buried in Microsoft Office documents. No mention of iMovie in the article, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were a similar content format issue.

In other cases, I think the update message was erroneous. But I may well be wrong. The mess created yesterday was so confusing it's difficult to tell just what was happening.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

I'm getting the same message for Numbers on my iPad running 4.3.5. Considering the iCloud portion of the update, which is only compatible with iOS5, I'm guessing it's iCloud forcing the issue (or Apple not updating 4.3.5 to work with iCloud).

 

[IrishVixen]

AccuWeather has updated the description on their app to say it now requires iOS5 for this update. They say they're working on backwards compatibility.

As for the Apple-produced apps, hubby, who normally is a fanboy and worked for the mothership for years, became unglued last night over this issue. He's become progressively more irritated with iOS over the last six months. If someone like him--normally pretty easygoing, reasonably tech savvy, and a dedicated Apple user (he's got the Jobs' memorial page as his Lockscreen right now, for pete's sake!)--is getting this irritated with Apple, I can't imagine it bodes well for average consumers who are having to put up with this kind of upgrade-now-whether-it-works-for-you-or-not crap.