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What do you think about the way apple handles ios updates for older devices?

  • Apple is just trying to make money - a customer should do research before upgrading

    Votes: 113 13.6%
  • It's a little sneaky, but not a big deal

    Votes: 77 9.3%
  • It is plain wrong to offer an upgrade that will slow down a device

    Votes: 129 15.5%
  • Apple should allow users to select an ios that functions well on their device, even a downgrade

    Votes: 374 45.0%
  • other (or: this poll is horrible)

    Votes: 297 35.7%

  • Total voters
    831
Complaining that your 4S is slow on iOS 8 is like complaining your computer that shipped with XP is slow when you install Windows 8.

You obviously don't know what you're talking about. Upgraded a laptop to Windows 8.x from Vista and it was a huge difference in boot up time and UI performance that it was like buying a new laptop.
 
here are apple's options

option 1. give update to devices that can run the software

answer: OMG MY IPHONE FROM 3 YEARS AGO IS SLOW ON THIS NEW SOFTWARE. WHAT'S WRONG WITH APPLE. WHY ARE THEY EVEN MAKING SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR MY PHONE.

option 2. give update to devices that are 1 year old, max

answer: OMFG MY IPHONE FROM 2 YEARS AGO IS NOW OBSOLETE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NEVER PROMISED THESE NEW UPDATES, I WANT IT!!!111!1!11!!1 NOW I AHVE TO GO AND BUY A NEW DEVICE JUST TO GET THE NEW FEATURE. APPLE IS SO STUPID I HATE THEM. WHAT A DUMB COMPANY

option 3. no updates. the features you got when you purchased the iPhone, is what you'll be stuck with until you get a new device

answer: WOW I JUST BOUGHT THIS IPHONE LAST MONTH AND IT'S NOT EVEN SUPPORTED ANYMORE?

apple just can't win.

This! :D I mean the nerve of Apple to fix bugs in their OS that affect older devices....

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Well my iphone 5 ran really well on ios 7 and 8 so...not sure what to say except my facts are facts too?

Yes they are facts. The truth is many of these people jailbroke their phones or did something else to them. Now they want to complain to Apple about their user errors. LMAO. They need to get a grip.
 
I have no problems with the way that Apple does updates. It is a fact in the software/hardware business that is you add function it is going to take more resources and thus may slow things down. An older PC with new software is going to run slower than old with old.
You don't have to update your software unless you want new function - if you do it may run slower - if you don't you can have your old but less function device.
This whole industry is built on buying new every couple of years and if you want to keep up with function and want equivalent speed you have to upgrade.
 
You obviously don't know what you're talking about. Upgraded a laptop to Windows 8.x from Vista and it was a huge difference in boot up time and UI performance that it was like buying a new laptop.

I didn't realize my 2002 Dell tower (2.4GHz Pentium 4 [single core], 512MB RAM) would run Windows 8 perfectly AND better than it ran Windows XP!
 
Whoa. WHOA.

A company is trying to get people with outdated hardware to buy new devices?

SIR. I WILL NOT HAVE YOU MAKING UP SUCH SLANDEROUS LIES.
 
I agree; I want a walled garden. I don't need freedom and choices for my cell phone, just need something that works for me.

Yep- these aren't intended to replace your laptop or desktop. If you want granular control over your entire phone, go with Android.

I'm 100% with the OP on this. Apple's software support is lousy and the way they pretty much force users onto the latest and greatest is borderline criminal.

My one and only iPhone was an iPhone 4 and by the time iOS 7 came it out was pretty much unusable. The iPhone 4 will remain my one and only iPhone until Apple decide to put in effort to support legacy software.

Then don't ever plan on going back to Apple. Apple wants its users to be using the latest software, and isn't going to bend over backwards to make that software run well on devices more than two generations old. "Legacy support" has never been a strong point of iOS, and by design, it never will be.
 
It's not a strong suit for most things outside of Linux.

By what justification would developers continually hamstring their ability to move forward with new design elements by making sure it runs on old hardware? Don't want the update? Don't take the update. Easy peasy.
 
The bottom line is, most people who do iOS upgrades have no idea what is about to be installed on their device, they simply click update because the word 'update' implies something good. When the update is finished and their device is suddenly running slow because it can barely handle the update, they SHOULD be able to downgrade.

That's really two different issues / problems there.

1. Users should not blindly click Update. If they do, they have no business complaining after the fact. You did something dumb, don't try to blame anyone else for you doing something dumb. Own up to your mistakes, learn from them, don't blindly click buttons when you don't truly understand the consequences.

2. The other issue is simply one of Apple allowing people to load whatever OS they choose. I can see pluses and minuses here. My personal opinion is: for the most part, I'm happy with how they do things. I get that there are situations where such a feature could be beneficial. I just don't think they should throw every OS ever on a site and let people go nuts. Perhaps a trip to the Genius Bar to install a lesser OS would be a good compromise? I think that would be a great compromise. People won't get stuck with unusable devices, but you would also have the general public upgrading as Apple prefers.
 
It's not a strong suit for most things outside of Linux.

By what justification would developers continually hamstring their ability to move forward with new design elements by making sure it runs on old hardware? Don't want the update? Don't take the update. Easy peasy.

After we've all been burned once and had a phone ruined then yes, it's easy peasy thereafter. For the uninformed and tech illiterate (*the majority of iPhone buyers) then these major iOS updates are lousy. The pros and cons should be clearly listed, rather than just the pros (which are often minimal and certainly don't make up for the horrendous cons experienced on older hardware). Stop being all arrogant and self righteous. You sound like an Apple marketing spokesman.
 
1. Users should not blindly click Update. If they do, they have no business complaining after the fact. You did something dumb, don't try to blame anyone else for you doing something dumb.

It's not dumb if you read directly from said company :)apple:) that this update will improve your device with performance enhancements and bug fixes. How would average joe not want the update if it promises improvements, but instead cripples the device?

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You don't have to update your software

No you don't, but :apple:tells its customers that this update will improve things and does not mention that it may slow their device. It's not the consumer's fault if apple is outright lying to them. They should have a disclaimer that it may slow older devices down.
 
After we've all been burned once and had a phone ruined then yes, it's easy peasy thereafter. For the uninformed and tech illiterate (*the majority of iPhone buyers) then these major iOS updates are lousy. The pros and cons should be clearly listed, rather than just the pros (which are often minimal and certainly don't make up for the horrendous cons experienced on older hardware). Stop being all arrogant and self righteous. You sound like an Apple marketing spokesman.

Who is this "we" have been burnt? Better to be an apple marketing spokesperson than a fandroids commentator.
 
It's not dumb if you read directly from said company :)apple:) that this update will improve your device with performance enhancements and bug fixes. How would average joe not want the update if it promises improvements, but instead cripples the device?

There's nothing dumb in wanting that update. Especially since it claims to make your device better.

What's dumb is expecting Apple to be right. If you're ignorant of how this stuff works, you'd be well advised to educate yourself. If you have old hardware, if you're barely supported, if your phone is so old that it won't receive iOS 9, then blindly updating is just pure ignorance. Software companies always need to draw the line somewhere. There will always be hardware that is just too old for the update. And hardware new enough to not be a problem. It's the in-between stuff. If you support it, one crowd gets angry because it sucks and doesn't have the performance they're used to. If you don't support it, another crowd gets angry that they can't load it and decide for themselves if it's good enough or not (think Siri and the iPhone 4).

You can't please everyone. So, if you're one of those people on the cusp of your device being too old, you should NEVER blindly apply updates. Regardless of what Apple has to say. That's a good rule of thumb to follow if you're talking about iOS devices. Or OS X devices for that matter. Or Windows phones or Android phones. Same goes for Window itself (the desktop version). Or pretty much any other consumer electronics that receives OS updates.

It's a tough lesson to learn if you're now stuck with a device that doesn't perform to your expectations. But it's one you need to learn because it's an issue that isn't going to go away. And until the day comes that Apple lets you downgrade, you should always wait to see how others with the same device are reacting before deciding if you want to load that new software or not.

I'm not defending Apple not letting you downgrade. And if you're an early adopter with new software, there IS a small window for you to downgrade. It should be longer. Or doable through a Genius Bar appointment (in my opinion). Still, the end user is presented with a choice. They can accept that update or not. And if they choose to accept it, and have no real clue what they're getting themselves into, that's sad, but at the end of the day, THEY choose to hit Install. No one else. And regardless of what the message might be on the screen, they're the ones ultimately responsible for pushing the button. I have no problem with someone who does so, doesn't like the results and asks how to go back. I have seriously major issues with people who push the button, then want to blame someone else for the results. If you don't know what the hell you're doing, educate yourself or shut the f up and accept your part in the debacle. To say that Apple is almost criminal rubs me the wrong way. Not because someone is picking on Apple, but because they don't have the balls to admit they were wrong for pushing a button when they didn't truly understand the consequences.
 
It doesn't matter what device it is. If a 4S slows down with iOS 7, Apple surely knows that, and can inform the customer that is 6 is the optimum operating system for that device.

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It does matter, because old hardware is old hardware. And Apple doesn't want fragmentation in their environment, so basically they want to support only the last iteration of iOS, and I'm very happy about that.

Btw yesterday I had the opportunity to play with an iPhone 4S for a while, with iOS 8.1 installed, and I found it absolutely usable. Not a speed champion, for sure, but absolutely usable.
 
It does matter, because old hardware is old hardware. And Apple doesn't want fragmentation in their environment, so basically they want to support only the last iteration of iOS, and I'm very happy about that.

Btw yesterday I had the opportunity to play with an iPhone 4S for a while, with iOS 8.1 installed, and I found it absolutely usable. Not a speed champion, for sure, but absolutely usable.
Apple seems fine with fragmentation in their OS X environment which can be argued is an even more complex one.
 
Key word here "Offered", Not "require"

Until six months down the line when the App Store ceases to function and iCloud suddenly requires the latest iOS to work. Offered, but if you don't take them up on the offer you'll be simply ditched at the curb with features and services slowly dwindling unless you update.

Apple need to put more effort into supporting older versions of their software. They're the only ones who instantly ditch old OS versions and I have no idea how they get away with it. I personally feel it is criminal.
 
Until six months down the line when the App Store ceases to function and iCloud suddenly requires the latest iOS to work. Offered, but if you don't take them up on the offer you'll be simply ditched at the curb with features and services slowly dwindling unless you update.

Apple need to put more effort into supporting older versions of their software. They're the only ones who instantly ditch old OS versions and I have no idea how they get away with it. I personally feel it is criminal.

How far back should Apple go with their support? Really? I moved from a 4S to a 6 and that was merely because the phone itself had an issue that I could not resolve. I missed out on 2 years of upgrades and I was fine. I needed the new phone and therefore, purchased it. If my 4S were 100% functional today I would likely not update until I saw some satisfaction from other users who were using iOS 8. While I understand that eventually to use some features I would be forced to upgrade, in the meantime, I could likely be just fine without certain things in the face of not wanting to buy another phone.

I understand that people would like Apple to support the first generation iPad to this day, but it isn't feasible. My old Powerbook Rev B is no longer supported, can't do a ton of things but still runs the basics. I won't expect Apple to support it nearly 10 years later.
 
1. Users should not blindly click Update. If they do, they have no business complaining after the fact. You did something dumb, don't try to blame anyone else for you doing something dumb. Own up to your mistakes, learn from them, don't blindly click buttons when you don't truly understand the consequences.

The average iOS user is not a tech enthusiast. They don't understand software and hardware the way that we do. The thought of an update making their device slower wouldn't even cross their minds. Apple is a company that prides itself on giving users the best experience, while making things as easy and simple as possible; that's what people have come to expect from them. How sad would it be if all 800 million iOS users had to google "How does iOS 8 perform on my device?" before choosing whether to update? It shouldn't be that way. The users should be able to trust Apple to determine what's best for their device, while they get on with their lives.

2. The other issue is simply one of Apple allowing people to load whatever OS they choose. I can see pluses and minuses here. My personal opinion is: for the most part, I'm happy with how they do things. I get that there are situations where such a feature could be beneficial. I just don't think they should throw every OS ever on a site and let people go nuts. Perhaps a trip to the Genius Bar to install a lesser OS would be a good compromise? I think that would be a great compromise. People won't get stuck with unusable devices, but you would also have the general public upgrading as Apple prefers.

That's exactly how it should be.

There's no need to restrict downgrading to Genius Bars, the same thing would be achieved if Apple allowed people to downgrade from home. Most people would continue to update to the latest version of iOS as normal, and the people with really old devices would have to make a decision on whether they want the new features that come with the latest version of iOS, or whether they want the better performance on the earlier version. Unless the performance was absolutely brutal, most people would still choose the latest version. There would only be small percentage of people using old versions of iOS.
 
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How far back should Apple go with their support? Really? I moved from a 4S to a 6 and that was merely because the phone itself had an issue that I could not resolve. I missed out on 2 years of upgrades and I was fine. I needed the new phone and therefore, purchased it. If my 4S were 100% functional today I would likely not update until I saw some satisfaction from other users who were using iOS 8. While I understand that eventually to use some features I would be forced to upgrade, in the meantime, I could likely be just fine without certain things in the face of not wanting to buy another phone.

I understand that people would like Apple to support the first generation iPad to this day, but it isn't feasible. My old Powerbook Rev B is no longer supported, can't do a ton of things but still runs the basics. I won't expect Apple to support it nearly 10 years later.

I'd say two years would do it. Hell, even one year would help ease transition instead of just ditching them who use older iOS versions instantly. Providing updates for older OS versions would please them with devices that won't support the latest release and them who fear slow-down or new bugs.

As for discontinuing support for services on older iOS versions, it should never happen unless it is discontinued in iOS altogether. Users should expect to be able to do what they've always done with their devices for a long time. Like FaceTime, iMessage, the App Store, iCloud, etc.

I'll give you an example. Windows 98's update service is still online. You can still click Windows Update and have 98 install all the updates it has. Pre-Tiger versions of OS X, this is no longer possible. The service is gone. Microsoft has nailed software support and whereas I do think they may have supported XP for too long for their own good, it's bloody nice they do it and think about their users on older software. And its bloody nice that beyond the support, features that require services still function.

Apple just closes the door without even saying goodbye. They seem to think fragmentation is some horrible thing to be avoided, but in reality, fragmentation done right is good for a consumer as it opens up a world of choice. Unfortunately, it requires a lot of work for the software developer, something Apple doesn't appear to want to put their developers through. They'd rather just close the door which in my opinion, in today's industry, is very lazy and anti-consumer.
 
It's not a strong suit for most things outside of Linux.

By what justification would developers continually hamstring their ability to move forward with new design elements by making sure it runs on old hardware? Don't want the update? Don't take the update. Easy peasy.

Supporting old hardware tends to quell the onslaught of bloat that has become the norm in most commercial and large open source software projects.

I would like all developers' computers and phones made after 2009 to be cast into the sea and replaced with older equipment. When they get their software working smoothly and with acceptable performance on that, they can be allowed to run it on newer hardware.
 
Supporting old hardware tends to quell the onslaught of bloat that has become the norm in most commercial and large open source software projects.

I would like all developers' computers and phones made after 2009 to be cast into the sea and replaced with older equipment. When they get their software working smoothly and with acceptable performance on that, they can be allowed to run it on newer hardware.

Yeah it stopped MSFT from bloat. /snark

You could say the same thing about cutting off old devices from the newer OS. However, now you have to support both old and new OS. Its better to force people into the new one. So you don't have your resources divided in half trying to fix twice as many bugs.
 
Yeah it stopped MSFT from bloat. /snark

You could say the same thing about cutting off old devices from the newer OS. However, now you have to support both old and new OS. Its better to force people into the new one. So you don't have your resources divided in half trying to fix twice as many bugs.

Exactly. People kinda forget that one big reason Windows is a monstrosity is because they kept trying to keep giant piles of legacy code in there so people running old toasters with broken third party software could still use it.

IMO what Apple should do, rather than putting updates that mess with old systems, is just make the generational cutoff for updates more like... 2. So this go-round the 5 would be the oldest phone that gets new versions, and so forth.
 
Exactly. People kinda forget that one big reason Windows is a monstrosity is because they kept trying to keep giant piles of legacy code in there so people running old toasters with broken third party software could still use it.

IMO what Apple should do, rather than putting updates that mess with old systems, is just make the generational cutoff for updates more like... 2. So this go-round the 5 would be the oldest phone that gets new versions, and so forth.
I agree with this. I do think Apple should stop supporting a device after 3 years with iOS updates. Honestly.
 
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