One of the exciting things about a holiday weekend is snatching a couple of hours all to myself to write. Alas, this morning, as I be-bopped into my temporary office (otherwise known as the den sofa), my plans came to a screeching halt when I received the dreaded “update” message. My iPad recently updated itself, and Microsoft, not to be outdone, pushed one out at me as well.
How software companies update my devices has changed over the years. Way back at the beginning, when computers ran off of DOS and we stored data on 5.25 - inch floppy disks, updates didn’t happen automatically. The internet did not exist. If you wanted the newest version of a program, you had to go to a store and buy it. The wisdom of the day was that you never wanted to buy a program when it was just released. You needed to wait at least six months to give the programmer a chance to discover, and fix, all the bugs in the program. Over time, the programs got bigger, which meant that the medium storing them had to hold more data. At first, the programs were on large floppy discs; then the vendors moved to smaller, plastic, solid “floppy” discs; then CDs.
As the internet continued to grow, programs were sold online. The first Windows version sold online was Windows 8. We could still avoid updates by refusing to buy the newest program but the writing was on the wall. Even once updates and security patches started being sent over the internet, we could choose whether we wanted to update immediately or be reminded later. I guess too many of us asked to be reminded later and never got around to updating, because we no longer get to choose.
Now, updates begin automatically when you start or turn off your computer. If it happens when I turn off my computer, and I am trying to close out a laptop to head home, I receive dire warnings inferring that I will destroy the laptop and most of the Eastern Seaboard if I dare to turn it off without letting those updates get installed. One day, though, I was trying to head home, and I did the unthinkable—turned the computer off in the middle of the update. The Eastern Seaboard and my laptop survived. Windows got a little snippy about forcing the update on me the next time I opened the laptop.
Given my personal history, I understand why software manufacturers have had to ramp up their methods of getting consumers to upgrade. Without their coercion, I would still use Windows 98 and save data on floppy discs. But I wish they’d avoid such updates on holiday weekends.
What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever been help up by a Windows or other update? Am I the only person who disabled the “new” Adobe Acrobat look to go back to “classic” as soon as that update finished? Mac users, does Apple manage your updates the way they do the iPads?
I get annoyed with the slowness of updates and all the changes, but the security patches are important and worth it. The volume at which the bad actors are looking for loopholes and deficiencies is software is mindboggling.
ReplyDeleteKnock wood, my inconveniences have been minor, and their security updates have helped prevent hackers from getting to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm still mad that instead of using the Home version of MS office for the life of my laptop, I am required to pay for an annual subscripton. I should have seen it coming. I remember waiting to upgrade to Windows 11 until my tech-savvy daughter was around to hold my hand.
ReplyDeleteI've gone through so many changes of word-processing programs (are they still called that?) that I still get confused about some aspects. Word Perfect was my favorite. And I give thanks for being past the days when, to install a program, one had to get someone to read the instructions as one painfully entered an hour's worth of data. Only, of course, to have made an error somewhere and have to start over again.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the timing! And so often, it feels like they're changing things that don't need to be changed...
ReplyDeleteI just received a message that my ipad was not updated and they would try again later on.
ReplyDeleteMy issue is that I looked at the description of what the update will include and most of it consists of things I don’t want such as playlist playground and 8 additional emojis. The first one I have never heard of and since I don’t use any playlists I don’t need it. I don’t use emojis very often and as infrequently as I do, what I currently have is more than enough.
Since they are quick to charge for a variety of apps, ring tones and other assorted products, why don’t you have an option to choose or opt out of these automatic changes and perhaps get some sort of financial reward for things you don’t want but get anyway
Sometimes I receive a notice on my desktop and my iphone that an update will be installed overnight. However, occasionally an update on my desktop will still be going on when I turn on my computer in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI was so glad when Windows discontinued support for Windows 10. No more updates.I know I'm risking an attack by the zombie apocalypse, but my antivirus software is pretty good and I'm trusting it. My laptop is circa 2016. It would meltdown if I upgraded to Windows 11, so that's not on the agenda.
ReplyDeleteStill, every now and again, I'll see the update notice with a blue dot that signifies Win 11 is ready to download if only I'll click the icon, or turn off my computer before I tell it to 'hide for now.'