This is the year that will go down in infamy. The year when Apple went completely techno-nuts on operating system updates.
This happens to a lesser degree late every summer or early every fall. Apple upgrades iOS, macOS, iPadOS (was iOS), watchOS, and tvOS. Most of the time the upgrades are spread out over a few days or weeks. That’s the last of the good news.
Things Happen
This year was the year Apple seemed to have more bugs in each release, and critics were quick to point out the problems. Maybe there were more bugs this year than last, but only Apple knows the math. Nathan and I manage many hundreds of PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, and iPads in a Chicagoland private school, and we can tell you the same thing (not to mention that we help a few dozen teachers with their iPhone upgrades).
Upgrades and updates are a pain in the patootie (not my first word of choice).
Microsoft’s Windows has had a horrid year for updates with Windows 10. Apple seems to have been infected with the same management styles whereby new features and functionality take precedence over bug squashing.
It’s time for the upgrade update ceasefire, Apple.
Here’s how it has worked so far.
First, iOS was upgraded to iOS 13. tvOS and watchOS, too Then along came iPadOS 13, and a few weeks later, macOS. Since then, each version has received a growing handful of updates. I suspect the average is about four updates per device. Multiply that times a few hundred devices and what do you get?
War!
I’ve asked Apple for a ceasefire because it’s not the bugs that is killing us– it’s the updates that supposedly squash the bugs. Sure, each OS version brings a few new hiccups, and this year was no different except in the number of updates spread out over a few weeks.
Honestly, I think there was one period where we had three updates in three days. With iPhone we didn’t get caught up when another update came along.
Thank you, Apple for being diligent and squashing bugs. Your professionalism means each new device actually improves– it gets better– each year for about five years after purchase.
You don’t see that with Android products.
Yet, the sheer volume and frequency of these updates have made the management of many devices more cumbersome. A few of our staff have complained about a similar issue but with half a dozen devices– we have hundreds to manage, and though we have tools to manage many iPhones, iPads, and Macs at the same time, the frequent updates have added to our workload.
Next year we’ll wait until mid-November before implementing any upgrade.
