Re: Keeping Score

ZnU wrote:
In article <VMFVi.44204$b9.18123@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
TheLetterK <none@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

ZnU wrote:
In article <IJwVi.45328$q7.15404@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
TheLetterK <none@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

ZnU wrote:
In article <9tlVi.21985$N7.19102@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
TheLetterK <none@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

ZnU wrote:
In article <FrzUi.12472$4V6.10294@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
[snip]

Also, if one company ships an OS update every year, and another ships an OS update every five years, for four out of every five years, users of the first OS have a more modern system. This is important when OS vendors need to respond to market changes like the rise of wireless networking, etc.
And it's an extreme disadvantage when the platform is intended to be used in mission critical areas. It's one thing for, say, a graphic design studio to have their computers go down because of upgrades or incompatibilities. It's quite another for, say, a factory using computers for process control to lose their systems.
Yeah, it's too bad Apple forces everyone to install new OS updates as soon as they come out, without even giving people a chance to test them or anything.

Oh, wait. They don't.
Until they need to buy a new computer.
Which isn't very often with applications like the one you described above.

In any case, the Mac is virtually absent from such markets, and I doubt Apple sheds many tears over it.


That was an example of a highly mission critical system. There are many others, of greater and lesser importance. Ignoring this market seems like a stupid decision on Apple's part, since they don't get much of an advantage with their current release cycle.

Huh? Markets like the one you describe above probably account for less than 1% of worldwide computer sales.

It was an *EXAMPLE* of a mission critical system. Do you understand the word "example"? I picked one that clearly demonstrated a point--I didn't cite it as the only sort of use where high platform stability was required.

The notion that Apple should change its OS release cycle to appeal to such markets just doesn't make any sense.

Because, you know, there is no money to be made selling high-profit items like mission critical servers and workstations.


The increments are too large and infrequent to gain many of the advantages of a truly incremental upgrade cycle, but they're too small and frequent to gain the stability advantage of Microsoft's method.

Apple's current upgrade cycle keeps normal desktop computer users -- you know, the people Apple is mostly trying to sell computers to -- supplied with regular updates that provide useful new features, enhanced performance, and stylish UI.

And effectively bars them from entry into any industry where platform stability is important.


And Microsoft's method isn't quite as stable as you're trying to claim. Consider all the issues caused by SP2.

And consider that the Windows platform essentially sported the same APIs and features for several years. Developers were keenly aware of what could and could not be expected of it, and had a reasonable degree of certainty that it would continue to work in the future. OTOH, Apple seems remarkably adverse to actually stabilizing their APIs from one release to the next.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Keeping Score
    ... TheLetterK wrote: ... computers for process control to lose their systems. ... it's too bad Apple forces everyone to install new OS updates as ... Apple's current upgrade cycle keeps normal desktop computer users -- you ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • RE: New Update for #70-299
    ... > Segment A contains a single server named TestKing1. ... > Segment B contains all other computers, ... > TestKing?s written security policy states that Segment B ... > Updates on all computers in Segment B to use ...
    (microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcse)
  • Re: best antivirus solution for a Mac.
    ... updates for Panther in the last year too. ... packs and several security updates. ... Both of my computers, as well as the computers in ... I think that it is great that you are productive on a Mac. ...
    (microsoft.public.macintosh.general)
  • Re: SVChost.exe 99% CPU Usage with SP3 installed
    ... I've installed Windows XP SP3 on many computers to date (I am in an IT ... SP3 has installed on all of them through automatic updates ... I've spent many mornings in crisis mode because a Microsoft ... If the OP had had a quick scout in the "real world" before installing SP3, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain)
  • computers disappear from wsus
    ... I ahve about 20 computers ... new PID is available ... Targeting Cookie: 0x8024402c ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsupdate)