One of the projects that’s been tossed our way at work by management lately is to push out a software upgrade. Soon.
As soon as we can, apparently. So much so that we get asked about it on a weekly basis.
What I really wonder is if anyone actually knows why they’re asking for what they’re asking for.
At the moment, we’re currently running about two versions behind the current. I’m usually comfortable running a version behind on software, mainly because running the current version of any software often means you’re running something that isn’t completely stable.
It always seems that software companies put out software before I think it’s really, truly ready. I suspect it’s a battle between marketing people and programmers. Programmers what to make sure every single bug is out of a piece of software is released. Marketing just wants something new on the shelves.
You can guess who I think won the debate when it came to Vista.
Somewhere in there, my understanding is, they do something called “beta testing.” Given the number of patches for any OS or software that come out after it’s released, it kinda makes me wonder what the software looked like before this supposed “beta testing.”
At work the thing that really fascinates me is this: most of the people clamoring for the new software don’t actually know what the benefits are. Haven’t read the spec sheets on new features, changed features, etc. Little or no idea what’s coming in the new version.
I’m not sure it matters to them. It’s new, therefore it must be better, right?
Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather be a version behind with software that’s stable than running the most current version that has bugs.
But, heck, what do I know?
The GeekHiker 
amen dude. the marketing people just hear cha-ching! anfd then everyone else gets stuck with a subpar product.
By: blakspring on March 16, 2009
at 6:05 am
The latest version is always the better version, right? That methodology works for Microsoft. 😛
By: Aaron on March 16, 2009
at 6:22 am
I used to be on the bleeding edge of software. I always had the latest version. Sometimes even Betas. I rarely do that these days.
By: Homer-Dog on March 16, 2009
at 7:06 am
OMG, your observation is totally true. Marketing will actually show prospective clients software THAT DOESN”T EVEN EXIST (except as a mock-up in PowerPoint). Management feels their job is on the line so they demand something, ANYTHING from the programmers no matter how crappy it is. Testing, LOL! If you’re lucky, someone in the company clicked a few of the buttons…testing is always the first thing to get cut when money is tight and time has run-out…which happens on 99% of projects.
By: Anya on March 16, 2009
at 7:53 am
However, if you’re talking about Adobe products then the choice is between an unstable 7.x rev that is now unsupported and an 8.x rev that is maybe more unstable (maybe not) but at least there’s a glimmer of hope that a bug fix might come down the pipeline.
By: Phil on March 16, 2009
at 11:21 am
I’m the same way. I’m still running Windows 2000!
By: spleeness on March 16, 2009
at 12:20 pm
And you write this while I’m updating (almost against my will) Windows Live….
I totally agree. Upgrades in general have traumatized me.
By: narami on March 16, 2009
at 1:08 pm
Abso-frickin-lutely!!!
By: Ms. H on March 16, 2009
at 2:26 pm
You’re smart. I’m always resistant to upgrading right away. And yes, Vista is a good example…although I’m a Mac user, so I’ve only heard anecdotes of its issues.
There are actually people at my work who own t-shirts that say “Beta THIS.” Kind of funny in a mega nerd kind of way.
Oh – check out my comment on Dingo’s blog today. I made a joke about your comment. 😉
By: Mel Heth on March 16, 2009
at 5:28 pm
My X makes video games and I always used to say that alpha was when they tried out a new feature on a different computer. Snort. Ummm maybe that’s why we broke up? Because I was one of the legions of cynical, bitter, neglected video game “spouse”?
By: Mrs Chuck Bartowski on March 16, 2009
at 8:14 pm
New and shiny woohoo! Pssh who cares if it works??? Its new and shiny!!!
Kidding! Totally kidding!
By: ruby on March 17, 2009
at 5:43 am
Blakspring – And they only think short-term, since in the long-term no one will like your product line…
Aaron – Well, it’s easy when you have the market cornered…
Homer-Dog – I used to run beta stuff as well, before “1st release” became the beta test!
Anya – LOL, I’ve heard about those PP presentations!
Phil – Ah, yes the “instead of fixing this version, we’ll just skip to the next version and charge full upgrade price” method.
Spleeness – Hmmm, that is a little out of date!
Narami – They can have a pretty traumatic effect!
Ms. H – *grin*
Mel Heth – I need one of those shirts!
Mrs. Chuck Bartowski – Sorry to hear about that. For what it’s worth, I think I have my priorities straight when it comes to my (non-existent) mate.
Ruby – LOL, I know.
By: geekhiker on March 17, 2009
at 10:14 pm
You forgot to mention that you like to use the older version so you only get 20 billion calls from coworkers about this and that instead of the gazillions the newest version would bring…
By: just a girl on March 19, 2009
at 7:13 am