Like it or not, Apple locks us all into perpetual betas
A concerned reader asked me a question the other day. She wondered why I always seem so down on Apple even though I use lots of Apple gear.
I have many reasons to be down on Apple. I’m not fond of how Tim Cook has sucked up to the Trump regime. I think Apple’s monopolistic policies harm developers and users alike. I think Apple can’t live up to the pace it has put themselves and us on. Apple’s “It just works” mantra long ago faded into the dustbin of history the same way Google’s “Do no evil” did.
That last one is the one that gets me riled up the most.
Things don’t “just work” anymore. They work sometimes. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes after working for a while they just stop. Sometimes they return to working. Sometimes not. I chalk this up to the fact that every Apple user is essentially running beta software whether or not they have opted into betas. (I don’t run betas.) As I’ve stated here often, when beta software arrives for beta users on their devices, beta software is also being introduced behind the scenes on Apple’s servers. Beta users expect there to be issues. That’s the price of admission. Non-beta users do not. And in my view, they shouldn’t be exposed to those same “take your chances” experiences.
Most users aren’t aware of this and some of the signals that are easily missed are so common place that they are easily ignored. For example, if you use an Apple Watch to log in to a Mac, every now and then you’ll see a message on your Mac that you have to sign in with your password to make that Apple Watch feature work again. Typically, that happens around the time Apple releases a new beta version. Or you may see that a notification that a device you’ve owned for quite some time has suddenly signed on as a new device to your iCloud account as a new device.
Things get muddier still as most Apple coverage is about what’s happening with each new beta and ignores the problems that backend issues may cause for non-beta users. At least I rarely see it and I try to stay current. Apple coverage is also spending as much time looking to the future as it does the current moment. That begs the question, are we just bored with the present and if so, why?
Apple is on what seems to me like a far too haphazard and perhaps reckless pace of advancing software development that is leaving users and developers playing catch up, while it does the same. It’s one thing to play catch up, it’s another to play catch up when you’re adding new features into the mix at the same time. I get it. The pace of tech, fed by the AI bubble/boom/bombast is forcing everyone into a high stakes race. But it sure isn’t taking care of the potholes on the racetrack.
The last few years there’s been a period in the spring each year where things have settled down somewhat before they start ramping up again for the next year’s betas to be released at Apple’s WWDC. That typically comes after a .3 or .4 release of that year’s current operating system. That’s typically in the Spring and often feels like a breath of fresh air. I like the Spring. I also like the Fall, but while I eagerly look forward to the leaves changing color, I approach Apple’s annual Fall operating system releases more and more with trepidation knowing that some of the Summer’s beta issues will continue as we head into Winter.
A big part of this in my opinion is Apple’s fortunate position of taking a long view in its hardware and software development. Apple may be working several generations ahead of whatever they are selling at the moment, but I don’t believe they are paying enough attention to what’s happening in the moment the majority of its users are living.
But, back to that original question. After some of the bigger issues I mentioned earlier became prominent enough to make me question my use of Apple products I did some looking around and some self examination. Given that I support a number of folks who use Apple products as well as products from other makers it was easy enough to do. The simple sum that all added up to is that Apple’s hardware is, in my opinion, the best of what’s on the market, and no one else has come up with software solutions any more reliable than Apple at the moment. I chalk that up to the AI rat race that feels more and more likely to keep companies and users frustrated for sometime to come while everyone chases promises that more than likely won’t pan out they way they were sold.
Sure, I could try to work my older geek muscles back into shape and chuck it all and buy cheaper equipment to run Linux, etc…and that has had some romantic appeal. But in the end, I am no longer that romantic and will admit to the compromise that I need something that works reliably most of the time, if not all of the time.
The fact that I felt very uncomfortable typing the phrase “most of the time” in that previous sentence is I guess the best answer to the user question I opened this post with.
In a different context, but to the same point, since I pay for the hardware and the services I use, I feel I have every right to complain when something doesn’t work reliably or as advertised. It’s no different than complaining to my grocer or my auto mechanic when they don’t live up to service I initially signed on for. Sad to say, my realization is that it’s easier to change grocers or auto shops if things don’t change for the better. And that’s the compromise I’ve let Apple (and the rest of the tech sector) force me into.
I write about my experiences mostly. I don’t regurgitate Apple’s PR for clicks and then comment how problematic something might be on a podcast down the road when something new is rolling out. If I’m having a bad experience I’m betting others are too. So, I share what’s at my fingertips, on my screen, and occasionally running rampant in a memory leak.
(Image from zebronit on Shutterstock)
You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.
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