pithydoug wrote:
In general, when a new release of anything comes out hold off till the wrinkles are worked out. Beta tests are woefully weak and it's not until the masses with their varied hardware, OS etc. stir the hornets nest and fixes ooze out.
After a career in the Computer industry, I can tell you that what the companies call Beta Testing (as we knew it through the 80's and early 90's) with a few select customers before general release, is now what we called Alpha testing with a very small tightly controlled group of developers internal and external. In return for lower Software Prices, we are ALL Beta Testers now. That's why I and many other industry vets stay a release or even OS level behind. With MS, most of us only go to a new level, like 8 or 10 when there is a Service Pack 2 relased and appropriately aged.
In the Software companies' defense, general purpose software like Operating Systems are subjected to very diverse and unpredictable demands by a nearly infinite number of applications, some "not so compliantly developed"--or ingeniously using "features" that become "Non Features" (AKA Bugs) when used in a nearly infinite number of ways by each of the user community.
Also thorough testing is very exensive. Think putting lots of people onto a few servers and letting them pound away at many, many applications for weeks.
It is for that reason, that people who use major applications, for example Reala Estate MLS apps by third parties, turn off Auto Updates for Windows. Too many times have folks found themselves with an updated Windows PC that is unable to interact (as it did when it was turned off last night) with their lifeline app.
I have found that understanding doesn't make it beter, but it does help contain upgrade rage.
That sound you heard last year was me replacing my XP system. And I'm firmly planted with Win 7 Pro 64 bit. I may just entirely skip W-8 and wait for W-10 SP2.
The same goes for the Apps, to a certain degree. But it is not as severe, unless you depend on plug-ins or something similar that may not be compatible (yet) with the updated system.
Just remember It WAS NOT better manual.
C