Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Can Apple Maintain Software Properly Anymore?

Apple released a Security Update for Mac OS X today. Seems that people are already experiencing problems! The command line SSH utility that allows one to login to a mac remotely, is aborting on an error. I now have to ask this question. We know Apple can design nice devices, from computers to ipods and all in between, but are they able to maintain support over a long period on those devices? My initial response is no, Apple is not capable of providing world class, top notch support over a long period for their software products. Apple only knows how to create new stuff, not maintain the old stuff. It is no surprise, software code grows by leaps and bounds when feature glut happens. Mac OS X 10.5 is laden with all kinds of new features, many of which do not immediately enhance anything for the end user. Eye candy is great, pretty little icons, woa, cool. But reliability, something the Mac was known for over the last 10 years, has diminished. Microsoft is usually the butt of jokes when it comes to flunky buggy software, but Apple has been sharing the limelight, much of it due to this new 10.5. I am not impressed. Matter of fact, I want 10.4 Tiger back! But Apple doesn't allow 10.4 to be loaded on newer hardware. It is a monopoly of sorts internal to the catacombs of Apple. A way to force you to upgrade to the new OS. If Microsoft did that they would be taken to court. Hmm, maybe a class action suit would do the trick here.