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Firmware Upgrades For Everything
eggoeater writes "Forbes Magazine has an article discussing how more portable electronics are not only suggesting firmware upgrades, but requiring them in order to get all the features! Apparently the new Lyra A/V Jukebox will sometimes display a message stating that 'this feature will be available in future upgrades.' In addition, the article states that some patches are difficult and dangerous depending on the component. Some cell phone patches require a proprietary cable ($25) that will then wipe out your phone book. This raises concerns over alienating users that aren't tech-savvy and how this could affect perceptions of portable electronics as a whole."
I had this same problem with a couple of games. Most notably, Ray Man 3 for the Mac.
:-)
I bought the game for about $50 for my brother. However, it mostly works, if you can deal with the problematic sound bug, which freezes everything at random, bad camera control using the mouse, and the inability to properly set custom keys to stick, among other things....and don't get me started with the Macally Shock II game pad I can't seem to configure to work right for me! (though I think that's Macally's fault)
I'm not very happy with feral (http://www.feral.co.uk)
Halo is another one, where if you use the 1.0 version for mac, and get the health pack, your screen goes completely black for like 10 seconds. Those could be the crucial 10 seconds in which you could just die if the Covenant is chasing after you, and you just stepped in their path because you couldnt see where you are going. I think this has been fixed now, but it was an annoying thing through the game.
Cro-Mag Rally (another mac game) had similar problems on Mac OS X. I even e-mailed the developer and didn't get a very encouraging response. Can't remember what it was or the exact tone...(kind of hard to note the tone through e-mail)
Maybe my problem is that I'm on the mac trying to play games, but from the article this seems to be the trend. I can't remember what other games I've had this problem with but I've gotten into the habit of looking for updates for games as soon as I get them. It fustrates me when it takes a long time for updates to come along.
This is specially fustrating when some games sell at a higher price for a Mac version versus the PC version...
Thank you for reading my rant
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Even mobo manufactures say to upgrade only if the update fixes a specific problem you are having.
Mobo manufacturers say that because a failed upgrade (say, due to a power failure) will leave you with a product needing a very expensive repair -- you don't get a second chance at upgrading. Most other products, if an upgrade fails, you can try again until it succeeds.
"They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
From the article, it looks like you can take the phone in, and have it upgraded for free; or pay the $25 to get the cable, and download the stuff yourself. Technically, since they're not -requiring- you to pay for an advertised feature, I don't think it'd void the contract. You probably would be out the money.
Either way though; if something is advertised on the box or in the specifications, and doesn't have that functionality the -first- time I try to go use it, I'm already alienated. If that same functionality requires a hassle to get working, I'm not just alienated, I'm pissed right off.
They could charge extra for updates.
RCA, makers of LYRA, has done worse though they advertised mp3Pro compatibility on their RD1080 but it did not use the psycoaudio data in playback (therefor using mp3Pro was useless). Close to a year later a firmware support the advertised fearture was released.
its a flaw NOT a feature. User-hostile features like DRM and the miriad, complicated upgrade schemes, authentication and registration hurdles will either have to dramatically improve (ie benift the user directly) or go away.
Quack, quack.
You're right, because popping off the EEPROM is so expensive. I had to do this to a bunch of computers back when that chernoble virus decided to erase their BIOS. Back In My Day cpu upgrades came with a small booklet on how to do it, and a leverage rake thing to pry the old chip out.
I must say Mac users have been doing firmware updates for a long while now, and I don't hear many of them screaming about toasted computers. It is mainly the conception that is has to be hard and difficult to do. ASUS has a nice little utility to update its motherboards.
Does the power really go out that often around you that a 15 second process risks failure? If so, buy some batteries and a generator. Don't do it in a rain storm. My internet gateway shows 120 days since my last power failure. People throw $5 away on a hand of blackjack with worse odds.