Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: Is iOS 8 a Pig?
kyjellyfish writes I've been using iOS 8 for several days and aside from a few gimmicks and add-ons that attempt to achieve parity with Android, my experience has been overwhelmingly unsatisfactory. My chief complaint is that the vast majority of my apps are slow to boot and noticeably sluggish in operation. I want to point out that all of these apps have been "upgraded" specifically for iOS 8 compatibility. Previous operating system upgrades have been relatively seamless, so I'm asking whether other slashdotters have experienced this degraded performance.
I love it on my iPhone 4S. I can't use ApplePay so I may upgrade to a six, but honestly, my nearly three year old 4S works great and has great battery life. I haven't noticed really anything negative. In fact, it prompted google to upgrade their bad Google Voice app, so that in and of itself is a plus. FaceTime audio is also pretty great.
Wanted to add - if you have 1700+ pictures (like my wife).... your phone will bog down. Make sure you have the space on your phone. iPhones do notoriously get slow when they start running out of space.
The lack of any mention of the device he is running it on strongly makes me suspect it is one with a A5 processor. Apple supports even very old devices because it helps the developers a lot having to debug for only a single version of the os, by contrast android development and the short support cycle is a complete nightmare as one has to support accross major and even minor releases. Android app reviews are filled with "It crashes at startup" comments, this is typically not the case for apple users the tradeoff being that their devices might slow down with each new release.
What did you load it on? An iPhone 1? A 4? An Osborne Executive?
Interestingly, I haven't seen any significant gnashing-of-teeth, complaining about slowdowns, etc. on the sites where a majority of the posters are actually iOS Users.
In fact, as per usual, I am waiting a few days to see if there are horror stories, particularly regarding my two iOS devices (iPhone 4s and iPad 2), which are at the bottom of the Compatibility List; but, other than one person with a 16 GB iPad complaining about slowness (and without others piling-on), this seems to be a very reasonable and stable Upgrade; especially considering how much has been added.
Meanwhile though, iOS devices typically get 3 major OS updates. That is, 3 full years of support. Some iOS devices (iPad 2 for example), get as much as 5 years of updates.
Windows Phone 7.x was abandoned very quickly though by hardware as well as MS and developers. They burnt a lot of potential loyal customers pre 8.x on devices like Nokia 900 lumia so trust was lost there from an already very precarious situation.
Well, that's not quite true. You can do that basically only on Nokia phones and this does not proceed from the new ownership.
Disclaimer: I have an "intimate" knowledge about the product.
The WP ecosystem is affected by fragmentation in an Android-like fashion because of how the operating system is rolled out to the devices.
MSFT said that Windows Phone 8.1 will be available to all the WP 8.0 capable devices.. and they meant it. It is 100% true.
However, the most important part of the equation was not mentioned at all: in order to install the 8.1.x version, you need a firmware to support it.
Who develops the firmware? Manufacturers.
That's why all the HTC and Samsung users are still waiting for the 8.1 update and the HTC 8X/8S are not even able to install the latest 8.1 Update 1 Developer Preview.
On top of that, using the developer preview without an adequate firmware, causes dramatic battery drains and performance issues.
Looks like the problem is not who develops the operating system, be it Apple, Google or Microsoft, but who develops the firmware of the phone.
That's why Apple can afford to keep their phones constantly updated.
As Alan Kay said, "people who are really serious about software should make their own hardware"
18 whole months!
The 3GS was released in 2009 and got a security update 2/2014
The iPhone 4 was released in 6/2010 and had the latest OS until 9/2014.
Every iPhone released since 9/2011 can be upgraded to the latest OS.
Do you realise you are actively spreading a lie, one that I have yet to figure out whether you are doing it purposefully or accidentally. Google most emphatically does not support Nexus devices for 18 months. They only support devices 18 months after initial release. Meaning you can purchase the device brand new 17 months after the initial release and only get one months support. So they provide only depreciating support regardless of purchase date, based upon initial product release date and guess what, you get zero discount for that reduced support.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen