Updates are one of the less pleasant things about life today. Once upon a time, software updates could be counted on to bring new features that you were really excited about. That does sometimes happen, but more often than not, a computer update brings more heartache than anything else. So, this brings up a real question: when should you update, and should you even update at all?
The real reason your devices update
There’s a reason that your phone, computer, TV, and other devices get frequent updates. It’s not what you think. It’s not because the company genuinely cares about you, at least not most of the time. The reason’s far more… pragmatic. There’s so much pressure to get products out to market today that it’s practically impossible to fully test them. So, a lot of products are tested just enough to know that they’ll hold together, and then they go out into the world. Knowing that everything is connected to the internet means that they can keep working on fixing things as they go. Updates sometimes turn on functions that were promised at launch and weren’t ready. Other times they fix something that was broken at launch, and no one realized it.
As time goes on, most of your devices need fewer updates. Your smart TV, for example, only updates once or twice a year to deal to roll out a new feature or two. But when it comes to PCs and phones, things are a little different. There’s an almost constant stream of folks wanting to hack phone and computer software. Those operating systems are so huge that it would take years to test them properly. So, weekly security updates keep things running whenever something is exploited.
It’s the same thing with apps. While some apps do genuinely add new features from time to time, most are updated to fix security issues or functionality issues that should have been fixed before launch. Don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger. I’m just telling it like it is.
When should you update?
Let’s just assume you’re a normal person, not wanting to live on the leading edge, just wanting your stuff to work. If that’s the case, you don’t have to leap up and accept every update that comes to you the moment it comes out. Most devices, including your phone and computer, have some sort of “automatic update” mode where it takes care of this stuff while you’re sleeping. That’s usually a better bet.
Why? Because, although it may sound sad, sometimes the updates that go out break other things. The first couple of days for a major update are always marked with stories of how the update killed battery life, printing, or some other part of the operating system. It’s not uncommon for there to be an update to the update, in order to fix those things. In some cases, it’s an app that’s not compatible with the new update, and that app needs an update to fix things.
Waiting for the computer or phone to do the update itself will save you the pain and suffering of the early adopter. Now, if you know what you’ve signed on for, and you’re willing to work on the bleeding edge, by all means take every update there is. Test it thoroughly. You’ll be doing a great service to others as you find the bugs that didn’t become obvious earlier. Just know that it’s your choice. You can get those new features earlier, but you’ll be sacrificing some stability.
What if something’s broken?
If your device isn’t working as it should, that’s another whole kettle of fish. In that case you should be on the lookout for driver updates, app updates, and operating system updates that might fix your problem. Often times you can get an update through Windows Update, the App Store, or Google Play, and this will get you back on track. Developers put the highest priority on making sure that something broken gets fixed, so hopefully you won’t have to wait too long.
What about those people who never update?
There are going to be people who tell you never to update a device that’s working perfectly. I agree, that sounds like a pretty good move. But by ignoring security updates, you’re making that device unsafe to use. You’re also potentially compromising other devices on your network. I get it, some people are worried that their favorite old-time app will stop working with a new update. It’s just a risk we all take to deal with the security issues.
