The reality is that I was emotionally retarded sometime in the 1970's and never quite grew up. I don't feel old necessarily, merely that I am inhabiting the wrong planet.
I ordered the hot new Lightroom 5 upgrade this week. This Adobe product allows you to utilize some cool new tools, multiple vignetting points, slick content aware brush, etc. I tried to put it on my MacPro desktop 2 x 2.66 GHz Dual - Core Intel Xeon running OS10.6.8 Snow Leopard and it was a no go. The install box said that I must have a minimum of operating system 10.7 Lion to make it work.
Fair enough. I called Mac and ordered Mountain Lion. Sorry sir, the architecture of your "vintage" computer won't run Mountain Lion, better stick with a different breed of cat, Lion. "Vintage," I ask? The desktop is six years old and has already been relegated to the dustbin of history? Apparently I am pecking around on the modern day equivalent of a Packard. The twenty something tech apologized for his "verbiage," he nervously coughed and said that that is how they refer to systems that they no longer supply hardware for and I should in no way take it as a sign of my advancing dotage.
I went through a bunch of redemption tsoris and subsequently ordered Lion but it won't load for some reason. A senior level tech says that he has dealt with this issue before and I will need to load Snow Leopard again to get Lion to work and who the hell knows where those discs are so they are expediting me a pair and we will see.
A lot of crap for an upgrade, no?
Moore's Law says that computing power doubles every 18 months or so. I think that there is actually another principle at work here.
It is called built in obsolescence. Set the hook in our mouth and then don't ever let go. My coffee buddy Wild Bill told me that a developer buddy says that this period is constantly shrinking. Computers and software are now built for a three year lifespan window.
They want to keep you in a constant buy cycle. Just look at Adobe and their new creative cloud strategy.
32 bit gives way to 64 bit and it all gives way to a constant drain on your wallet that is fairly insidious.
More and more software programs and hardware systems are quickly becoming unusable. Apple is getting away from the cats for some reason, the next OS will be titled Mavericks. A really maverick idea, ease up on your customers.
3 comments:
I like reading your pieces on NSA snooping. Right on.
But I was surprised you didn't know that our Apple products go obsolete in 3 years. Been that way for ten years at least. I buy a laptop, get the one year warranty and then buy two more years extended warranty. Computers are the ONLY thing I buy extended warranties for. After three years, Apple won't have parts if something breaks, so I just use 'em as long as they work, but never repair them or update the software after the initial three years because that has always led to trouble. I always buy from the lead tech at our local non-apple Mac store, (a local place called Power Mac) and I only chat with, but never buy from, the sales folks. My pal Patrick gives me the straight skinny (and small discount) without any BS, and answers most of my questions via email or over the phone.
def feel you on the built in obsolescence. it's some bad practices.
It is a mess you can keep upgrading everything endlessly or get a computer and all software and doodads at about the same time-- then refuse all upgrades that cost. The machine will run a long time but becomes more and more obsolete. The second approach is much less expensive.
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