I find it interesting that in 2017 people are so quick to damn an electronic product, when the manufacturer does not offer what I will call "new functionality" often well after the product comes to market.
In another thread, someone insisted that a manufacturer was remiss because they no longer "supported" the product. In this case the poster apparently wants new functionality, not originally supplied with the product when purchased.
Understanding that a "simple" software download might allow the new functionality to be used on the existing platform I can appreciate the remorse but often the picture is much more complex than what appears on the surface.
Hardware evolves and this is not a trivial matter. Chipsets, memory and other components exist in a here today, gone tomorrow world. Functionality and ability vary with components.
Writing software is not a simple endeavor, especially with the great inter-connectivity we all expect and take advantage of on different levels. Anyone who disputes this likely has not had much contact with PC's in the last 20 years. Who can claim that they have not had simple functionality issues after a software update? It may happen less frequently today than 10 years ago but it still happens all the time on all platforms.
Then there are the surely complex realities of the business who creates and markets the products... Businesses don't tend to make decisions about products haphazardly. There are legal matters, liability issues and a host of considerations to be run through. It is a complex thing people!
Personally, I look at modern electronics as a snapshot in time. As we all know, that reality changes on a seemingly minute to minute basis. When I purchase something, I simply look at the features included and expect nothing else.
I do expect that in this day and age, refinements will be offered to fix the expected "glitches" that are part of all software. I do expect that a company will support (or replace) hardware failures as they happen, within and beyond warranty with a cost to me when beyond... I look for easy to access customer support for those issues I can't solve on my own and I always try to avoid hardware that has been too long in production as the inevitable can only be put off for so long.
Just 10 years ago, software issues with our electronics required that the hardware be sent back to the factory for updating. I uninstalled plotters, pilots, and instruments numerous times and paid for shipping on numerous occasions trying to fix "issues". Today, we all download to a USB or a micro SD card for plug and play updates. That is a huge deal!
20 years ago, if you purchased anything electronic and a new model came out a year later you had zero expectation of a free upgrade. What has changed is the "building blocks" used to manufacturer modern days electronics. Those building blocks are more and more, made up of software.
Why is it that people consider software "free"?
When I get new functionality that I like in a software, I simply think of it as a perk. It's like winning a lottery that I do not play!
Curious,
Bruce
P.S. There is no need to mention brand names here. Every manufacturer has similar issues along these lines!
In another thread, someone insisted that a manufacturer was remiss because they no longer "supported" the product. In this case the poster apparently wants new functionality, not originally supplied with the product when purchased.
Understanding that a "simple" software download might allow the new functionality to be used on the existing platform I can appreciate the remorse but often the picture is much more complex than what appears on the surface.
Hardware evolves and this is not a trivial matter. Chipsets, memory and other components exist in a here today, gone tomorrow world. Functionality and ability vary with components.
Writing software is not a simple endeavor, especially with the great inter-connectivity we all expect and take advantage of on different levels. Anyone who disputes this likely has not had much contact with PC's in the last 20 years. Who can claim that they have not had simple functionality issues after a software update? It may happen less frequently today than 10 years ago but it still happens all the time on all platforms.
Then there are the surely complex realities of the business who creates and markets the products... Businesses don't tend to make decisions about products haphazardly. There are legal matters, liability issues and a host of considerations to be run through. It is a complex thing people!
Personally, I look at modern electronics as a snapshot in time. As we all know, that reality changes on a seemingly minute to minute basis. When I purchase something, I simply look at the features included and expect nothing else.
I do expect that in this day and age, refinements will be offered to fix the expected "glitches" that are part of all software. I do expect that a company will support (or replace) hardware failures as they happen, within and beyond warranty with a cost to me when beyond... I look for easy to access customer support for those issues I can't solve on my own and I always try to avoid hardware that has been too long in production as the inevitable can only be put off for so long.
Just 10 years ago, software issues with our electronics required that the hardware be sent back to the factory for updating. I uninstalled plotters, pilots, and instruments numerous times and paid for shipping on numerous occasions trying to fix "issues". Today, we all download to a USB or a micro SD card for plug and play updates. That is a huge deal!
20 years ago, if you purchased anything electronic and a new model came out a year later you had zero expectation of a free upgrade. What has changed is the "building blocks" used to manufacturer modern days electronics. Those building blocks are more and more, made up of software.
Why is it that people consider software "free"?
When I get new functionality that I like in a software, I simply think of it as a perk. It's like winning a lottery that I do not play!
Curious,
Bruce
P.S. There is no need to mention brand names here. Every manufacturer has similar issues along these lines!
