How Apple SHOULD Do OS X Updates

J

Jasoco

Video Gamer/Collector
I see two real ways Apple SHOULD do OS X updates.

1.) The Replacement Approach
What happens is when a new OS X update comes out, you take your previous OS X CD to a retailer and they'll take it and give you a FULL version of the newest update.

This way you bypass the "Need to have a version already installed to update" way of doing things that becomes REALLY ANNOYING when you need to fully reinstall OS X. I mean, what if your HD crashes? You replace it and go to install OS X, but you need to install 10.0 first THEN 10.1.. Why waste the 10-30 minutes installing 10.0?

2.) The Adobe Approach
What Adobe does is when you order an update to an application like PhotoShop the Upgrade Installer asks you to verify you own a previous version by asking you to insert a valic CD with the applicatrion on it. Like upgrading to PS 6 will require you to insert either a 4 or 5 CD in the drive.

Apple could do it this way. Either require a previous Update CD. Like 1hen 10.2 comes out it'll ask you to insert another version. Which you could either insert your 10.0 CD or your 10.1 CD or even if you were to buy a new Mac with X on it just insert one of your "Restore CD's". It'll check the CD for the appropriate files and say "OK, you passed!" and will procede with the installation. THIS way if you have to reformat your HD you can insert the latest CD, run the installer which will ask for a previous CD and will continue installing. No need to install 10.0 first.


This is where I don't get Apple's thinking.
 
All versions of the Mac OS have come with 3 coupons that are basically proofs of purchase. I've never had to use these, but these would be the best way to do an update.

Just bring in a coupon to your Apple store or dealer, and they'll give you a copy of the full version (newest) or simply a full install CD of the new versions that has no restrictions.

I understand your frustrations with the update CD.

However, there IS a way to reburn the CD without the restriction. If you want, I can message you the way (I prefer not to post it so that everybody can use it, including those who just got the update CD w/o buying the full version). You can do it all with Disk Copy, and it's pretty fast and simple. If you bought the full version, in my opinion it's legal to do this procedure (some would disagree).
 
he he

Jasoco - you seem to be doing something i usually do - only thinking this thru from your own perspective.

What if a person loses or breaks their original cd? what if it becomes damaged and unreadable? there are equally as screwed up. as someone who has been around since before there were download updates, let me say that this current system rocks over the old ways - which included going to your retailer and asking for a copy. never has it been so easy and so quick to stay up to date and to get what you need when you need it.

the methods you are suggesting are steps backwards, not forwards. That we could use some better methods of installing and uninstalling that do not provide so many complications and repeated steps, i agree. but the suggestions you make to work around this are simply not the answer.;)
 
Originally posted by Ed Spruiell
What if a person loses or breaks their original cd? what if it becomes damaged and unreadable? there are equally as screwed up. as someone who has been around since before there were download updates, let me say that this current system rocks over the old ways - which included going to your retailer and asking for a copy. never has it been so easy and so quick to stay up to date and to get what you need when you need it.
Click to expand...

Scratch? Break? Bring it in anyway. It's still an OS X CD. I mean, Apple would just take all the CD's they btake back and recycle them. They're giving it away as it is. Or if they so feel it right just charge $10-$20. Who cares?

Lose, well then out of luck. But think of it this way. If we lose our CD NOW we're out of liuck anyway. Say I lose my 10.0 CD and I need to reformat? Can't just install 10.1 because "You need to have a previous version installed." Screwed anyway.

Nope. My ideas are good. And smart.

Though I still think if ANYTHING they do the Adobe way. It can go like this. First it checks fthe HD for a previous version. If it finds one it installs. If it does not it asks for a previous CD. It still practically the same way.

You lose your CD, you'd be screwed either way. Them's the breaks.
 
Originally posted by simX
All versions of the Mac OS have come with 3 coupons that are basically proofs of purchase. I've never had to use these, but these would be the best way to do an update.

Just bring in a coupon to your Apple store or dealer, and they'll give you a copy of the full version (newest) or simply a full install CD of the new versions that has no restrictions.
Click to expand...


Yeah.. I'd like to get SOME use from those coupons. The coupons could be used to get a Full version where you fdon't need a previous CD for proof.

I understand your frustrations with the update CD.

However, there IS a way to reburn the CD without the restriction. If you want, I can message you the way (I prefer not to post it so that everybody can use it, including those who just got the update CD w/o buying the full version). You can do it all with Disk Copy, and it's pretty fast and simple. If you bought the full version, in my opinion it's legal to do this procedure (some would disagree).
Click to expand...

I know how. But I do not have a CD Burner so it wouldn't matter to me. If I did I would have probably done it already.

Message it to me anyway. For later when I do get a burner.
 
well, ideally they should have both otions i guess. store trade ins of some type for people like you and Simx for whom running to an apple dealer is no big deal, and strict downloads from the net for folks like me who want to do it all from home and think software update was a gift from the computer Gods. (nearest store is at least a 35 min drive from my house and that is closer than a lot of people have access to). But please feel free to pat yourself on the back a few more times for figuring out what would be the smartest thing for you ;)

And I still think the 10.1 update was a f**ked up way for apple to go about distributing anything.

the adobe way (why you picked them as your example i don't know) - being able to update any version to the current version would be nice, i agree. But since apple has always done this in the past, i assume there is a real reason not to do it with os x. but i really don't know for sure.
 
Adobe's way isn't that great: it forces the end user to retain 2 copies of the program. I'm not a packrat, just give me one install disk and let me throw away the other.
 
Just what are you people doing with your CD's anyway?

Aside from music discs, my CD's never go that far from the office and if they do, I have a case to transport them in. If it is such a valuable commodity then treat then properly and you won't need to have this argument.

If you need a toy that badly go buy a Frisbee™... they are cheaper!
 
Anim8r - I once brought a perfectly good OS CD from home to school, trying to help my mom out with her computer. I made sure to put it in a good case to protect it. I got to school, it had cracked from the cold on the walk in. I suppose I might have put it in my inside coat pocket to keep it warm, but didn't think to...

Problem I see with the CD swapping method - when you install from a CD, that is your boot disk. You can't just eject a boot disk without repercussions. To enable that would take an awful lot of work from Apple, that could be better used in improving software we will (hopefully) use more often than the install CDs.
 
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