Why operating systems need updating
12-Jan-2018 13:30
After all, most OS updates just add extra features that we don’t really need, don’t they?It’s a compelling argument, and certainly one I’ve used before.Any time I wanted to open another program (a dangerous exercise in days before dual-core processors!) I’d have to minimize all windows before laboriously finding the icon I want.
While I would never dream of trying to convince George R. Martin to leave his DOS machine behind, I wonder if the argument for updating OS’s falls into the same trap. Can you imagine working without trackpad multi-touch gestures when working through your daily tasks?And while they may not impede your enjoyment of using Photoshop 7, they would put a roadblock in front of the Adobe Creative Cloud.Incremental development led to our current toolset, which will seem just as antiquated in the not too distant future.At one point or another we’ve all personally or professionally experienced the pain of realizing too late that our favorite program isn’t compatible with the latest OS.