Mac OS X 10.2.8 and avoiding trouble with system updates

Posted by Pierre Igot in: Macintosh
September 25th, 2003 • 9:15 pm

The many problems caused by Apple’s latest “minor” system UPDATE Mac OS X 10.2.8 indicate that the usual advice bear repeating: Don’t rush to install updates on the very day that they are released.

There are enough volunteer beta testers out there that will do it, experience the pain caused by the bugs introduced by the update, report on them, and get Apple to fix them.

If you use your Mac running Mac OS X to make a living, you probably cannot afford the disruption caused by such problems. No matter how careful Apple is about thoroughly testing their software before releasing it (and the company’s recent track record is not so good in that respect), there is always a risk that a severe bug will slip through the cracks and end up affecting many users, as was the case with Mac OS X 10.2.8.

Sure, new software releases are exciting, and often bring welcome improvements and fixes. But if you’ve been able to live with the flaws and bugs of the current version for months, you probably can afford to wait a little longer — until you’re relatively certain that the newest UPDATE will not introduce new and potentially devastating problems on your machine.

Of course, this also means that you need to keep informed, by reading reliable sources of information such as the MacInTouch web site on a regular basis. If you don’t have time to do this yourself, then try to follow the advice of someone in your entourage who does.


4 Responses to “Mac OS X 10.2.8 and avoiding trouble with system updates”

  1. Ortwin Zillgen says:

    so you feel like a beta-tester complaining every other day about Word-glitches, are you :-)
    By the way, I’m “beta-testing” X.2.8, it just works! I don’t use Word, because I’m using Mac running Mac OS X to make a living.

  2. Pierre Igot says:

    Well, Word X is a special case :-).

    But yes, I do have a slightly masochistic streak, and I tend to be an “early adopter” myself. I don’t always heed my own advice!

  3. Rainer Brockerhoff says:

    Strange that the 10.2.8 build in question was released for seeding over a week before, and no show-stoppers were found. Perhaps developers’ hardware is less representative of the general public than everybody thinks… it seems that low-end iMas and eMacs are the only ones with significant problems.

  4. Pierre Igot says:

    Good point, Rainer. Whatever the cause, Apple needs to seriously look into it.

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