When should I update?

If you own a mobile device of any kind you have probably asked yourself, “Should I update that app?” or “Should I install the new OS?” Maybe I’m the only one, but I don’t think so.

When making the decision to update an app or operating system you need consider some of the following questions.

1. What are the new features of the update?

2. What are the “fixes” in the update?

2. Do I need the new features of the update? (Better yet, Will I use the new features of the update?)

3. What will I lose from the update?

Let me explain the conversation that goes through my head before I update an app or the OS.

“There is a new version of this app. What is new with this version of the app? Oh that sounds cool. Oh they fixed the unexpected crashing I get once in a while. That would be great. That new feature sounds very interesting but I’m not sure I would use it. They took out the feature I used the most.”

This only takes a couple of minutes to read through the changes in the app, but it will make a world of difference if you ultimately decide not to update. Remember, you won’t be going back to the old version of the app after the update.

Most of the time I update my apps. The updates are not usually made because someone was bored and didn’t have anything to do. Usually there are bugs to work out.

Upgrading the OS should be a more serious decision. For example I just updated my iOS on my iPad. There are many new features that I was interested in using. One such feature was Siri. Now, I am sure I will lose interest in Siri rather quickly because she isn’t really any faster than taking some things on the screen. But it is pretty cool to tell her to write an email or send a tweet. Keep in mind that some features are only available on particular devices. I have the third generation iPad. Siri is not available on the first and second generations.

Sometimes despite your research you find there are things taken out of the update that isn’t mentioned. For instance the new iOS 6 for the ipad removed the YouTube app. This isn’t a deal breaker for me because I’ll just use Safari to get to YouTube, but if you used the app everyday, you might be a little unhappy. My suggestion, wait to update your OS. Read some reviews after others have made the change.

Most of the time the update is a much needed replacement or full of fun new features. It is worth the time to check.

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