In this column, I write about things that really annoy me. These are things we all encounter in our everyday lives, things that are more complicated than they need to be and that are just plain, well, annoying.
Today’s topic is updated apps and OS systems on iPhones, smartphones and computers.
The Problem With Updating And Updated Apps
The problem with updating and updated Apps is that the newer versions are almost always worse than the previous ones. Take iTunes for example. The original version was great and easy to use, even for techie dummies like me. Each subsequent version, tho, got more and more complicated to the point that now it’s all about trying to sell yo stuff.
I don’t want that – I just want to listen to my music! Oh, and things are so difficult now I can’t even figure out how to add more music to it.
Same thing with the iPhone ringtone. In the 8 phone, I could pick a song from the music library but in the 11 and subsequent models you have to pay for a song! And they don’t even have the songs I used before because it’s music from an independent artist friend of mine.
And don’t even get me stated on iMovie. Well, okay, now that I mentioned it, the original version was so easy to use I learned it in one free lesson the Apple Store gave at the time so customers could use the Apps that came on the computers (remember those, long-time Mac users!?).
Now, tho, the “new and improved” version has so many dumb and useless changes it drive me nuts! For instance, the tool to find and import videos is a tiny pull-down menu which is difficult to scroll, particularly if you have several folders and sub-folders. And the timeline bar used to slide to any length of the clip you wanted; now it’s fixed on specific intervals which go from too small to work with to so long it goes way off your screen.
Whenever I see an update or an “upgrade,” I am reminded of an old Mad Magazine cartoon that made fun of a corporate ad claiming “new and improved!” According to Mad, “the only thing that is new and improved are new improved profits for the company.”
Bingo!
And, just to drive us all a little bit more insane, App updates always come right after we have finally learned to work around all the weird quirks of the previous version. Facebook is notoriously famous for this, and I know I’m not alone in my thinking.
THIS DRIVE ME CRAZY!
The Problem With Updating And Updated Computer, Phone & Tablet OS Systems
Of course, these apps need a system in which to operate, thus the OS, or Operating System.
Just like the Apps, every newer version seems to be worse than the previous one. For starters, they take up a lot more space on your computer, phone or tablet. Secondly, they do nothing more than change the look of say, your e-mail, which takes some getting used to, of course.
What’s the point? So the designers can say “look how cute we are – we changed the font on such and such!” Pleeze. I’m all for improvements, but changing something just for the sake of changing it is silly and of course it’s really annoying when the changes make apps and operating systems less user-friendly than their predecessors.
THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY!
In Conclusion
Okay, I’m through complaining. For this column, anyway.
Signed,
Mr. Sorehead
More Mr. Sorehead Blogs
• Things That Bother Me About Bars
• Annoying Waiters Who Speak In A Heavy Accent
• Why I Don’t Care About Major League Baseball Anymore
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