Software updates (in general)

[bt3]

Consumer electronics are littered with firmware/software problems.
Products become obsolete rather quickly, manufacturer
support may fall off to soon or go away altogether.
Would really think not twice, but thrice about purchasing
costly consumer products requiring firmware/software support.
Purchasing from the biggest manufacturers' (Apple/Microsoft/Google/etc.)
makes more sense than ever to me. Will still support smaller businesses
(like Topping/etc.), but only their products which are low cost enough to
justify the risk. You too?

 

[Keith_W]

If Topping goes under, their products do not stop working. The only way they can go obsolete is if new standards come out (e.g. new connectors, new audio formats, Alexa/Google Home support, etc) which would require you to buy new hardware anyway.

Software is a different story. If it is not continuously maintained, it will go obsolete and might even stop working. For example, when Philips discontinued the Pronto remote, they stopped updating their software - which only runs on Windows XP. I could not get that software to run even in Windows legacy mode (which supposedly emulates XP), so I had to keep a very old Windows XP laptop working just to program it.

I also use JRiver software and Acourate. The difference between the two is - JRiver is actually a software company, and Acourate, as far as I can tell, is a one man show. The author of Acourate (Uli) is a kind and generous man, but you can not transfer your Acourate license from one computer to another without receiving another activation code from Uli. This is the single biggest hesitation I have about using Acourate - whilst I love the software, I am concerned that if something were to happen to Uli, I will not be able to transfer my license any more. Regardless, when I made my software decisions I took care to avoid anything proprietary (e.g. Dirac) so if something stops working, I can replace it with something else and keep going.

 

[Zapper]

Like @Keith_W I am concerned about expensive hardware that relies on an app of some sort to achieve full functionality. While the hardware may work for many years, the support of the app is often dropped when the manufacturer discontinues the product. Then the app eventually becomes obsolete and non-functional as the hardware and operating systems change on the computing platform (PC, tablet, phone, etc.) that it runs on evolves. One then has to preserve an obsolete computing platform to run the app, with the possible security issues that entails.

The biggest manufacturers all drop support for older systems too, often more ruthlessly than some small manufacturers.

Any electronics that depends on an app should be regarded as a consumable, the same way most people view their smartphone or laptop. You use it for a certain number of years then upgrade to the next version when the built-in obsolescence becomes too annoying. With that in mind it makes sense to keep those functions separate and low cost where possible. For example, a WiiM and a dumb amplifier rather than an expensive streaming integrated amp. The WiiM is inexpensive, the manufacture has been good at software updates, and if support fails, easily replaced with another type of streamer.

 

[Ron Texas]

Consumer electronics are littered with firmware/software problems.
Products become obsolete rather quickly, manufacturer
support may fall off to soon or go away altogether.
Would really think not twice, but thrice about purchasing
costly consumer products requiring firmware/software support.
Purchasing from the biggest manufacturers' (Apple/Microsoft/Google/etc.)
makes more sense than ever to me. Will still support smaller businesses
(like Topping/etc.), but only their products which are low cost enough to
justify the risk. You too?

I bought a Pixel 4 and got 2.5 years of software updates. That was an $800 phone with a $300 discount applied over 2 years. Google now gives 5 years on it's phones, Apple guarantees 6 years, but often goes longer. Samsung does better on it's more expensive gadgets but is stingy on the low end stuff.

It's buyer beware.

 

[unpluggged]

but only their products which are low cost enough to
justify the risk. You too?

I'd rather support manufacturers based on their business practices than based on product cost. That's why I trust brands like RME, Qudelix, Neumann and HEDD: I know that even if I encounter some flaw or defect in their product, I would not be left alone to face it.

 

[Prana Ferox]

I'm not sure what this is getting at.

Supporting older hardware / sofware is work. That work is not going to making newer, better products that bring in new revenue. People expect some amount of support but also realize that over time fewer and fewer people are using the older product anyway.

Hardware does go obsolete as standards progress. A phone that no longer receives Android or iOS updates still makes calls, but eventually the cellular radio bands change. That doesn't mean the phone became broken or the phone maker shortchanged you.

Products being dependent on remote (i.e. 'cloud' services) is a known issue and you should know what you're buying and its dependencies before you commit. That is not necessarily easy. A lot of functionality people expect is simply not feasible within the processing capacity (or power supply) of the local devices, so it's a tradeoff.

 

[bt3]

I also use JRiver software and Acourate. The difference between the two is - JRiver is actually a software company, and Acourate, as far as I can tell, is a one man show. The author of Acourate (Uli) is a kind and generous man, but you can not transfer your Acourate license from one computer to another without receiving another activation code from Uli. This is the single biggest hesitation I have about using Acourate - whilst I love the software, I am concerned that if something were to happen to Uli, I will not be able to transfer my license any more. Regardless, when I made my software decisions I took care to avoid anything proprietary (e.g. Dirac) so if something stops working, I can replace it with something else and keep going.

I go way back with JRiver. Occasionally will update to their newest version, not because the older version(s) didn't suffice for my basic needs, but to support JRiver because I like their software.

 

[sergeauckland]

I'm someone who grew up with hardware, learnt all my electronics with hardware, and all the products I designed back in the 1970s were hardware. I don't expect anything I designed 40-50 years ago will still be operational, but there's no technical reason why it couldn't be. Consequently, my expectaions are that stuff just works, and keeps on working indefinitely and if something breaks, it gets repaired and carries on working.

That's why I really struggle with the idea that my laptop and tablets will become useless (or at least unsafe) when Windows 10 goes out of support, or that my 'phone (on Android 11) will not get any more updates and therefore become unusable in a few years. The hardware will still work, but all that material is just so much scrap. So wasteful of resources.

I have a load of obsolete computers which I have to keep just because the manufacturers of the peripherals I use never updated drivers for later operating systems. I have a Windows 7 laptop for the Lexicon Audio Interface I use for recording and measurements, an XP laptop for another audio interface and for a slide scanner I occasionally use to digitise old photos. I understand that updating drivers costs money for no return, but that's only ever been a problem since products became software driven.

At least with my Squeezebox and LMS server, there's an army of enthusiasts that keep it updated, it's a great pity this doesn't happen with all software. I refuse to throw away hardware that has been rendered obsolete by software, which is why my cupboards are full.

S.

 

[Doodski]

I'm someone who grew up with hardware, learnt all my electronics with hardware, and all the products I designed back in the 1970s were hardware. I don't expect anything I designed 40-50 years ago will still be operational, but there's no technical reason why it couldn't be. Consequently, my expectaions are that stuff just works, and keeps on working indefinitely and if something breaks, it gets repaired and carries on working.

That's why I really struggle with the idea that my laptop and tablets will become useless (or at least unsafe) when Windows 10 goes out of support, or that my 'phone (on Android 11) will not get any more updates and therefore become unusable in a few years. The hardware will still work, but all that material is just so much scrap. So wasteful of resources.

I have a load of obsolete computers which I have to keep just because the manufacturers of the peripherals I use never updated drivers for later operating systems. I have a Windows 7 laptop for the Lexicon Audio Interface I use for recording and measurements, an XP laptop for another audio interface and for a slide scanner I occasionally use to digitise old photos. I understand that updating drivers costs money for no return, but that's only ever been a problem since products became software driven.

At least with my Squeezebox and LMS server, there's an army of enthusiasts that keep it updated, it's a great pity this doesn't happen with all software. I refuse to throw away hardware that has been rendered obsolete by software, which is why my cupboards are full.

S.

I'm a bit miffed with software driven obsolete product and the high rate of turnover of the hardware too. It's crazy sometimes. Fortunately I timed my notebook replacement for right around where Win11 will obsolete it and it will not receive software support from Microsoft. My desktop was all ready with the new security chips so it's good to go for 7 to 10 years if the hardware is not rendered obsolete again by Microsoft.