Blind Bargains

Blind Bargains Top 10 Stories of 2014: 5. iOS 8 Stumbles Out of the Gate


We're in the middle of counting down the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Number 5 is a familiar entry on our list, but for slightly different reasons.

Apple has done it again. Like clockwork, the tech giant released the latest version of their iOS operating system along with new iPhones this past September. And compared with iOS 7, this latest version included a couple of potentially useful big features such as Apple Pay for making instant payments and HealthKit, a dashboard to monitor your personal well-being.

But perhaps what people talked about the most was the blunders of iOS 8. Having a predictable release schedule is great for planning, for suppliers, and for stockholders but can be rather detrimental for users. In the early days of the iPhone, a new version wouldn't be released until it was ready to go. But now, come hell or high water, Apple seems intent on releasing a new version of iOS every September, buggy or not.

Sounds familiar? Users of a popular aquatic screen reader may understand the pitfalls of this approach. While it's typical for a new piece of software to have bugs, there were some big goose eggs that were laid in iOS 8. You know, things like using a Bluetooth keyboard or answering phone calls. No big deal right? Many of the biggest bugs have now been squashed, but never have I seen people more weary to upgrade than now. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of hold-outs when iOS 9 is released until people are absolutely sure their phone won't become unusable.

This piece barely scratches the surface. We had bending iPhone 6 Plusses, Chinese audio during a keynote address, and quite a few things that just don't happen at Apple. Perhaps we're harder on Cupertino, but Apple has built up a reputation of greatness and they need to act the part if they wish to maintain that reputation.

We've got 4 to go. Stay tuned to Blind Bargains as we wrap up the rest of 2014.

Category: Articles

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J.J. Meddaugh is an experienced technology writer and computer enthusiast. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a major in telecommunications management and a minor in business. When not writing for Blind Bargains, he enjoys travel, playing the keyboard, and meeting new people.


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