Alert - devices aren't endlessly upgradeable

I know we all want the latest os for our devices. But there is an important reason most devices aren't upgradeable beyond a few cycles of minor upgrades and that is replacement cycles.

Os 6 couldn't be upgraded to os 7 and os 7 won't be upgradable to os 10. There is an important reason for this; it's so the majority of customers will replace their phones with new contracts every two years thereby creating a new handset or tablet purchase for the providers and carriers . Companies are about replacement and planned obsolescence and no where is that more evident than tech. We are indeed fortunate pb will get os 10 but that's only because bb dropped the ball so badly if pb had been a hit the only way we would have gotten os 10 would have been to buy a new tablet.

Cool story, bro but seems a long way to go just tonget another dig in about the PB...

Obvious poster is obvious.

i figured this was not only obvious common practice in the retail/manufacturing industry, but was also widely realized. its nothing new.

Actually it has to do with all devices. Traditionally only devices offered mid cycle will get the next os upgrade. Doesnt matter whether it's android or blackberry or windows phone.

but you missed the OP's point, that the PB would already be obsolete, except it sucks

So we benefit from the mistake and assuming bb 10 does come to play book we get a next gen op system just for being customers because the pb specs were very robust and it was over engineered. The tech was always awesome it's just the marketing that was poorly executed.

Originally Posted by dictoresno

i figured this was not only obvious common practice in the retail/manufacturing industry, but was also widely realized. its nothing new.

+1

Yeppers.

Originally Posted by JTATL

So we benefit from the mistake and assuming bb 10 does come to play book we get a next gen op system just for being customers because the pb specs were very robust and it was over engineered. The tech was always awesome it's just the marketing that was poorly executed.

You may be right. That's what everyone has been saying, really. But I also believe the PlayBook dropped during a transitional time with RIM - I'm not sure how much more marketing would have helped, short of physically shoving devices inside of people (gross). Balsillie, in my opinion, inevitably f**ked RIM by being a weaselly PR shmarmy kinda guy.

This is new and exciting.

This is one area where I give credit to Apple, future proofing their phones. Granted you are stuck with the same user interface but the device can still updated to a new iOS.

Look at the 3GS for example, it can still be upgraded to iOS6. That's three os updates. If you got the 3GS you are more than likely eligible for an upgrade anyhow. But at the end of the day you still got at least 2 os updates.

Not trying to paint a rosy picture for Apple, they still have their downfalls.

Originally Posted by blackhawksfan75

This is one area where I give credit to Apple, future proofing their phones. Granted you are stuck with the same user interface but the device can still updated to a new iOS.

Look at the 3GS for example, it can still be upgraded to iOS6. That's three os updates. If you got the 3GS you are more than likely eligible for an upgrade anyhow. But at the end of the day you still got at least 2 os updates.

Not trying to paint a rosy picture for Apple, they still have their downfalls.

It makes you realize that each iPhone upgrade isn't much of an upgrade... evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

With the features that *aren't* available to the 3GS with an iOS6 update, is the update any more than getting the system message to read "iOS6"?

Of course certain things would be missing on the 3GS update, same with the iP4, and I'm sure iP4s. The 3GS will probably run slower than snot as it lacks the processing power of the latest device, I'm just saying at least the consumer still gets an OS upgrade without having to go to a new device.

Some may not care, however there are those who need the newest device with the latest software to 'keep up with the Jones's."

Companies shouldn't plan to force consumers to upgrade hardware for cheap tricks (iPhone4 to 4s and siri); rather, they should innovate and push the limits of current technology to the point that new hardware is necessary.