happilyretired

How to install and run Mac apps that don't come from the Mac App Store

April 2016

There's a much easier way to bypass Gatekeeper, if you don't want to take advantage of the protection provided and have the ability to nilly willy install anything you want: Get a PC other than a Mac! I can't even imagine any software to be tempting enough to try without Apple's stamp of approval.

Review: Apple's 9.7" iPad Pro is professional-grade, powerful & pricey

happilyretired

April 2016

why- said:

I like the smaller form factor tbh. I saw a man using the 12.9 in iPad Pro on my flight to Paris and y'know you hear everyone talking about how big it is but you never really understand until you see it in person. Now, I've got a Surface Pro 3 and while it's a big tablet it's not quite that monstrous, so I think the smaller size is a good step for people who want something more akin to a laptop than a giant drawing pad

My Macbook is a 13". Perfect size. I hope they won't ditch the 12.9" iPad Pro. I'm almost at the savings point where I can get one. Then my Macbook will go up for sale.

DOJ confirms successful iPhone data extraction, withdraws encryption case against Apple [u]

happilyretired

March 2016

I'm calling BS on that one. They knew they were going to loose this and caved. But - they need to save face. So they concocted this story. In the end the story probably will go like this: "There was nothing to be gleaned from that iPhone. It really was just a work phone." Or: "There was valuable information gained, but in the interest of national security we cannot disclose what." I might believe them if in the future, no matter what the case, they never again ask Apple to get into one for them. Until then: Just because they say they did doesn't mean at all that they really did so.

Apple releases updated iOS 9.3 to fix Activation Lock bug on older devices

happilyretired

March 2016

volcan said:

happilyretired said:

Seems to me you're good updating devices until they're about 1 1/2 or maybe 2 years old. You keep updating them beyond that and the problems start creeping in. If you want the newest capabilities of the OS then after a certain point you just have to upgrade the DEVICE, not the software. Or be happy with what you have and leave it alone.

Whether or not to provide updates for a device is completely Apple's decision. Adding support for older devices is both a marketing differentiation as well as a security issue. Apple knows how many older devices are in current use. If they decide to continue supporting them, they need to issue well tested compatible software and/or choose to omit certain features.

I suspect that many devs do not support older hardware as much as Apple does, thus they don't test the betas on older hardware. This is all up to Apple. If an individual chooses not to apply the update, they may be subjecting themselves to security risks, but it is their decision. When Apple drops support, you should definitely consider updating your hardware. As it is they are still supporting 4 year old iPad 2 so there is a reasonable expectation that it should work as advertised.

Maybe then the best solution would be to institute an update system, that allows you to back up a mobile device to a computer and absolutely, completely save that version of the iOS before installing an update. Then, if there is a serious problem with an older device, enable the user to GO BACK to the previous version. At least temporarily. That's always what bugs me the most. The inability to go back to an older system. Which is why I hate that you no longer can get the OS for your Mac on disk. You can't even buy a newer version on disk. It's all downloads only and no provision to go back if so desired. I'd rather pay for a new OS on disk, so I have the option to do whatever I need or want to do than getting a new OS for free and be stuck with it after an update.