Are Major OS updates really worth it?

Warning:  This post is more of a vent than anything useful.

I’ve always been of the opinion that Major updates to operating systems only introduce more bloatware, bugs, reset your privacy settings, use more HDD space and RAM, CPU and slow things down. We’ll today that long held belief was vindicated.

Normally I only enable auto security updates and bug patches and hold off as long as possible until much needed apps stop supporting the version I’m on. Then repeat the mantra “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.

Anyway I decided to double dose the updates. After incessant reminders from Android, pausing videos I was watching to remind me again to install the bloody update. It was as annoying as a virus adware.

Sony pushed me to update to Sequoia because their IME webcam software for using an A7III camera as webcam only works with the latest OSx. Of course after waiting over an hour updating OSx then going down the rabbit hole for 4 hours installing various drivers, updating firmware, rebooting 18 times, trying different USB cables I thought, its 2am, I don’t enjoy this hobby, why do this to myself for “fun”? Do you know what, forget it, FORGET IT, *throws mouse at desk* I’m done with this and rolls back on chair. I gave up with this unsolved issue. It just doesn’t work.

Anyway, issues that came up straight away:

OSX Sequoia

Not quite as gargantuan a cluster-fudge as moving over to M1 Apple silicon but…

  • Broke Paragon NTFS which needs a new license to be paid for, which meant a new account, reading forums, complains, bat reviews, deactivating licences and moving to said new account, which didn’t work. Now I either refomat into exFAT and faff about with my external hard drives for hours.
  • Broke bluetooth – every time I type on my Magic Keyboard the bluetooth speakers crackle and glitch.
  • Broke Bluetooth File Transfer, my android phone now doesn’t receive files and is stuck “Connecting to the device”
    Delinking, re-adding, restarting several times both File Transfer and the phone eventually worked.
  • Reset many privacy, Siri and iCloud settings. I don’t want iCloud, Siri, I never will, I don’t want any anonamysed usage data going to Apple, I never will.
  • Find my laptop no longer shows location of my laptop despite enabling location services.
  • Removed my lock screen wallpaper and put a video of trees there instead. I don’t want or care about that!
  • Installed some more bloatware I’ll never use. Widgets and nonsense.
  • Messed up Little Snitch requiring several reboots and settings updates.
  • Removed my fingerprint from Touch ID.
  • Longer boot time despite me halving startup apps
  • Git no longer installed “Git not found. Install it or configure it using the “git.path” setting.”

I don’t think I’ll use any of the new headline features (which Windows had a long time ago) How about introducing native NTFS support? Or making it easier to transfer files with bluetooth? Or native support for Android device exploring?

One UI 6 on Android

Actually wasn’t as bad as I’d expected…

  • Introduced lagging animation when switch between apps
  • Google maps doesn’t open and will turn the screen black locking the device for 5 minutes. I use maps every day!
  • Occasional freezing and disappearing of all app icons and everything on screen except the wallpaper.

And a small rant about updates to Android from Samsung, they took away the ability to limit internet to individual apps, you either go no wifi / Aeroplane mode and stop all apps or everything is always connected. So you can stay pumped full of ads, tracking, and addictive notifications.

They also took away the ability to turn off notifications from the notifications pull down drawer, why?! It’s been replaced with a handy “notify me again in X minutes”. Now it takes about 20 taps to go to the settings > Notifications > App notifications > wait for it to load to turn off irritating reminders from GoPro Quick, that say “Hey you have GoPro quick, come back and use the app!”. I literally just use that application to get photos off of, or remote control my GoPro, I don’t need a reminder that its auto generated some bs montage I don’t want or care about.

Ok, vent complete.

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