Tech Geeks: Why do some people have 4.2.1 problems?

[Superbike81]

I'm far from a tech geek, I'm a science nerd, but not computer science.

We've all got the iPad here, it's a proprietary piece of hardware that people are generally unable to modify except for jailbreaking.

So if we all have the same hardware, and the same software, why are some users having a poor experience with the upgrade, and others (like myself) are having no problems at all? We see things like this a lot in the PC world, due to many different kinds of hardware and software being used, but that isn't the case here.

The only real issues I can understand is people having network issues, because we all have different routers with different settings, so problems could arise there between an individual's setup and the new 4.2.1.

Please explain to me in technical terms why someone using the same hardware and software (4.2.1) could experience a problem like excessive battery drain or slow performance?

Thanks!

 

[BrennB]

Faulty parts, user error, usage variables, build quality. All the many combinations of computers, user expertise, software choice, interpretations of events, Internet specs, general hardware failure, disrupted downloads, etc can contribute to problems on any gadget... Why would there be help desks and techies if this were not the common case in gadgetry?

There is really nothing exactly the same.


Point... I bought a new phone 2 weeks ago, from day one had problems... I attribute to new cell company and new device os so my error...but I'm a geek I can confidently trouble shoot... Still not happy. Exchange phone for exact same model/carrier even same store one week later...zero problems...and yet I did nothing different all the variables stayed the same... One worked one didn't.

 

[Jnclem]

I have to say, I was wondering the same thing. I see this with every upgrade on the Mac OS, iPhone, iPad, iOS, whatever. The vast majority have no issues, but a few have major ones. I have been using all Apple equipment for 24 years, so maybe I'm just used to it, but I never seem to have any of these problems.

 

[TJK]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that based on the threads I have read that they are not so much "real" as "perceived" simply because 4.2 is in many ways different. Look at the number of threads started with "where did the screen lock go?" or "the mute button does not mute". Folks just update the software and then start pushing buttons and get flustered. I've never had any issues with iOS upgrades that were anything other than self inflicted. But then I do take the time to research and understand what I'm getting into first.

 

[col.bris]

You never know what you get until you open the box

You have asked a valid question and based on my 30 years experience i hope the following will give some insight to the issues
First you are right same hardware same os software different issues. Unfortunately that is where it ends.

Hardware
I dont care what electronic device one purchases, ie Ipads,ipods, modems, routers, printers, gps, computers all types, mobile phones, pvr, car ipod systems like parrot Playstation, xbox you name it most are out of date when you purchase them unless it is a brand new release and even then it depends how long it has been in the warehouse for. The upgrades in most cases have to be done via the internet or by request from manufactures or application developers. One assumes here that all users have access to the internet and understand how to navigate through the mess of support areas provided by said companies and we all know that is not the case. A prime example is one has say a printer 2 years old on win vista then user upgrades to win 7 and oh the printer cannot be found ..... need new printer driver....oh well

Software
This out of date is worse with software like operating systems, applications, commercial software and so on....This applies across all platforms without exceptions. The reason is most software shipped is usually 6 months old at shipping time whereas the hardware build date can be more recent. Any of the above can cause issues

Some systems are closed like Apple and funny enough this is perfect for mainstream users as there is less likelihood of of having issues with software and or Apps see Ipad general users below.

Not to create an argument but Android is an open system and that has its positives however the number of versions for different hardware along with multiple upgrades is a nightmare in its self. Not to mention multiple versions of Applications to support all the different OS that are in the field.

Itunes
Itunes is an application which I feel has become bloated and further more not as easy any more to find apps etc.
I have found however itunes on a late model Macintosh with snow leopard and or a late model Windows PC running win 7 seems to have less issues ie backing up and syncing. We have however also win 7 64bit and 32bit to contend with here as well and from what I have heard is an issue. In saying that Firewalls, corporate networks and on PC.s Virus protection all can put you in the slow lane.

Ipad general users
In respect to the ipad no individual user is the same most just do their thing and are more than happy with results. This type of user some times never upgrades any thing as they don't care or don't want and most important don't know how to and funny enough most likely are the group that has the least amount of problems.

Advance users
Again this group loves to use advance apps like photo edit, importing PDF files, heavy email, surfs daily, spread sheets data base apps etc etc Many are small business users and many are in education corporate and government departments I fall into this category as I am a gadget man however I am very careful what i purchase when buying any electronic device. I stay away from jail breaking as it adds its own can of worms.

Power Users
Then you have "THE POWER USER". Most have lots of apps and enjoy playing with all of them looking for the "wow" effect. Some heavy power users love to jail break any thing that moves and that area as mentioned has its own issues.
They usually fill their ipads storage to the max and have more apps open than one could even count on two hands. Many of this group want dual core quad core lots of ram usb hard drive expansion you name it because that is what they are use to having on their desktop gaming boxes or high powered computers. Thats fine but there are limits in what one can do on an ipad like any computer (oh i forgot its not a computer.... funny it replaced mine)

User different needs
Each user also has different needs, example push email... this causes battery level to be reduced as its constant access, Game centre another area using on line gaming will reduce battery life, brightness control settings etc etc. Some apps such as GPS if used on the ipad will drain your battery faster than you can blink. Another problem area can be notifications, Having notifications turned on for all apps again can reduce battery life. Listening to streaming radio stations or watching every utube movie for the day will have a major impact not to mention your data usage with your Internet provider.
Some apps can cause issues and create problems backing up or not compliant to 4.2 and also buggy. One needs to remove these apps until the developer upgrades the software.

wifi
Regarding wifi this is a pandora's box as there are many modems on the market old and the new that are "not" perfect Modems also need to be upgraded and in many cases be replaced as they just do not work correctly with some of the latests gadgets. So called "N" routers are a mixed standard and one should be careful what brand to buy.

One should be aware there are 8 million ipads on the street now and looking at the forums today it seems only a small percentage really are having issues but I could be wrong. Personally I make sure every thing is the latest version and if issues persist such as wifi I generally will replace my modem and router to fix it as I cannot afford the time trying to resolve issues with crappy equipment. In saying that I feel Apple still has some issues with 4.2.1 with wifi but no where near as bad as it was with 3.2.. What I have found is that when one purchases a brand new modem router ( better quality ones) a lot of connectivity problems vanish

3G AND BEYOND
Out side the box then we have 3g networks and depending what carrier you on affects performance and or down load speed etc. In Australia one can purchase ipads and iphones unlocked and funny enough we seem to have less problems than do Americans on AT&T net work.

ONE MORE THING [A DOG CHASING ITS TAIL]
I will quote a personal example of an upgrade issue. I own a in-car 9200 parrot integrated hands free ipod / iphone system that costs almost as much as an Ipad. Parrot provides an upgrade path for their hardware to support not only the Iphone but also all types of phones by down loading from their site and installing via a usb stick. They also support the ipad via Blu-tooth which is great for playing movies and games.
When the first upgrade happened with the iphone to version 4 my Parrot packed it self it took 3 months yes 3 months for Parrot as a developer to get the upgrade out then Apple upgraded again so for some months I had a device that crashed or just went out to lunch in my car. The point is Apple releases updates to developers many months prior to release most get it right many do not so all they get are complaints from users . I love my parrot now its the updated version by the way. For the record Parrot 's time line is normal in the industry.

Is it Apple's fault??? No of course not ....The developers are slow to respond to providing new updates to support software changes as there are many issues . In the case of the ipad I am surprised that in fact the software developers actually updated their software in a timely manor to support 4.2.1

So thats my answer long winded yes but hopefully informative and help you understand just some of the issues. Just a note much of my research has been done with many of my clients whom own Apple and PC hard ware plus have iphones, ipods and of course ipads
I am open to comments.

 

[iWags]

Great response col.bris,
Thanks for taking the time.
Very informative!

 

[col.bris]

Spot on statement

Faulty parts, user error, usage variables, build quality. All the many combinations of computers, user expertise, software choice, interpretations of events, Internet specs, general hardware failure, disrupted downloads, etc can contribute to problems on any gadget... Why would there be help desks and techies if this were not the common case in gadgetry?

There is really nothing exactly the same.


Point... I bought a new phone 2 weeks ago, from day one had problems... I attribute to new cell company and new device os so my error...but I'm a geek I can confidently trouble shoot... Still not happy. Exchange phone for exact same model/carrier even same store one week later...zero problems...and yet I did nothing different all the variables stayed the same... One worked one didn't.

One assumes what you get will work out of the box and in more than 90% cases Apple' hardware / software does however their is always one that doesn't..

The mind boggles that in china they are producing iPads in just one NEW factory one iPad every 8.5 seconds or 76 iPads a minute and that is only the production at one of the new factories. Think about quality control and the issues behind all this.

This is part of the story from CNN, Fortune

"Currently, Foxconn assembles most of Apple's iPads in its giant Shenzhen facility. The production lines there are said to be capable of building up to 2.5 million iPads per month, with volumes that fluctuate based on component supplies.

Currently the new plant can only turn out a maximum 10,000 units per day, according to DigiTimes, but its sources say Foxconn has plans to set up about 50 iPad production lines in Chengdu with an annual maximum capacity of 40 million units.

Despite supply constraints, Apple sold 7.46 million iPads in the device's first six months. Most analysts expect the company to sell between 5.5 million and 7 million iPads in the quarter that ends Christmas day."

So it is no surprise that some fail........ If you have concerns take it back as it is covered by warranty.

 

[epb]

So if we all have the same hardware, and the same software, why are some users having a poor experience with the upgrade, and others (like myself) are having no problems at all?

Look at the biggest variable. The iPad, iTunes and iOS4 are known quantities. What's unknown and unknowable is what system everyone is using to perform the update - Macs, PCs, desktops, laptops, netbooks, OSX systems, Windows systems, state of the art dream machines or cranky old buckets, pristine environments or virus-ridden ones, it goes on and on. There's simply no way of knowing what people are out there using to perform the updates.

And then, no offense, there's the user-base, which for Apple products trends towards the less than tech-savvy.

 

[col.bris]

Exactly spot on and that is why I took the time out to give some sort of idea and response to the OP

There are many people out there still can't figure out how to use a remote control for a VCR let alone perform upgrades for phones, computers you name it unfortunately they own all the new devices and most are not simple to use.

 

[SweetPoison]

Great response col.bris,
Thanks for taking the time.
Very informative!

Awesome as usual. Def make this a sticky, Colin!

 

[iPadCharlie]

At least I figured out how to get my VCR to stop blinking 12:00 12:00 12:00 12:00 --

(And it also works great for that pesky "Check Engine" light!)

 

[col.bris]

Ha ha ha you are one cool funny dude. But you forgot the blue tack........?

 

[BrennB]

Faulty parts, user error, usage variables, build quality. All the many combinations of computers, user expertise, software choice, interpretations of events, Internet specs, general hardware failure, disrupted downloads, etc can contribute to problems on any gadget... Why would there be help desks and techies if this were not the common case in gadgetry?

There is really nothing exactly the same.


Point... I bought a new phone 2 weeks ago, from day one had problems... I attribute to new cell company and new device os so my error...but I'm a geek I can confidently trouble shoot... Still not happy. Exchange phone for exact same model/carrier even same store one week later...zero problems...and yet I did nothing different all the variables stayed the same... One worked one didn't.

One assumes what you get will work out of the box and in more than 90% cases Apple' hardware / software does however their is always one that doesn't..

The mind boggles that in china they are producing iPads in just one NEW factory one iPad every 8.5 seconds or 76 iPads a minute and that is only the production at one of the new factories. Think about quality control and the issues behind all this.

This is part of the story from CNN, Fortune

"Currently, Foxconn assembles most of Apple's iPads in its giant Shenzhen facility. The production lines there are said to be capable of building up to 2.5 million iPads per month, with volumes that fluctuate based on component supplies.

Currently the new plant can only turn out a maximum 10,000 units per day, according to DigiTimes, but its sources say Foxconn has plans to set up about 50 iPad production lines in Chengdu with an annual maximum capacity of 40 million units.

Despite supply constraints, Apple sold 7.46 million iPads in the device's first six months. Most analysts expect the company to sell between 5.5 million and 7 million iPads in the quarter that ends Christmas day."

So it is no surprise that some fail........ If you have concerns take it back as it is covered by warranty.

That's exactly the point I was making, er or trying to make.

 

[Tinman]

Faulty parts, user error, usage variables, build quality.

I would say user error and usage variables, yes. But faulty parts and and build quality? Rearing their head only after an upgrade? Nope. Highly unlikely.



Michael

 

[BrennB]

Faulty parts, user error, usage variables, build quality.

I would say user error and usage variables, yes. But faulty parts and and build quality? Rearing their head only after an upgrade? Nope. Highly unlikely.



Michael

True, but I was speaking to the more general point of discussion: how can identical devices have different reactions. Since nothing is truly identical then in that light, faulty parts and build quality can come into play...