Three letters and one number are everywhere right now: iOS7. Oh yes, Apple released a new upgrade which has seems to have shaken our Facebook friends to the core. Yet The Outlook staff is a little skeptical about downloading the latest big thing in technology.
Sure, Apple should definitely send out upgrades every so often. They have to keep up with customers’ needs and improve their products. Yet we aren’t so sure that Apple made that many changes.
The most obvious changes are aesthetic. The layout now looks like it went to a rave and dropped some acid with a Windows phone. They changed their font, there are so many colors everywhere and the icons now appear to look flatter. Seriously, did someone take a poll where most users thought Windows or Android phones were prettier? Other aesthetic changes were made to standard apps, such as Voice Memo, Calendar and Calculator. It just seems so unnecessary.
Then we have to wonder what functions actually changed in iOS7. We have easier access to settings such as Bluetooth and WiFi via the new Control Center, which is much appreciated. The search feature was moved from pressing the home button to a downward swipe. Again, unnecessary. The iTunes Radio feature is cool, but if you have Pandora or Spotify, it wasn’t really needed.
The truth is, not many staff members are upgrading their iPhones right now because changes can cause big problems. Many users complain that the upgrade drains their battery life, which isn’t huge to begin with. The majority of us have to charge our phones every night. A lot of the staff is just waiting a few weeks to make sure there are no bugs. Of course, the same doesn’t go for all of campus.
On the day of release, the University’s internet was incredibly slow, and computers in the Rebecca Stafford Student Center even lost internet access for a short period of time. We have to wonder if it was related to the downloading of the new software. We heard people in our classes talking about it and our Twitter and Facebook feeds were filled with mixed reactions to the update. We started to wonder if maybe students are too into the idea of the next new thing.
While students are talking about the new software, we’ve also heard discussions about getting the new iPhone 5S or 5C. The new models were announced with the software upgrade. It seems like everyone is so quick to get the new “it” product as soon as it is released. Why the rush? The technology will still be there in a week, after the lines have shortened.
The Outlook staff generally likes to get a feel for things before diving in head first. We are a generation in love with technology, which is probably a good thing. For the most part, we all expect technology to play a huge part in our future lives and careers. However, might there be times when we should slow down? Is standing in line for six hours to get a new model of a phone worth it?
Ultimately, we feel like it’s time to slow down. We’re all in a race to keep up with technology because we like being the kid who has to set up their grandparents’ computer. We don’t want to be the grandparent asking our grandchildren how technology works. That doesn’t mean getting every single new thing, though. Evaluate the technology you’re picking up. Just because it’s new doesn’t mean that it is improved. Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it is the best.
Change is good. Just make sure the change is worth it.
