Upgrade-Often vs Upgrade-When-Needed
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[edit] Overview
Upgrade-Often and Upgrade-When-Needed are different approaches to upgrading software. Sometimes these approaches are easy to tell apart, but not always.
New software may include fixes to critical bugs and security holes. It may include added features. And it may include other changes, good or bad. (Sometimes new bugs or performance problems are introduced, sometimes newer software operates more smoothly, looks better, or is easier to use.)
[edit] Advantages of Infrequent Updates
Some users approach software with an attitude of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". This sometimes helps the user avoid new software that is incompatible with the software or hardware they already have. It can avoid new bugs. It can also avoid the substantial burden of doing frequent software upgrades.
[edit] Advantages of Upgrade-Often
The Upgrade-When-Needed approach sometimes leaves the user with software that is out-of-date and missing the latest useful features. Old software sometimes is not well-supported by the company or community that created it, so that if you run into a problem, you may be the only one with that particular problem and they may be no-one willing to help you resolve it. Performing a particular upgrade at the same time as many other users means that you are unlikely to run into a problem unless others are encountering it (and fixing it) at the same time.
[edit] Update Managers
Most desktop computers have up to 100 or more pieces of software that can be updated. In some instances, updates need to be approved or installed manually for each program, rather than for all at once. In other instances, many programs are updated by a single update manager, such as Windows Update or Apt-Get.
