Pros & cons: Do we need a bugfix macOS?
Redesign rumors make some people roll their eyes. Instead of new functions, they want more stability. Does Apple need to put the brakes on features?
(Image: Mac & i)
On June 9, Apple will unveil its new operating systems, including macOS 16 and iOS 19. The rumor mill is expecting a comprehensive redesign and AI innovations. Not all users are enthusiastic about this prospect, and calls for a major bug fix update – like Mac OS X Snow Leopard – are getting louder and louder. Should Apple finally step on the brakes and provide more stability instead of frantically adding new functions every year?
PRO
(Image:Â (C) 2023 Jonas Gonell, all rights reserved)
macOS seems more stable than ever: I haven't experienced kernel panics for a long time, and never before on Apple Silicon Macs. But what good are fewer total crashes if the rest doesn't run smoothly – sometimes for years? I can no longer hope for reliable multi-monitor operation. Problems with mounting and ejecting external volumes have been with me for a long time. The forums are full of complaints about shaky access to network shares. Buggy APIs force developers to come up with workarounds so that their apps run reliably.
If the rumors are true, Apple will put considerable developer resources into the redesign of macOS 16, in addition to the postponed Siri 2.0 and the inglorious Apple Intelligence. There are likely to be a number of unfinished projects. I fear a small disaster that Apple will probably only get halfway under control with macOS 16.5 or even 17. Why so pessimistic? Well, Apple hasn't been able to complete all the advertised functions by the time of release for years.
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I understand Apple's panic when it comes to AI, because the gap to the competition is getting bigger and bigger. But I'm not going to replace my Macs with PCs just because Apple is late to the game. Thanks to Apple Silicon and the right tools, they are already great AI machines. Others are welcome to come forward and experiment. Instead of integrating ridiculous AI images, Apple should take its time to bring together the best of all worlds in the usual way – well thought out, intuitive and seamlessly integrated into the system. Instead of focusing on half-baked AI features and redesigns, Apple should pause now and focus on the fundamentals: Bug fixes, reliability and fine-tuning. An update without any new functions – like Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – would be a strong signal to those who have remained loyal to Apple despite all its shortcomings. (wre)
CONTRA
Apple doesn't have the luxury of doing without functions right now: rapidly developing AI models are turning everything upside down and the competition has long been on the move. Such a radical change can pull the rug out from under the feet of long-established IT giants surprisingly quickly. The few half-hearted functions that Apple Intelligence has brought so far are far too few. The fact that Apple has presented and even marketed important Siri improvements, but has so far been unable to implement them, was an unfamiliar debacle. Stepping on the functional brakes would be the completely wrong signal. Instead, we need to go full throttle – with macOS 16 and iOS 19.
It's not just about AI; many areas of Apple's operating systems are crying out for innovation: Much would be gained with more controllable notifications, a solid clipboard manager, easier management of the menu bar and more powerful interfaces for tools to automate and extend the operating system – not to mention a consistent user interface across the board. Apple also needs to make the systems fit for future hardware such as foldables and smart glasses. Quietly fixing bugs is not enough.
Of course, bugs should not simply be ignored, as currently seems to be the case in some cases. A more efficient Apple process for bug reports and the consistent elimination of reported problems would certainly help – even without a bold feature brake. Even Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which Apple once touted as a "zero new features" version with more stability, came with a number of serious new bugs. These included the possibility of data loss; fortunately, macOS has not seen such disasters for a long time. Consistent bug fixing and rapid further development of operating systems do not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. Apple would certainly have more than enough resources to cope with this. (lbe)
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