Opinion on beta software: Hands off!
Risky: Beta versions are often tested by users. They can be unstable and disrupt systems. They are taboo on production systems, says André Kramer.
(Image: Shutterstock.com/ bearbeitet von heise online)
"We don't test beta versions" is one of our standard phrases when communicating with software manufacturers. The reason: we find many program errors, the manufacturer thanks us and promises to fix them before the release. In doing so, they have ceded part of the tedious and lengthy quality control to us. There is nothing to report. But we can't ignore the beta crashes either – - the final version may be just as unstable.
"What's it to me?", you rightly ask. Well, there is a trend to have the aforementioned quality assurance done not only by careless editors, but by all interested users. They can feel particularly honored to receive "early access" to the beta program. They pay for their exclusive access to the latest of the new with their first experiences and crash reports – completely legitimately.
What used to be aimed at a carefully selected group of people who were informed about the risks and opportunities is now increasingly aimed at the public. Adobe is increasingly offering new beta versions via its Creative Cloud app, often with the enticing addition that they are free. Since the software manufacturer integrated generative AI not only in Photoshop, but also in Illustrator, Premiere Pro and After Effects, it has been keen to test it on the public.
And Adobe is not alone in this. For a long time before the official release, Blackmagic Design first listed version 19 Public Beta on the download page of its video editing software DaVinci Resolve and only then the stable release 18.6. Many users are attracted by the new version number and install this, possibly with consequences for their workflow.
Because what the download pages don't mention or only mention in small print: Beta versions have no place on a production system. A Photoshop beta installed on a c't test computer and then (supposedly completely) uninstalled again recently meant that the existing final version of Photoshop could no longer be started. Overall, no tinkering helped, only a system reset to factory settings and reinstallation. It remains the same: stay away from beta software.
You can also subscribe to c't on WhatsApp: Every weekday, we send you insights into current topics and the day-to-day work of the editorial team.
(akr)
