I generally wait to see how a new product is received before upgrading. I’ve been holding off on moving to Mac OS X 10.6.4, for example, because it’s reported to break some software that I depend on. But for some reason, I decided to upgrade to iOS 4, the latest version of the operating system for my iPod touch, the first day it was available. Unfortunately for those of us who use Exchange to sync our mail, calendars, and contacts with Google Apps, the upgrade required the re-syncing of this data, which in turn slowed Google’s servers to a crawl. It took almost 24 hours before I again had a usable device.

During that time, I got to thinking about the questions I should have asked myself before starting the update. Here’s what I came up with; please add your thoughts in the comments.

• Do you need the new features of the update? If it fixes security issues, then probably yes. If not, then you should consider whether the update will actually improve your workflow. For example, one of iOS4′s new features is the ability to create “folders,” or groups of applications, on the home screen. Is this important to you, even given its limitations? Another feature is multitasking, which has gotten mixed reviews, at best.
• What will the update cost? Of course, some new hardware and software isn’t free, but even if the manufacturer isn’t charging, what is the value of the time and effort it will take you to move to the new version? I suspect that evaluations of this question are why many companies are still using Windows XP and IE 6.
• Are there technical issues in the new version that may cause problems? This is where blogs and discussion forums can be lifesavers. If I had waited only a couple of hours before starting my iOS 4 upgrade, I would have found several posts and threads describing the exact issues I encountered, and would have known to wait until they were resolved.
• What are the consequences if something goes wrong? How easily can I revert to a previous version? Can I afford down time? Luckily, I wasn’t going anywhere the other day, but if I had been, it would have been very inconvenient not to have access to my email, calendars, and (especially) to my contacts.

How do you decide when to upgrade?

Image by Flickr user .schill, licensed under CC

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As a general tech enthusiast, and an Apple fan, I’m considering the upgrade myself, despite the fact that pricing could be even more expensive here in Canada, where iPhones come with lovely three-year contracts, and I only just purchased my iPhone 3G 11 months ago. However, the upgrade pricing is not all that ridiculous when you consider the  cost of the hardware and how massive the subsidies are when you buy the contract along with the phone. If you have the money, and if the hardware is worth it, then there’s nothing to complain about.

But is the hardware worth it? At least, can it bring something to my work and professional life that I couldn’t get with the iPhone 3G? The answer to this question could go a long way to helping me decide whether to upgrade or stick with what I’ve already got. Here are the factors to consider, in my opinion.

7.2 HSDPA Support

I’m not sure if AT&T’s network even supports these speeds yet, but Rogers (and Fido, its subsidiary) definitely does here in Canada. In theory, that means the iPhone 3G is only using a fraction of the available network speed on offer. I’m generally fairly satisfied with my data and network speeds with the current 3G, but there are definitely some times where it feels like there’s an undue amount of toe-tapping while I’m waiting for a page to load or large email with a lot of attachments to send. I’d like to hear from other users about this first, but it could be a big plus in favor of the 3G S.

Video Recording, Editing & Sharing

As it stands, I don’t do much in the way of video professionally, although there are times when recording short clips would very much come in handy. This could easily be a feature that goes primarily unused, as is the case with my current iPhone’s camera (I have regular digital cameras that are much more suited to any of my photographic needs), but it could also be a game-changer with regards to the type of content I produce for the blogs I contribute to. Like 7.2 HSDPA, this is a wait-and-see thing, but in this case, I’ll never find out unless I try it myself.

Enhanced Security & Data Protection

Hardware encryption was something that business users clamored for, and the 3G S provides it. It’s definitely a plus for anyone who uses their phone for conducting business or storing sensitive information, so this is definitely a tick in the “Pro” column. Not only that, but the new “Find My Phone” and “Remote Wipe” capabilities make sure that even if you do lose your device, you’ll have safeguards in place to help you recover it, or, failing that, prevent the information from falling into the wrong hands. Both of those are iPhone OS 3.0 software features, though, so they will be available to existing iPhone 3G customers and can’t count in favor of buying a brand-new device.

Faster Load Times

Apparently, apps running on the iPhone 3G S should boot about one and half times faster than they currently do on the iPhone 3G. I’m not particularly put out by any lag issues on my 3G running the iPhone 3.0 OS, but extra snappiness is always appreciated in any computing device, so it’s a plus.

Better Battery Life

Even if the gains aren’t revolutionary, any improvement over the current iPhone’s dismal battery life will be very much appreciated. I recently acquired a Mophie Juice Pack Air to try to stave off total battery drain for as long as possible, but it should fit the 3G S, too. Combined, the new phone and the Juice Pack should give me something near a usable amount of run time.

Overall Value

Does the 3G S really bring that much to the table? No, not if you consider how many new features will be available to 3G users via the OS 3.0 software update. Will I probably buy one anyway? Yes, because I earmark a certain amount of budget for things like this because of the nature of my work, and because the few new things it does bring to the table might just help me add a revenue stream or two to my existing portfolio, or at least help me work longer, more safely, and more efficiently on the go from my phone. Also, I really want one, because it’s shiny and new.

Will you be upgrading your iPhone to a 3G S?

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Here are some cheap ways to put off the day you’ll need to buy a new laptop.

More Memory

My machine was originally fitted with 1 GB of RAM, which seemed like plenty at the time (and fitting more would have been hideously expensive when I bought it). It was really starting to creak under the strain of running multiple web apps, AIR widgets, and apps like Photoshop, all of which demand huge amounts of RAM. If your machine is constantly having to use its swap space, performance will be notably impacted.

Maxing out the memory on my laptop cost just $50, and the difference in performance is huge, especially when switching between applications. Fitting the memory was easy and took no more than five minutes, although on my machine the second module is hidden under the keyboard, which proved a little fiddly to remove.

The Crucial Memory Advisor tool is useful for figuring out which memory upgrades might be available for your machine.

Larger Hard Drive

If you’re running out of space, you have a couple of options. You can either buy a replacement drive, or buy an external one.

I opted for an external portable drive for a couple of reasons. First, it meant that I wouldn’t have to reinstall my OS and all of my apps. Second, a portable drive gives me some additional flexibility. Now I can easily copy large amounts of data between machines and if I need to transport my files, I can just slip the drive into my pocket. The drive I bought was a 320 GB Seagate Freeagent Go, which looks sleek and works well. You can get a drive like this for around $75 (you pay a little more for higher capacities).

New, Higher Capacity Battery

If your laptop is getting on a bit, chances are that its battery life is notably diminished. Rather than buy an expensive replacement from the manufacturer (Dell charge more than $150 for a replacement battery for my machine) look for compatible versions on eBay.  While you’re at it, why not look at getting a higher-capacity battery? I picked up a 9-cell unit on eBay for just $50 that lasts much longer than the original did.

Bluetooth

If your laptop didn’t come with with Bluetooth installed (mine didn’t), you might still be able to purchase an inexpensive Bluetooth adapter for it; check with your manufacturer. Bluetooth opens up communication with whole host of useful gadgets such as mice, keyboards, headsets, cameras, printers and mobile phones. I’ll do anything to reduce the amount of wires cluttering up my desk, so buying a Bluetooth adapter that cost less than $20 was a no-brainer.

Note: Upgrading components on a laptop is not always as straightforward as it is on a desktop. Make sure to consult your owner’s manual before buying any upgrades, unplug your machine and remove the battery before starting work, and take precautions to avoid damaging your equipment with static electricity (use an antistatic wrist strap, or ground yourself periodically on an unpainted metal surface).

How have you upgraded your laptop?

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