Firmware Fatigue

July 15, 2013Posted by csandy

Have you become tired of constantly updating firmware? It seems like everything wants a firmware update these days.

Firmware is essentially the software running many of your devices. Unlike your computer’s software, it runs on a microchip, loads automatically, and doesn’t disappear when you turn the power off. Many devices have firmware these days: your car, your phone, your television, and other commonly used items. What really took the cake for me was having to update the firmware on my stereo. Really? As devices become “smarter” it seems they require you do do more manual labor. Search for firmware/get a memory stick/ load software onto memory stick/load firmware from memory stick onto device. It’s constant, pervasive, and annoying. Increasingly, professional devices A/V companies like ours use want firmware updates. Constantly. Most of the time these updates introduce nifty new features to reward you for your troubles. Sometimes they resolve a longstanding problem or omission. On occasion, a firmware update can put you in a worse-off situation and introduce incompatibilities in your work flow. In these instances, the frustration increases exponentially.

The best device manufacturers out there only put out updates when necessary, and when they do, the update is so rewarding it is welcome by all. With many devices built on flexible architectures, a firmware update can make it seem like you’ve inherited a brand new device, often for free.

What has your experience been keeping up with new firmware?

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