iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes • Hacker News Board

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#41

Post by methodin » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:17 PM UTC

jaysonelliot wrote: post #6

It's a wonderful half-measure, but also serves to highlight a problem with cloud-based installs that I'm not optimistic will ever go away. When software was distributed physically, the consumer always had the freedom to use any version of an application they liked. Want to run a lightweight version of Word because you don't need all the latest features, or maybe you just hate the new UI? No problem. Did you like some…

It should be your choice but most people aren't knowledgeable enough to manage versions themselves. You would certainly give up any rights for support in doing so as well.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#42

Post by bengotow » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:21 PM UTC

I think this will help out consumers overall, but I don't want customers posting negative reviews of my app because the old version they downloaded crashes due to a Facebook or Twitter API change that I patched the app for months ago. Considering that folks post reviews from to-be-released versions of the OS, I assume Apple will let these folks post reviews as well?

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#43

Post by pdpi » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:21 PM UTC

untog wrote: post #29

pdpi wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, this is because of the new 64 processors. There's still no mechanism that allows for 64 bit iOS7/32 bit iOS6 fat binaries, it's either 64 bits iOS7/32 bits iOS7, or iOS 6 only. Probably the first time that apps compiled for the latest and greatest can't run on old phones at all.

Pretty sure it has zero to do with 64-bit processors. iOS7 is still going to be running on old 32-bit chips.

Yes, which is precisely why you need 64-bit/32-bit fat binaries. Problem is that the current SDK can only generate 64-bit/32-bit fat binaries for iOS7 alone.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#44

Post by zyb09 » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:23 PM UTC

jaysonelliot wrote: post #6

It's a wonderful half-measure, but also serves to highlight a problem with cloud-based installs that I'm not optimistic will ever go away. When software was distributed physically, the consumer always had the freedom to use any version of an application they liked. Want to run a lightweight version of Word because you don't need all the latest features, or maybe you just hate the new UI? No problem. Did you like some…

Well that was in a time when Apps were self-contained software, before they started talking to the Internet and require a wide array of specific webservices to be online and functional. As developer you don't want to keep old services running forever, because you want to evolve the app and eventually change something that breaks older versions.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#45

Post by kenrikm » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:24 PM UTC

pdpi wrote: post #24

melange wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is Apple themselves recognizing that hardware that is too old to run iOS7 is still useful.

Nah, this is because of the new 64 processors. There's still no mechanism that allows for 64 bit iOS7/32 bit iOS6 fat binaries, it's either 64 bits iOS7/32 bits iOS7, or iOS 6 only. Probably the first time that apps compiled for the latest and greatest can't run on old phones at all.

All my apps have compiled without an issue into 64bit on XCode 5 GM. Now that's not the actual hardware, however I don't anticipate any 64Bit transition related issues.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#46

Post by ksherlock » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:24 PM UTC

vvhn wrote: post #31

pdpi wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, this is because of the new 64 processors. There's still no mechanism that allows for 64 bit iOS7/32 bit iOS6 fat binaries, it's either 64 bits iOS7/32 bits iOS7, or iOS 6 only. Probably the first time that apps compiled for the latest and greatest can't run on old phones at all.

why is it "64 bit iOS7/32 bit iOS6" ? iOS 7 is 64-bit only on the iPhone 5S. iPhone 5S will run 64 bit iOS 7 and can run both 32 bit and 64 bit applications. iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad 4, iPad 3 (or whatever they are called), iPad 2 and the iPad mini all will run 32 bit iOS 7 (kernel, libraries, drivers and the Applications themselves).

When you build your iOS app, you specify the minimum system version. If you use iOS 6 (or 5) as a minimum, it will only build the 32-bit binary. If you specify iOS 7 as the minimum, it will build a fat 32-bit/64-bit binary.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#47

Post by adsche » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:25 PM UTC

pilif wrote: post #38

EvanAnderson wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keeping and installing old copies of app bundles doesn't seem like a very viable option for non-technical users.

Using outdated and unsupported versions of software doesn't seem like a very viable option for non-technical users.

I don't like your comment. You use the same words to directly counter the parent, but these words don't match the case. What do you mean by "viable option" here? Some "options" for non-technical users are in this thread's first comment.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#48

Post by kenrikm » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:26 PM UTC

jaysonelliot wrote: post #6

It's a wonderful half-measure, but also serves to highlight a problem with cloud-based installs that I'm not optimistic will ever go away. When software was distributed physically, the consumer always had the freedom to use any version of an application they liked. Want to run a lightweight version of Word because you don't need all the latest features, or maybe you just hate the new UI? No problem. Did you like some…

What if your backend APIs have changed and you never expected to support that older version? I can see a lot of the older apps not working at all in that case.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#49

Post by mikeash » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:28 PM UTC

EvanAnderson wrote: post #35

snom380 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as you keep a backup of your old app bundles on your computer (for instance using Time Machine) I don't think it's a problem to load old apps. The exception being if some of those apps require online services that are no longer available.

Keeping and installing old copies of app bundles doesn't seem like a very viable option for non-technical users.

Maybe not, but it is exactly how software has worked since approximately the dawn of time, and it is exactly what the grandparent comment was proposing should be allowed.

Re: iOS App Store now allows legacy downloads to support older OSes

#50

Post by mikeash » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 5:31 PM UTC

pdpi wrote: post #24

melange wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is Apple themselves recognizing that hardware that is too old to run iOS7 is still useful.

Nah, this is because of the new 64 processors. There's still no mechanism that allows for 64 bit iOS7/32 bit iOS6 fat binaries, it's either 64 bits iOS7/32 bits iOS7, or iOS 6 only. Probably the first time that apps compiled for the latest and greatest can't run on old phones at all.

That's badly wrong. It's true that you currently have to choose between 64-bit and supporting older OSes. But apps built for older OSes still run on the iPhone 5S. There's no "iOS 6 only".