iOS 4.2 Causing App Performance Issues for Some

ByMike Moffit

In the wake of iOS 4.2’s release, we began to receive phone calls from concerned users claiming their go-to iPad apps had ceased to function upon updating. After inquiring about which apps were problematic, it was discovered that nearly 100% were from 3rd party developers. Unfortunately, this issue is a somewhat re-occurring one, which often presents itself when Apple issues an iOS update. As Apple develops a new version of iOS, they typically test it thoroughly with their own hardware. However, testing and development usually center around Apple’s line-up of 1st party apps. Periodically during the development cycle, Apple seeds current versions of the software to registered 3rd party developers–similar to the process with Mac OS X updates. It is therefore the individual developer’s responsibility to ensure their app functions properly with the new software prior to its release.

Occasionally developers, especially those of smaller independent apps, fail to bring their software up to date in time to meet Apple’s release. While this is becoming a much less frequent occurrence, it still happens from time to time as developers encounter unforeseen bugs or obstacles in the update process. From personal experience, I can attest that every app I’ve launched since installing iOS 4.2 has run without a hitch. However, with the sheer multitude of apps available, there is simply no way to account for them all. While developers typically expedite updates to fix broken apps, all updates must be approved by Apple, which can hang up the process.

iOS 4.2 is a revolutionary upgrade for all iOS devices, and an exponential leap for the iPad. While it contains many more hits than misses, don’t be alarmed if you encounter a few app abnormalities here and there. Chances are, the developer is hard at work with an update, or may have even already submitted one to Apple. Of course, you could temporarily hold off on the update to guarantee smooth performance, but why would you want to miss out on all of those great new features?

Similar Posts

  • Pixelmator Review

    Uploaded with Skitch! Here’s yet another application that I’ve been wanting to get my hands on for a long time. Unfortunately I didn’t…

  • Puppy Bowl VIII Cuteness Hangover

    Apologies for being in a bit of a Super Bowl haze since Sunday—we’ve had an overload of fun things going on! Of course,…

  • Santa Gizmo

    Uploaded with Skitch! Santa Gizmo is a neat little application that lets you track the presents you’re getting people. You can also check…

  • Fine Art and the iPad

    British artist David Hockney, known for his contributions to the Pop Art movement of the 1960’s has found a new medium for creating as well as displaying his creations: the Apple iPad. Hockney, aged 73, began making doodles on his iPhone in 2008 using the application Brushes http://www.brushesapp.com/ and began emailing them to a small group of friends. By the end of 2009 he had created around 1000 images, including a series of paintings of the rising sun that he made without leaving his bed. Hockney praised the convenience of using a mobile device to create art:

    “It’s always there in my pocket, there’s no thrashing about, scrambling for the right color. One can set to work immediately, there’s this wonderful impromptu quality, this freshness, to the activity; and when it’s over, best of all, there’s no mess, no clean-up. You just turn off the machine. Or, even better, you hit Send, and your little cohort of friends around the world gets to experience a similar immediacy. There’s something, finally, very intimate about the whole process.”

    With the release of the iPad this year the artist was provided with a larger canvas to work on, which he says “takes it to a new level.” The iPad’s 9.7 inch screen allowed Hockney to create even more intricate paintings. The culmination of his experiments in this new medium is his current exhibition in Paris called Fleurs Fraiches (Fresh Flowers). http://www.fondation-pb-ysl.net/fr/Accueil-Fondation-Pierre-Berge-Yves-Saint-Laurent-471.html Perhaps the most interesting thing about this show is that the images were not only created on the iPhone and iPad, but they are being displayed on them as well. This allows the viewers to see the images as the artist intended, rather than rendering them onto paper or using a television or projector. Hockney also uses the iPad to periodically change the images displayed, allowing him to refresh the flowers.

    Another element of this story that I love is how Hockney carries his iPad around. His coats already had large pockets on the inside that he formerly used to carry drawing pads around. These have been repurposed to carry around his new favorite drawing tool: the Apple iPad.

    Come into one of our retail locations http://www.smalldog.com/retail and give the iPad a test run. Maybe you can be the next Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, or David Hockney!

  • Monday Morning Baby Watch

    This past weekend was an eventful one — we counted all of our in-stock products for our end-of-fiscal-year inventory, many of us pumpkin…