How do apple test their phones? Using windows xp, silly. - Polidicks

[Quote] In an effort to counter this bad press, the tech giant has announced that just nine customers (to date) have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone (out of ten million), and it even went so far as to give CNBC an exclusive look inside its testing labs. Anyone worried about how rigorously Apple tests its phones will have been calmed by the news that the iPhone 6 was exhaustively tested 15,000 times before being released, and the video showing that Apple uses only state-of-the-art equipment when testing for endurance and durability was reassuring too. Although CNBC then tweeted a picture from the labs revealing test results being recorded on a less-than state-of-the-art Windows XP system. Yes, that’s right, at the heart of Apple’s testing facility are systems still running the thirteen year-old OS that Microsoft stopped supporting way back in April. [/quote] [url]www.itproportal.com/2014/09/27/how-does-apple-test-the-iphone-6s-durability-using-windows-xp-of-course[/url]

If it was tested so much why was the bend issue unnoticed? Or did they just not care?

Actually they don't even test their software before start. [url]http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-25/apple-s-iphone-software-snafu-has-links-to-flawed-maps.html[/url] [quote]Another challenge is that the engineers who test the newest software versions often don’t get their hands on the latest iPhones until the same time that they arrive with customers, resulting in updates that may not get tested as much on the latest handsets.[/quote]

[QUOTE=Badballer;46087893]If it was tested so much why was the bend issue unnoticed? Or did they just not care?[/QUOTE] People are bending it harder than they are testing probably.

thats just great

Makes sense. Some of this equipment could be a decade old and the drivers might only work with XP. Heck, Big W still has been using the same system for so long that [I]all the computers run DOS emulators[/I] just so they don't need to pay someone to program a new inventory system.

[QUOTE=ScottyWired;46087901]Makes sense. Some of this equipment could be a decade old and most of the drivers might only work with XP. Heck, Big W still has been using the same system for so long that [I]all the computers run DOS emulators[/I] just so they don't need to pay someone to program a new inventory system.[/QUOTE] It's still pretty ironic that Apple of all places uses XP

This is such a ridiculous non-story. XP is still incredibly common because so much industry and production software was designed for it and still works fine. It's not like those computers are used for anything else, they're simply dedicated to a specific task so there's no need to update them. They're probably not even connected to the internet.

Maybe the hardware they're using to do stress test, requires software that can only run on Windows XP. Though, then you could ask 'why not get less dated hardware'?

[QUOTE=gokiyono;46087905]It's pretty ironic that Apple of all places uses XP[/QUOTE] So? It goes the other way too, some employees at microsoft prefer to use Macs. They aren't part of the marketing team, they don't give a shit about brand loyalty. What matters is that it gets the job done. E: That sounded way more defensive than it should have.

[QUOTE=MisterMooth;46087911]This is such a ridiculous non-story. XP is still incredibly common because so much industry and production software was designed for it and still works fine. It's not like those computers are used for anything else, they're simply dedicated to a specific task so there's no need to update them. They're probably not even connected to the internet.[/QUOTE] The article even says this itself: [quote] Of course the fact that Apple’s testing facility has systems running Windows XP isn’t really a big deal - XP is still used in an estimated [B]53 per cent[/B] of businesses after all - and it doesn’t affect the testing process in any way, but it is amusing that Apple’s testing equipment relies on an ancient operating system from arch rival Microsoft. [/quote]

It's just a freaking program that controls some equipment that bends / drills (whatever) the phone. No need to upgrade it really, I doubt it's even been on the internet for years.

[QUOTE=VernoGuy;46087915]Though, then you could ask 'why not get less dated hardware'?[/QUOTE] How the heck do you improve a machine that's this simple? [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/111996868/2014-2/general/Apple-Windows-XP_contentfullwidth.jpg[/IMG] It literally spends 24/7 pushing a steel rod downwards.

[QUOTE=Badballer;46087893]If it was tested so much why was the bend issue unnoticed? Or did they just not care?[/QUOTE] They tested 15.000 Iphone 6's, sold 10.000.000 the first weekend(!) and out of those 10.000.000, 9 where reported to have been bent. That's 0,0000009% of the sold phones. I really don't see the huge issue here. Fabrication problems always occur, but when it happens to Apple, all hell breaks loose!

I highly doubt there's only 9 phones bent (after all they're only [I]complaints[/I]) when several pictures of "iPhones bending in people's pockets" are all over social media & the news.

[QUOTE=Talvy;46088023]I highly doubt there's only 9 phones bent (after all they're only [I]complaints[/I]) when several pictures of "iPhones bending in people's pockets" are all over social media & the news.[/QUOTE] Apparently that's how many formal complaints there were. Actual scientific testing seems to show that the 6+ [URL="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/09/consumer-reports-tests-iphone-6-bendgate/index.htm"]isn't quite as weak as it was blown up to be.[/URL]

An OS not connected to the Internet isn't at risk to any nasty virsuses and exploits therefore in my mind, it's still OK to use. If the software that they run works for what they need to do day-by-day then it really shouldn't be an issue, installing 7 or 8 could break their legacy programs even with virtual machine or etc.

All it takes is for someone to bring an infected USB and stick it in the PC.

[QUOTE=meharryp;46088097]All it takes is for someone to bring an infected USB and stick it in the PC.[/QUOTE] ummmm firstly, who would even be able to do that? and why? and secondly, what would even be the point of that? to mess with the numbers? I don't think you understand what these machines are for

[QUOTE=NisseN;46088016]They tested 15.000 Iphone 6's, sold 10.000.000 the first weekend(!) and out of those 10.000.000, 9 where reported to have been bent. That's 0,0000009% of the sold phones. I really don't see the huge issue here. Fabrication problems always occur, but when it happens to Apple, all hell breaks loose![/QUOTE] That 9 is bullshit and you know it, hell, someone here on fp apparently knows three people that has this problem. Does he know a third of the people who has the problem?

[QUOTE=MisterMooth;46088106]ummmm firstly, who would even be able to do that? and why? and secondly, what would even be the point of that? to mess with the numbers? I don't think you understand what these machines are for[/QUOTE] The point is, just because its not connected to the internet, doesn't mean its not exploitable.

[QUOTE=meharryp;46088114]The point is, just because its not connected to the internet, doesn't mean its not exploitable.[/QUOTE] why does that matter at all? there's no reason to even try to exploit it. these aren't general purpose computers with sensitive information

[QUOTE=meharryp;46088114]The point is, just because its not connected to the internet, doesn't mean its not exploitable.[/QUOTE] when you have local access to something, nothing is safe. not that it matters with these computers anyway, what kind of stuff are they supposed to fetch/break in them?

[QUOTE=gokiyono;46087905]It's still pretty ironic that Apple of all places uses XP[/QUOTE] no it isn't? i'm sure apple uses linux servers at the same time but you don't poke fun at that [editline]27th September 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=meharryp;46088114]The point is, just because its not connected to the internet, doesn't mean its not exploitable.[/QUOTE] this is a plant for testing hardware strength and construction not the super secret apple database

The company i work for also uses XP since the software they use only works stable on XP, same case for Apple? Edit: They do however run XP in a virtual machine inside Windows 8, so its not that terrible.

At one point Microsoft was the largest buyer of Macs because the hardware profile at the time matched the Xbox almost perfectly, so they used it for developer kits.

Why is this news even? We've gone through this already since some images from a factory where macs are assembled also showed computers running XP some weeks ago. Why would they need to upgrade computers running neverending industrial processes like this?

Haha Apple sux so bad Id never buy there shit when I could an android

[QUOTE=.Lain;46088229]no it isn't? i'm sure apple uses linux servers at the same time but you don't poke fun at that[/QUOTE] I didn't poke fun in the first place though I wasn't surprised by a factory it either, I just thought it was a bit ironic considering the stuff I read about them in Steve Jobs autobiography

pointing it out as irony when it's actually a totally expected and regular thing is poking fun at it