[conspire] Why some computers don't get updated.

[paulz at ieee.org]

At CABAL, as usual, we talked about many things.  Only later did my mind connect dots between two seemingly unrelated topics.  
The second topic was about people not updating their software.  For sure, some people have unlicensed copies and can’t access updates.  And others find it bothersome.    But there are also people who don’t want upgrades because upgrades sometimes break things.
Suppose a business had developed some important internal software that was based on XUL.  Then Mozilla decides to end support for XUL.   After a seemingly innocent upgrade to Firefox this software has stopped working and the company has to scramble.  
When it comes to medical devices, this situation is particularly critical.  Before the product is released,  versions of each software component must be specified and a procedures written to saying step by step how install each component and also verify how to that everything functions properly on each and every unit before it is shipped.  
After a device has been shipped, any change in the software must first have thorough testing by the company, followed by a process to formally approve the change.  Then to deploy the change, someone with appropriate training credentials must follow the upgrade procedure followed by a complete test to verify that every function of the device works the way it is supposed to.  A software change that takes 5 minutes on an office PC can take days on a medical device.  It's almost as complicated to roll out a software upgrade as it is to put different engines on an airplane.   
A couple years ago, there was a big deal with a newly discovered threat and M$ had stopped releasing upgrades to W95.  Part of the story that didn’t make the headlines was that there were medical systems that had been designed with W95 and expected to work for many years in the hospital or clinic.
Paul
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