Do you ever get the feeling that things should be a whole lot easier than they are? I know I do and a prime example occurred today when I was updating applications on my Mac.
My first step is to install any updates available via the Mac App Store before I move on to updates available from the MacUpdate Desktop application.
Everything was working perfectly until it came to the Flash Player plugin.
Despite reporting that an update was available it wouldn’t install as it was insisting that the version I had was newer than the one I was attempting to install. It’s quite possible that this is true as I probably have had a beta version installed at some point.
More investigation resulted in the following:
- My Mac reported as having 10.3.180.65 installed
- The Adobe website reported my installed version as 10.2.154.27
- The Adobe website reported 10.2.159.1
- The MacUpdate Desktop application reported my installed version as 10.1.52.14 – in fact it insisted it was installed twice
So it appears that I have either 10.1.x, one of two possible versions of 10.2.x or 10.3.x depending on who you believe. However, it’s a moot point as notwithstanding what I may or may not already have installed it refuses point blank to update anyway.
Best Practice
For me best practice for any software application must surely dictate that:
- There be a consistent and hopefully uncomplicated version numbering schema in operation
- The installed version be easily discernible
- There be a clear uninstall option
- There be a simple way to upgrade to the latest version
- Any beta installation not break the update process
Like I said there are days I hanker after the simplicity of a simple, logically numbered, combo update!
