As I discussed on a recent episode of Marketplace Tech, software updates are generally a good thing. They're designed to make our phones, computers, and other devices better.
But sometimes a seemingly innocent update can cause something to go very, very wrong. Even if nothing breaks, an update can cause outrage for changing how software that people use every day works.
In the latest episode of Codebreaker, the podcast collaboration between Marketplace Tech and Tech Insider, we ask the question, "Are software updates evil?"
If you ask the people affected by some of the worst software updates in history we show you below, the answer is probably yes.
SEE ALSO: I learned the hard way why you should always wait to install new software updates
A small update to the iPhone's software last year caused thousands of phones to lose their cellular connections.
An update to iOS 8 last September that was supposed to fix some bugs ended up causing thousands of iPhone owners to lose their cellular connection entirely. People also reported that they were unable to use the iPhone's Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which can be used to unlock the phone and make purchases.
It even happened to Tech Insider's Steve Kovach. "I couldn't make calls or do anything else that required access to a cellular network," he said. "For someone who's constantly glued to his phone all day, this was a living nightmare."
The initial version of Apple Maps was so bad that the company's CEO had to publicly apologize.
When Apple booted Google Maps off the iPhone in favor of its own mapping software three years ago, the public's response was not pleasant.
The outcry was so great — whole Tumblr blogs were filled with ridiculous Apple Maps bugs — that Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an open letter saying he was “extremely sorry” for the haphazard release. Apple also directed its customers to try other mapping apps in the App Store if they felt unsatisfied, including Google Maps.
Just about everybody hated Windows 8.
Windows 8 is widely considered to be not only the worst update in Microsoft's history, but the history of the personal computer.
In an attempt to unify the design of Windows across desktop PCs, phones, and tablets, Microsoft implemented a confusing tile interface for apps that replaced the iconic Start menu. The changes were not received well.
Microsoft wanted to get so far away from the stigma of Windows 8 that it skipped calling the next version Windows 9 and went with Windows 10. And it did the trick. Windows 10 is a great operating system, and an essential upgrade if you're still using Windows 8.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider