Why do software updates roll out so slowly?

[Arizona Willie]

They seem to roll them out one car at a time. Like some guy is sitting at a desk and manually selecting cars and sending them the update.

Microsoft manages to update millions of computers at the same time.

But, of course, they have much larger facilitiess but even small virus protection outfits can handle multiple downloads simultaneously.

I understand that they roll them out individually to test the waters and see what blows up.

But like today, TeslaFi say they have upated 407 cars. So they obviously are updating multiple cars at once.

Do they need bigger / better servers?
Just curious.

 

[ChrML]

If you wrote the software that has the potential to brick every single car ever delivered, and probably bankrupt the company in that process, would you:

a) Upload it to a few 100 cars with pretty different configurations first while monitoring them for a few days.

-- or --

b) Hit all the cars at once and hope for the best.

?


It's risk management.

Microsoft has a very long release pipeline where new features are being fast-ring tested for 1-2 years before they go out on the main release. Even then they screw up time to time, such as the time they rolled out an update deleting users personal files.

Tesla are barely finished writing the feature before they roll it out. Because Elon wants fast iterations.

 

[jjrandorin]

If you wrote the software that has the potential to brick every single car ever delivered, and probably bankrupt the company in that process, would you:

a) Upload it to a few 100 cars with pretty different configurations first while monitoring them for a few days.

-- or --

b) Hit all the cars at once and hope for the best.

?


It's risk management.

Microsoft has a very long release pipeline where new features are being fast-ring tested for 1-2 years before they go out on the main release. Even then they screw up time to time, such as the time they rolled out an update deleting users personal files.

Tesla are barely finished writing the feature before they roll it out. Because Elon wants fast iterations.

And microsoft is not pushing out something that, if there was a catastrophic failure, could kill someone.

(equipment running windows that COULD potentially kill someone, or give results that could impact someone, is normally only patched when necessary, and off schedule by that companies IT department).

 

[albtrssp]

And microsoft is not pushing out something that, if there was a catastrophic failure, could kill someone

Windows only kills your soul.

 

[ewoodrick]

A d you realize that it takes about a year from the time that a Windows build is available until the it is even released in some channels?

Tesla is only testing in some cars, to make sure there aren't any big issues.

So, just chill.

 

[VQTRVA]

If you knew anything about software, their complexity. & Potential liabilities, you wouldn't want to be first in line.

You haven't seen those near miss AP Vids have you?

 

[Silicon Desert]

They seem to roll them out one car at a time. Like some guy is sitting at a desk and manually selecting cars and sending them the update.

Microsoft manages to update millions of computers at the same time.

But, of course, they have much larger facilitiess but even small virus protection outfits can handle multiple downloads simultaneously.

I understand that they roll them out individually to test the waters and see what blows up.

But like today, TeslaFi say they have upated 407 cars. So they obviously are updating multiple cars at once.

Do they need bigger / better servers?
Just curious.

I'm going to guess this is a joke and you are really a smart person.

 

[Big Dog]

Tesla are barely finished writing the feature before they roll it out.

Say what? Much to the chagrin of the SEC, Elon just rolls out the features in 240 character allotments, finished or not.