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10111001 • today at 2:17 PM • 1 reply • view on HN

> My whole career in embedded devices, software is always under schedule pressure from hardware. Not because hardware is sloppy or evil, but because doing new things is hard and hardware has deadlines that software doesn't.

The problem is the internet made post-release patches practical, which made software deadlines more flexible, which then allows management to choose a cheaper and less rigorous QA process.

Hardware is kinda like software in 1994 (just read about console game QA from the 80s/90s): you can't realistically patch defects after release, so you can't be sloppy.

It's an illustration of why technological constraints aren't all bad, and "progress" can cause regressions.


Replies

xw333 • today at 5:08 PM

On the other hand, post-release patches made very complex software practical. And very complex software takes a very long time to test and people want the new stuff now.

There is no easy or even single "correct" answer. Just trade-offs.