Tag: upgrade

About

The term upgrade is most often used in computing and consumer electronics, generally meaning a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer version, in order to bring the system up to date. The word is also used by audiophiles to describe the replacement of a product with a better quality product with the aim of bringing enhancements to sound quality.

Computing and Consumer Electronics

Common hardware upgrades are installing additional memory (RAM), adding larger hard disks, replacing microprocessor cards or graphics cards, and installing new versions of software, although many other upgrades are often possible as well.

Common software upgrades include changing the version of an operating system, office suite, anti-virus program, or various other tools.

Common firmware upgrades include the updating of the iPod control menus, the XBox 360 dashboard, or the non-volatile flash memory that contains the embedded operating system for consumer electronics.

Software and firmware upgrades are often downloaded from the Internet. Often the download is a patch—it does not contain the new version of the software in its entirety, just the changes that need to be made. Software patches usually aim to improve functionality or solve problems with security. Rushed patches have been known to cause more harm then good and are therefore sometimes regarded with skepticism for a short time after release. Patches are generally free.

A software or firmware upgrade can be major or minor and the release version is increased accordingly. A major upgrade will change the version number, whereas the minor will usually follow with a ".01", ".02", ".03", etc. For example, version 10.03 means that that is the third minor upgrade of version 10. The minor upgrades (or updates) are generally free, but the major versions must be purchased. See also: sidegrade.

An "upgrade" is when you replace a product with a newer version of that same product. When you make an upgrade of the same product from one company to the other, you are making a "competitive upgrade".