Apple Invites Retail Employees to Test Pre-Release Versions of macOS Sierra

And why does "an entirely new file system" fill me and millions of others with dread?

:apple:

Why indeed? I for one heartily welcome this.

New iCloud integration!! Oh wow, MORE system slowdowns as everything "phones" "home".

Amiga OS was faster, and I'm running a 12-core.

And why does "an entirely new file system" fill me and millions of others with dread?

:apple:

Where the hell are you talking about?

Can't tell if you are serious. Those employees don't get paid to beta test and have to do it on their own free time.

Can't tell if you're serious either or if you actually think I didn't know this


Side note last I checked unless you're an actual person working for Apple on the software/hardware R & D itself most people ARE NOT Paid to beta test. It may suck but it is what it is
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Yes. They are expected to beta test software on their private, personal equipment in their spare private time. You know, a company with that crap load of money in their bank accounts should at least have the decency to let their employees beta test the new product during work hours on company equipment.

There are a lot of other things that the company could do, but they all have in common that Apple should be generous to its employees, not the other way around.

Wow does everyone here automatically assume every comment is 100% serious?

Do we need to insert </s> as if we were formatting or something?

I'll agree it does suck for the employees in those regards.

Some people might see it as lucky ONLY in the sense that they get a 1st look at a new product. Seriously tho hoping that anyone else thinking of quoting this and spazzing out can calm their titties :rolleyes:

Can't tell if you are serious. Those employees don't get paid to beta test and have to do it on their own free time.

Came here expecting someone to comment about lack of pay, was not disappointed.
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Yes. They are expected to beta test software on their private, personal equipment in their spare private time. You know, a company with that crap load of money in their bank accounts should at least have the decency to let their employees beta test the new product during work hours on company equipment.

There are a lot of other things that the company could do, but they all have in common that Apple should be generous to its employees, not the other way around.

Should have quoted this one. Better whine factor.

… Those employees don't get paid to beta test and have to do it on their own free time.

It's voluntary.

I’m neither an Apple employee nor a paying developer... but I got this mail too – and the same for iOS 10.

AppleSeed ('https://appleseed.apple.com/') is not solely for employees of Apple. It is, or was, primarily for customers.

Yes. They are expected to beta test software on their private, personal equipment in their spare private time. You know, a company with that crap load of money in their bank accounts should at least have the decency to let their employees beta test the new product during work hours on company equipment.

There are a lot of other things that the company could do, but they all have in common that Apple should be generous to its employees, not the other way around.

Just heard this joke... Guy walks into an Apple store, and the place is empty! No computers in sight, not a Genius to be found! Finally, a kid in an Apple shirt shows up. "So, what's going on, where is everybody?" "Oh, they're all in back, testing the new OS!"

I don't see any hint that anyone is "expected" to test at all. Consistent with the labor laws of many states and countries, as soon as an hourly-wage employee is expected to do something, they have to be paid. Any hint of coercion to work for free, such as "Do this and it'll look good when salary review comes around" is enough to trigger a lawsuit.

What they are doing is inviting a group of people who are known to be at least marginally interested in Apple products, who have a modicum of knowledge about those products and generally have decent technical and diagnostic skills, to join a voluntary software testing program, a few weeks before the rest of the public can start testing. Like anyone else given the opportunity to beta test, they'll either think it's cool and want to do it for free, or they'll ignore the invitation. Perhaps they'll be glad the company thought enough of them to issue the invitation. Since this is isn't the first time Apple has done this, one has to assume the company has had a good experience with this in the past - positive impact on product quality, neutral-to-positive impact on morale.

I started participating in public beta tests back in the mid-1990s. I'm not one of those pound-on-every-key-until-it-breaks guys... I just use the stuff as I normally would. If I encounter a bug, I report it. If not, the only effort involved is downloading and running an occasional installer. In all those years, I can recall only a couple of major problems. Let's face it, you don't learn how to solve problems unless you encounter problems.