The iOS 8 Rollercoaster Ride Has Arrived

There is always a certain amount of anticipation and even excitement for the latest software release by Apple and iOS 8 is no exception. Despite their reputation of producing technology that just works, there will be a huge amount of people horrified by the news that in order to upgrade to the latest version, you will need a whopping 5.8 GB (more on some devices) of spare space before you can even get started.

This has baffled many users who have bombarded social media sites with questions such as “If the update is only a 1.1 GB download why do I need 5.8GB of free space?” and "Who has 5.8 GB free on a device with 13 GB total capacity?”

You can check exactly what is taking up the room on your iPad or iPhone and go to Settings > General > Usage. This will reveal the apps using the most space, but be warned, it could be your favourite apps or photos that need to be removed and re-installed when the update is complete.

If you are struggling to find enough space, you can always connect your device to a computer with iTunes and install that way as it requires less free space, but this does not quite fit into the whole “Cut the cord” ethos that users have brought into over the years and finding yourself having to download yet another version of iTunes seems a little dated.

The reality is that a large portion of Apple users will be spending the evening backing up and having a spring clean of their device until they reach the golden amount of free space available and even then you will be faced with the dreaded following message:

Update Requested: Your software update request has been received. You will be notified when the update has been downloaded and ready to install.

We often forget that when people from every corner of the world all rush to download the same software at the same time, you are going to run into a few congestion issues, but this doesn't stop anyone getting frustrated in these days where instant gratification is expected.

Of course the more sensible users reading this will simply forget about it for a few days and come back when the networks get back to normality; however the feeding frenzy and bragging rights of getting it downloaded first is all part of an Apple iOS release.

One of the great risks of being an early adopter is to rush in and throw caution to the wind, but assuming you are happy to let the chips fall where they may and have everything downloaded already, what has changed?

This year’s release is not a dramatic overhaul but simply introducing a few improvements, which can be found online in articles such as 16 hidden featuresover at the Daily Telegraph or the always reliable review from the guys at Mashable.

We are starting to see glimpses of our future according to Apple with Home Kitwhere the days of shouting “hey honey, I’m home” are replaced with "Good morning Siri" and turn the lights turn on in specific rooms, adjust the temperature and even open the garage door.

All this technology is in its infancy and we are seeing ideas slowly evolving before our eyes which is fascinating for anyone curious or vaguely interested in what the future holds.

Over the next few days, you will be sure to read about the excitement surrounding this latest software release along with details about the good, the bad and the ugly of all the new features, whilst owners of devices from other platforms such as Android will be quick to point out that every one of those shiny offerings have been available elsewhere for years.

Whatever your opinion is about the release of iOS 8, once again people from all walks of life are talking about innovation and technology which will only inspire more improvements across all platforms, for this reason alone, I will try to avoid the frustration and fanboy arguments and simply sit back and enjoy the show.