Upgrade
With Upgrade [ ʌpˌgreɪd ] ( English upgrade , aufgradieren ',' upgrade 'to better equip', 'upgrade', 'high-stage') the change is referred to a product to a higher version or configuration. The underlying product may be a. be computer hardware , software , train tickets, flight tickets, securities reviews by rating agencies, tariffs from telecommunications providers or tariffs from insurance companies.
Difference between upgrade, update and downgrade
An Update (Engl. Update , update ') provides, for example, when a software product is usually for minor improvements or eliminating errors in a given software item, which as a service release , patch or hotfix is called. As opposed to an upgrade expands (Engl. Upgrade , enhancement '), the software significantly with new functions. A software update stands for a new version of the software and is usually identified by a change in the version number, while a software upgrade can better be described as a new variant that is based on the original variant and contains a technical innovation.
On the other hand, there is the downgrade , a variant in which a technical innovation is withdrawn. Software upgrades and downgrades go hand in hand with a change in the name of a software product, but can also - similar to the update - be identified by a changed version number (usually in the part of the major release , i.e. the main version number ). The reasons for a downgrade can be varied. In the private sector, there are often cost reasons, since a lower-quality variant of a product is usually cheaper (e.g. if you use a trial version of the Pro version of a software, but opt for the standard version after the end of the test period).
Versions are often confused with variants and vice versa, which also confuses upgrades and updates.
Upgrade tickets and travel
As upgrade and the change to a higher ticket category in the will train or tickets in air traffic referred. If you have an economy class ticket and this class is overbooked, the airline can upgrade it to business class , provided there are still free seats available ( "operational upgrade" ). You can travel in the higher booking class at no extra charge .
Many transport companies also give customers the option of purchasing a ticket upgrade or exchanging them via a bonus program (for bonus points / miles). For example, at Deutsche Bahn, upgrades from 2nd class to 1st class are possible for a surcharge.
The term upgrade is also used in the hotel sector for a change to a higher-quality hotel room.
computer
hardware
A hardware upgrade is the process of increasing the performance characteristics of a computer, for example improving the computing power by replacing the main processor with a faster model.
software
A software upgrade refers to the higher-quality configuration of basic software on the one hand, and an update to a newer version on the other.
Example Windows: An upgrade describes on the one hand the configuration change from a Windows edition to a higher-quality one, on the other hand the changeover to a newer version (e.g. from Windows Vista to Windows 7). Updating with a patch (e.g. "security update ") or service release is called an update . (See also development stage (software) #nomenclature .)
Example antivirus software from Avira: The Avira Free Antivirus variant is free, while the Avira Antivirus Pro variant is chargeable, but also offers a greater range of services and functions. A change from Free to Pro is referred to as an upgrade. The opposite case - a change from Pro to Free - is called a downgrade . Avira typically checks every six hours whether there is a new virus identifier, i.e. a new software version, and updates to a newer version ("update") if necessary.
An upgrade can be free or paid.
The distinction between minor and major upgrades is generally valid. The use of this term is standard in the IT industry in particular.
Under free Unix-like systems with package management , the term “upgrade” refers to the process in which the installed software is actually replaced by newer software, while “update” means the process in which information about the software status is updated (checking whether newer software Versions are available); for example by means of the command sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade Paketname.
