Re: version differences

[c.]

On 4 Jul 2013, at 06:11, kbphinix <address@hidden> wrote:

> Hi all,
> I always wonder, when mature software application like "octave" updates to
> new versions. Is the change in version necessary so often? If one is able to
> use say, octave3.2.3, for most of one's work (e.g. control systems
> modelling), what real benefit one  gets ? No offence intended.
> --kbphinix

It's funny to hear you consider Octave to be updated often, the usual 
perceptions is actually the contrary :D
The 3.6 series was first released 18 months ago and since then only bug-fix 
upgrades were published.
The 3.4 series dates to almost 3 years ago. 

Anyways, the main reason I see for keeping your version of Octave up-to-date is 
that the Octave developers are 
too few to maintain more than one version at a time or to put too much effort 
in preserving backward compatibility.
If a bug is found it very often is fixed only in the newest release and not in 
older versions, so the best way to get 
it is to update to the latest release.
Anyway, if you don't need the newest features and there are no bugs that bither 
you too much in version 3.2.3 indeed 
there is no reason to upgrade.
c.