Beta

摘要

beta testing used to be like a prerelease screening of a movie: A limited number of users see an all-but-final product for one last round of feedback. Beta came before an official public launch, inside stuff for insiders. Now? We live in a beta world. Many of the big-name products and features you use all the time, stuff like Google Maps' bicycle directions and Apple's virtual assistant, Siri, are technically still in beta. For a lot of new mobile apps, beta isn't a final testing phase; it's an indication that work will continue indefinitely—and a handy excuse if the product is flawed. Why is Siri still in beta? Will some future Siri do more? Faster? Better? Apple isn't saying.