Upgrade is a word already incorporated into the Portuguese language. If we are going to do the literal translation from English, we can quote it in our language as “above degree”.
The term upgrade has become common computer jargon, referring to upgrading any piece of computing to a newer version to improve functionality, access new tools, and speed up equipment performance.
Upgrade can also mean buying laptops to exchange parts or replacing audio files with others of higher encoding and better quality. It can also be upgraded when a system or security flaw needs to be fixed.
Because it is so comprehensive, the upgrade can be classified into several categories, also using different tools, such as Windows Update, Windows Anytime Update, PackageKit, among others, when it comes to systems.
The most commonly used upgrade categories are as follows:
Routine upgrades , which cause low impact to the system and little risk of data loss, correcting bugs that do not significantly interfere with the system’s operation, and which increase the software‘s performance;
Adding functionality , which may or may not change the major version of the software, adding new functionality or operations;
Security upgrade , necessary when the software can be infected by virus or malware;
Hardware upgrade , when we exchange parts and accessories for more modern ones, improving the performance of the equipment.
Some people confuse the words upgrade and update , considering that they have the same meaning. Although similar, however, update refers to an update by exchange, while upgrade is broader, and can refer to exchange or addition.
It should also be remembered that, although the slang already uses upgrade with different connotations, the term is specific to the IT area, referring to software and equipment in this area.
