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Windows 10 - Deeper Impressions


xper

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What specific hardware are you using to accomplish blacklisting, if I may ask?  Whether a router is willing to accept blacklist entries isn't usually a feature listed on the outside of consumer packaging.

 

Home-made. :ph34r:

 

Actually an el-cheapo Fujitsu-Siemens Futro S220 (bought used on e-bay for a few bucks) sporting a whopping 800 Mhz Transmeta :w00t: with one common Ethernet/Lan card added to it, running Zeroshell:

http://www.zeroshell.org/

 

jaclaz

 

 

Could this or this serve the same purpose? Is using an actual router easier/better for that purpose?

 

--JorgeA

 

P.S. @NoelC: This discussion (which takes place in the context of the Sophos UTM) may be useful or informative for your ongoing efforts to minimize Win10 privacy intrusions. Curious what you think of it, in additon to the questions above.

Edited by JorgeA
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Could this or this serve the same purpose? Is using an actual router easier/better for that purpose?

 

Sure, why not?

 

The idea/usage paradigm is the same or very similar, though I have no idea what actually is run in those, most probably is one or the other version of a Linux (or maybe BSD) OS.

 

The issue might be the actual resources needed, I have no idea what that needs, my "home made" one leverages (besides the excellent zeroshell software/OS) on the features of the hardware, the Futro S200/300 series is (was) a thin client kind of PC, with a few (IMHO) advantages (I had the further advantage that I had one lying around that I bought for a previous experiment for a silent PC to be used as media streamer that was later replaced by another machine):

  • small size
  • built-in power supply (no external "brick", thus very compact)
  • very low power (the Transmeta may not be the fastest processor around but surely it is not a power hog)
  • no fan (passive cooled) <- this is VERY important as it means completely silent PC
  • el-cheapo (you can get one for anything between 30 and 50 Euros)

any similar thin client used machine or passive cooled low-low power board such as good ol' Epia or the like would do nicely, while it would make (IMHO) very little sense to use a "normal" PC with fans (both for the power supply and the processor heatsink) both becayse of higher power consumption and because of the inherent less reliability (and noise).

 

jaclaz

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Could this or this serve the same purpose? Is using an actual router easier/better for that purpose?

 

Sure, why not?

 

The idea/usage paradigm is the same or very similar, though I have no idea what actually is run in those, most probably is one or the other version of a Linux (or maybe BSD) OS.

 

The issue might be the actual resources needed, I have no idea what that needs, my "home made" one leverages (besides the excellent zeroshell software/OS) on the features of the hardware, the Futro S200/300 series is (was) a thin client kind of PC, with a few (IMHO) advantages (I had the further advantage that I had one lying around that I bought for a previous experiment for a silent PC to be used as media streamer that was later replaced by another machine):

  • small size
  • built-in power supply (no external "brick", thus very compact)
  • very low power (the Transmeta may not be the fastest processor around but surely it is not a power hog)
  • no fan (passive cooled) <- this is VERY important as it means completely silent PC
  • el-cheapo (you can get one for anything between 30 and 50 Euros)

any similar thin client used machine or passive cooled low-low power board such as good ol' Epia or the like would do nicely, while it would make (IMHO) very little sense to use a "normal" PC with fans (both for the power supply and the processor heatsink) both becayse of higher power consumption and because of the inherent less reliability (and noise).

 

jaclaz

 

 

Thanks for the info jaclaz, that's a pretty neat setup you have devised. :thumbup

 

Speaking of el-cheapo  ;)  candidates for running firewall/router software, the Sophos UTM supposedly can run on any Intel machine. I happen to have sitting around a Daewoo CN530 laptop engraved with a notation that proudly proclaims, "Designed for Microsoft Windows 95." :yes:  Maybe I could install the Sophos UTM on it and add a second USB network adapter, then use it to protect not only any future Windows 10 machines from Microsoft's telemetry, but also my aging Vista system as security software vendors continue to drop support for it.

 

--JorgeA

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Installed Foxit Reader on the Win10 test machine today, and noticed something peculiar.

 

Foxit offers the choice of using the ribbon UI or a traditional drop-down menu system. The ribbon was a complete mess whereas with the classic menus I instantly found every feature and command that I wanted, but more directly relevant to this thread is that with @bigmuscle's Aero Glass installed, if I use Foxit's ribbon UI then the title bar is opaque like that of a Win10 Universal app, while if I select the classic menus then the title bar shows as expected with Aero Glass:

 

post-287775-0-56263000-1451518547_thumb.

 

post-287775-0-81021200-1451518571_thumb.

 

So by disabling the ribbon UI you get a "two-fer", as Aero Glass then works.  :)

 

--JorgeA

 

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Installed Foxit Reader on the Win10 test machine today, and noticed something peculiar.

 

Foxit offers the choice of using the ribbon UI or a traditional drop-down menu system. The ribbon was a complete mess whereas with the classic menus I instantly found every feature and command that I wanted, but more directly relevant to this thread is that with @bigmuscle's Aero Glass installed, if I use Foxit's ribbon UI then the title bar is opaque like that of a Win10 Universal app, while if I select the classic menus then the title bar shows as expected with Aero Glass:

 

attachicon.gifFoxit Reader ribbon not Aero Glass.jpg

 

attachicon.gifFoxit Reader classic Aero Glass.jpg

 

So by disabling the ribbon UI you get a "two-fer", as Aero Glass then works.  :)

 

--JorgeA

 

I suspect that has to do with when the ribbon is used, the application draws its own titlebar, while when dropdown menus are used, the application doesn't need to add icons into the titlebar, so it just uses the system one.

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For the enlightment of all you stubborn luddites, a chart found elsewhere showing the indisputable advantages of embracing change. :w00t:

 

379434e9_FeaturesofWindowsHomeandProvers

 

Good find. What's interesting is that it's from overclock.net. Gaming and overclocking forums are usually always cheering for new OSes to satisfy their tinker-urge. 

Edited by Formfiller
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Saw this article: http://phys.org/news/2016-01-microsoft-users-nation-state-intrusion.html

Supposedly Microsoft will warn us of outsiders messing with your stuff-but I wouldn't trust the fox guarding the hen house!

 

In case you're wondering, the linux distro I'm on can be found here: http://zorinos.com/

I'm using Zorin 9 Ultimate 64 bit, seems to work just fine for my needs! :thumbup

Edited by OldSchool38
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Installed Foxit Reader on the Win10 test machine today, and noticed something peculiar.

 

Foxit offers the choice of using the ribbon UI or a traditional drop-down menu system. The ribbon was a complete mess whereas with the classic menus I instantly found every feature and command that I wanted, but more directly relevant to this thread is that with @bigmuscle's Aero Glass installed, if I use Foxit's ribbon UI then the title bar is opaque like that of a Win10 Universal app, while if I select the classic menus then the title bar shows as expected with Aero Glass:

 

attachicon.gifFoxit Reader ribbon not Aero Glass.jpg

 

attachicon.gifFoxit Reader classic Aero Glass.jpg

 

So by disabling the ribbon UI you get a "two-fer", as Aero Glass then works.  :)

 

--JorgeA

 

I suspect that has to do with when the ribbon is used, the application draws its own titlebar, while when dropdown menus are used, the application doesn't need to add icons into the titlebar, so it just uses the system one.

 

 

Thanks for the explanation, now I understand!  :thumbup

 

--JorgeA

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Saw this article: http://phys.org/news/2016-01-microsoft-users-nation-state-intrusion.html

Supposedly Microsoft will warn us of outsiders messing with your stuff-but I wouldn't trust the fox guarding the hen house!

 

In case you're wondering, the linux distro I'm on can be found here: http://zorinos.com/

I'm using Zorin 9 Ultimate 64 bit, seems to work just fine for my needs! :thumbup

 

Yeah, Microsoft and privacy are fast turning into antonyms. At some point they were helping New York City to build its network of red-light cameras, and they've been known to delete stuff from customers' OneDrive folders because they disapprove of it

 

I started experimenting with Zorin OS 5 back when Windows 8 first came out, but quickly got tired of the new OS versions that felt like they were coming every three weeks. I think they're up to 10 or 11 by now. And while I liked their Start Menu-like application launcher, most everything else about Zorin's look just seemed grainy and unpolished in comparison to Vista or even Win7. I eventually replaced Zorin with Netrunner 12.12 which looks a lot nicer, but soon ran into the same upgrading issue -- after a while, there weren't even any more updates for 12.12. I tried to install Netrunner 16 over it following some website's instructions to maintain programs and settings, but the installer offered no clear way to just put it on the same partiition and I ended up with both 12 and 16 on the same HDD.

 

If there's a way to install a new version of Linux over the existing one without losing one's programs and settings, making the switch from Windows will be a lot more appealing.

 

--JorgeA

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Despite Microsoft's increasingly aggressive tactics, Windows 10's growth continues to slow

 

The slowing of growth for the new OS is quite clear. In September, Windows 10 grew by 1.42 percentage points, in October it grew by 1.31 and in November it increased its share by 1.06 percentage points. As we saw, in December the new OS grew by 0.96 percent. For an operating system that’s not only free but being pushed ever more forcefully onto users, that trend has to be a worry for Microsoft.

 

A figure of 200 million Windows 10 installs has been making its way around the Web, but this has to be taken with a grain of salt as it is unclear whether the number includes installations on the Xbox and on smartphones-- as well as Win10 "up"grades where the user ultimately reverted back to their previous OS.

 

--JorgeA

 

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I'm sure I count as a Win 10 user, inasmuch as I have it running on a VM under the real OS being run - WIn 8.1 on the host.  I also run Win XP, 7, and 8.1 VMs.  One device, multiple Windows systems to support whatever stats they want to push.  Imagine that.

 

I also doubt that the published stats reflect any reversions.  If you've ever installed/run Win 10 your stats are no doubt logged and used in Marketing hype forever.

 

-Noel

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I'm sure I count as a Win 10 user, inasmuch as I have it running on a VM under the real OS being run - WIn 8.1 on the host.  I also run Win XP, 7, and 8.1 VMs.  One device, multiple Windows systems to support whatever stats they want to push.  Imagine that.

 

I also doubt that the published stats reflect any reversions.  If you've ever installed/run Win 10 your stats are no doubt logged and used in Marketing hype forever.

 

-Noel

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they count each individual startup as a new install. :)

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You'll love this one :yes:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2016/01/02/microsoft-windows-7-problems/

 

 

Speaking to Windows Weekly, Microsoft Marketing chief Chris Caposselaexplained that users who choose Windows 7 do so “at your own risk, at your own peril” and he revealed Microsoft has concerns about its future software and hardware compatibility, security and more.

“We do worry when people are running an operating system that’s 10 years old that the next printer they buy isn’t going to work well, or they buy a new game, they buy Fallout 4, a very popular game, and it doesn’t work on a bunch of older machines,” Capossela stated. “And so, as we are pushing our ISV [independent Software Vendor] and hardware partners to build great new stuff that takes advantage of Windows 10 that obviously makes the old stuff really bad and not to mention viruses and security problems.”

 

 

 

There’s only one problem with Capossela’s statements: they are complete rubbish.

 

 

:lol:

 

jaclaz

 

:

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