Windows 10 - Deeper Impressions

[JorgeA]

7 hours ago, bookie32 said:

Well, isn't that what I have been saying all along...How can something be so good with so many problems... the idea that Microsoft after all the time they spent on development of Windows 10 can produce something that is far from ready for the open market....but still shove it down our throats with either an upgrade or recommended update is just priceless...long live Microsoft with this attitude....

bookie32

I totally agree of course, and here's something that Paul Thurrott said on that very subject recently (starts at 46:55):

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I wrote a story about this -- I mean in the sense that 'cause I had complained about the reliability of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, and I was kind of nervous about how -- they tested this thing, and it was the most heavily tested OS in the history of the company -- in the history of all OSes -- and it comes out and all these people are having problems: webcams, Kindles, etcetera. How did they not know about this stuff ahead of time? I mean, it doesn't make any sense. I think there's still some questions about the processes that they have in place and how they didn't catch this kind of stuff, but I also think that the slow, measured rollout of the Anniversary Update suggests that they do kind of know what they're doing

In typical fashion, he then immediately goes on to undermine what he just said:

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I think there's still some questions about the processes that they have in place and how they didn't catch this kind of stuff, but I also think that the slow, measured rollout of the Anniversary Update suggests that they do kind of know what they're doing.

Paul, the fact that these things are coming out despite having millions of "insider" guinea pigs suggests that they do not know what they're doing. The only way to save the theory that they do know what they're doing, is to take up the alternative hypothesis for the AU fiasco: that they don't care enough to test the product adequately before releasing it.

--JorgeA

[NoelC]

It seems we are preaching to the choir here.  Thing is, the whole world IS developing a growing urge to sing...  Even business...

The "industrial age" is over.  It is the new millennium - which could be called the time of "choice between the lesser of evils".

So here's what I propose we do:  Continue to use older, respected operating systems (IMO, Win 8.1, seriously tweaked and muzzled, is the best, but to each his own) until such time as no one cares any more about what Microsoft is doing with Windows 10.  Do NOT try to make "serious, valuable" Apps, on the grounds that Microsoft would get a big percentage of the profits and it would encourage them to do more of this BS.  Do NOT "upgrade" to Windows 10 until they STOP trying to force advertising down our throats, and until they START adding real value again.

Settle for nothing less than a mousetrap that actually IS better.

-Noel

Edited October 2, 2016 by NoelC

[JorgeA]

Maybe people are starting to wise up:

WTF? Windows 10 now actually losing market share
 

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According to the figures, Windows 10 went from 22.99 percent globally, to 22.53 percent, a drop of 0.46 percentage points. It’s important to remember that NetMarketShare measures usage (people actually using the operating system, rather than having it installed), and that isn’t a precise science. Even so, Windows 10 losing share is a big surprise. When Windows 8.x did it two years ago, it came after months of dwindling growth. Here, NetMarketShare is showing us a healthy growing operating system coming to a dramatic and sudden stop, and then actually rolling backwards a bit. Are the figures to be believed? Well, while it wouldn’t be the first time that NetMarketShare has released usage numbers and then revised them a few days later, rival usage share monitoring firm StatCounter has similar findings.

While that company doesn’t have Windows 10 losing share, it does show it growing by just 0.08 percentage points for a total of 22.27 percent in September.

--JorgeA

[NoelC]

Never forget that many smart people block browser tracking, which is what feeds those market share figures.

-Noel

[JorgeA]

If the stats indicate that Win10 is dropping, but the reason is that smart people are blocking browser tracking -- thus masking the apparent level of Win10 usage -- then does it mean that Win10 accepters are, as a group, smarter than Win10 refusers?

--JorgeA

[vinifera]

never understood why people even bother to read Paul's blog, he is such a dumb uninformed person
and 90% if his rambling is just speculations

he has no direct source within m$, only Jane Fooley (or whatever her name is), and maybe Long Zheng

and only when real "diggers" comfirm how NTOS is shizzle, then he makes additional blogs of some his thesis of... whatever
his "information" is like between someone farting and taking a dump

Edited October 3, 2016 by vinifera

[JorgeA]

More questions about the value of the Windows Insiders program, this time from Paul's new blogging partner, Brad Sams:

Microsoft Delivers Yet Another Broken Windows 10 Update

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As you can imagine, having this happen to your machine is not a fun experience but what is perplexing about this is that the issue was reported by those who are in the ‘release preview’ ring ahead of the wider-scale release; we know this as it was reported in the Microsoft’s support forums.  If the bug was reported, why did Microsoft go ahead and release the patch if the feedback indicated there was an issue?

A lot of cogent and incisive observations down in the comments section, too.

--JorgeA

Edited October 3, 2016 by JorgeA

[jaclaz]

Well someone confessed

http://www.alexstjohn.com/WP/2015/07/27/windows-update-sorry-my-bad/

still he doesn't seem as contrite and regretful as he should be, and he is rather joining (obviously BTW) the legions of whiners:

http://www.alexstjohn.com/WP/2016/10/02/doom-for-windows/

jaclaz
 

[Tripredacus]

21 hours ago, JorgeA said:

If the stats indicate that Win10 is dropping, but the reason is that smart people are blocking browser tracking -- thus masking the apparent level of Win10 usage -- then does it mean that Win10 accepters are, as a group, smarter than Win10 refusers?

--JorgeA

The unknown doesn't match to that. It shows a .08% increase on unknown. I'm sure there is a way to look at all of the different things to see which other platform had the greatest increase. They don't have combined mobile/desktop chart but it looks like Android got a health increase in the percentage.

[JorgeA]

I think Woody has hit the nail on the head with his theory about the Windows Insiders program:
6 things wrong with the Windows Insider program

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People think of the Windows Insider program as a beta testing program for Windows. Not so -- Microsoft has a long history of beta testing programs, both overt and covert, but the Insider program isn't one of them. The Insider program is more of an extended marketing effort, like the "open" beta that appeared at the end of the Windows 7 dev cycle. As I explained in 2009:

Microsoft doesn't do open betas -- never has, at least since the days of Word 2.0. All of the open betas nowadays are what we used to call "marketing betas." Microsoft doesn't release betas to the public in order to ask for comments/suggestions about features. Microsoft releases marketing betas so people have a chance to get an early look, convince their companies to wait for a newer and better product -- and in some cases garner bragging rights.

[emphasis added]

--JorgeA

[jaclaz]

I know you will love this one. 

I just received a letter from a DSL provider (which I won't name but that is among the more common in Italy) that I will attempt to translate from Italian:

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la informiamo che  Microsoft ha lanciato una campagna di aggiornamento software, in particolare su Windows 10, per tutti i client laptop e qualsiasi apparato con questo Software.

L'aggiornamento di tutti i client, impostati con abilitazione automatica Microsoft, potrebbe provocare la saturazione della banda dei link della sua azienda con relativo rallentamento per tutti i client attestati sulla rete.

Le suggeriamo di valutare la disabilitazione dell'upgrade automatico o di impostarlo in orario extra lavorativo per non subire rallentamenti.

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We inform you that Microsoft has launched a campaign of software update, particularly on Windows 10 for all laptop clients and all hardware with this Software (Note: they mean Operating System, but probably don't know the difference or the Italian language).

The updating of all clients set with Microsoft automatic update could provoke the saturation of the bandwidth of your firm with relative slowing down of all clients connected to the network (Note: they mean internet, but probably don't know the difference or the Italian language).

We suggest you to evaluate the possibility of disabling automatic updates or set it in after work hours in order to not suffer form such slowdowns.

No comment needed.

jaclaz
 

[dencorso]

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La informiamo che  Microsoft ha lanciato una campagna di aggiornamento software, in particolare su Windows 10, per tutti i client laptop e qualsiasi apparato con questo Software.

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We inform you that Microsoft has launched a campaign of software update, particularly on Windows 10 for all laptop clients and all hardware with this Software (Note: they mean Operating System, but probably don't know the difference or the Italian language).

Well, IMO, the best word to define Windows 10 in Italian is "supercazzola"...

[JorgeA]

More about Windows 10 stats:

Windows 10 usage plateaus while Windows 7 holds its own

Why another link to another article about the ups and downs of Win7 and 10? Well, the piece is just full of quotable lines. Just one taste --

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Like you, I’ve seen the predictions about when Microsoft will hit its stated goal of one billion Windows 10 devices. The original projection from Microsoft called to hit the goal in 2017, but that mark was ditched a couple of months ago. I’ve seen projections from analysts that say the 1 billion Windows 10 mark will be reached by 2018. I say hogwash, unless Microsoft starts counting thermometers, windshield washers, vacuum cleaners, and potato peelers as “monthly active devices.” I don’t know if Win10 on PCs will ever hit 1 billion devices, and wouldn’t be too surprised if it played second fiddle to 7 and the other Wins for many more years – conceivably the rest of this decade.

You will have to read the rest for yourself. Well worth the couple of minutes IMO.

--JorgeA

[351837]

So, WinX is plunging down and M$ came up with great new idea.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2952664

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Article ID: 2952664 - Last Review: 10/04/2016 17:25:00 - Revision: 25.0

Applies to

Windows 7 Service Pack 1

[NoelC]

13 hours ago, JorgeA said:

Windows 10 usage plateaus while Windows 7 holds its own

Woody's a level-headed writer.  The world needs more like him.  The only statement I take slight exception to:

>Microsoft lost much of its credibility with consumers and put a severe dent in corporate loyalty.

I wouldn't have chosen to use the words "much of" at all.  Leaders without morals destroying a company whose customer base and reputation have been built up over a lifetime must not be sugar-coated!  Sure, Microsoft has never been perfect, but mostly they suffered from human failures while trying to do the right things - not from doing wrong things on purpose!

People have been wondering online whether to ditch their installs of GWX Control Panel (and similar) software.  I'm imagining that Microsoft, realizing the product is a flop and already sliding down the slippery slope of predatory marketing, won't be bashful at all about bringing out something even more aggressive.  They might spout some BS like "We listened to you when you said, 'we still want Windows 10 to be free', and so we're bringing back our free upgrade offer!"

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Woody writes:

"My guess is that the patchopalypse will lead most Windows 8.1 and 7 users to simply stop applying updates, or to drop Windows entirely."

Presuming you have yet to see the light and are still allowing Windows Updates to be installed - you'd better believe they can install things into your older Windows 7 and 8 systems that will make your computing experience less pleasant/productive!  Why else would Microsoft change the model so that you have to get all they want to push - or nothing?

The scary part is that it might even be possible for them to legally claim you've breached their user agreement if you DON'T allow such installations.  I am imagining that their thinking is now, almost constantly, "What can we get away with without lawsuits or prison time?"  Even that isn't a hard limit - they keep pushing boundaries so that things that were never even remotely acceptable have now become commonplace.  The first GWX, for example, was (appropriately) likened to malware.  Will there be quite as much outcry when the next one is revealed?  Or will people just say, "ah, that's Microsoft for you"?

-Noel