Windows 10 - Deeper Impressions

[Dibya]

My friend brought a XPS 13 with heldows 10.

More Uodates + Windows 10 + Craps * Craps * Craps = Helldows 10

[bpalone]

Back when UEFI was being announced, I stated verbally to friends and associates that it was going to be taking us to this:

1.) You will only be able to run our OS (Microsoft).

2.) You will only be able to run our software (Microsoft) or software approved by us (Microsoft), which now appears to be the "App Store".

It is beginning to look like I had it pegged. This is not a good development. Advancement will slow to a crawl or even move in reverse. It is probably to late for Microsoft to recover, but time will tell. I'm so glad that I am watching from the outside, as I've stated before my main OS is the Penguin these days.

Now, some food for thought. Out of the whole populace of the world, just how many really need a computer? I say, not many. But, those that do, need to truly have 100% control over their systems and that is going away on all OS fronts. Some are more controllable than others, but overall we are losing the ability to have 100% control.

[NoelC]

We can still technically assert control, though I agree that's being systematically blocked - through policy as well as technically.

How does Microsoft stop people from taking control?  They re-release software that in the very process of installing fights back.  Settings reverted, Apps reinstalled, cloud-integration re-enabled, cumulative updates that carry unwanted baggage...

It took me months to get a Win 10 VM into shape, to where it's private, fully controlled, and mostly reasonable to use (without Apps, without cloud, without Microsoft account).  It was a lot of work.  If they release a new one in a matter of months, where's the advantage to using it at all?  I don't NEED disruption.

Thus, the hardware systems that matter to me remain on Win 8.1 and 7.  That won't keep forever, so the future is cloudy, as a Magic 8 Ball might say.

I have a lifetime of experience with Windows, and with the OSs that it was modeled after before that.  How are regular folks supposed to know how things work well enough to be able to stand firm against a giant corporation engaging in anti-competitive, wear-users-down policies?  Most folks just want to get to their work (or recreational activities) without having to incessantly futz around with the operating system.

By making it all about Windows, instead of about what users need, Microsoft is locking people into their game - until such time as they give up in disgust and literally start over.

I only wish the alternatives were better.  Linux/Unix has its own problems.

-Noel

Edited November 13, 2016 by NoelC

[nitroshift]

9 hours ago, NoelC said:

[...]  Linux/Unix has its own problems.

-Noel

It really depends what you are using it for. I gave up on Windows at the office some 2 years ago, using a Linux flavor specifically designed for network administrators (Kali Linux) and I must say I don't miss anything. It has all the tools and programs I need to get my job done. I'm only running Windows at home on one PC where I (sometimes) get the time to play.

nitroshift

[bookie32]

11 hours ago, NoelC said:

I only wish the alternatives were better.  Linux/Unix has its own problems.

-Noel

I would like to hear what the problems are because like Linux on a daily basis and haven't any real problems with it at al...

On the other hand...Microsoft has a ton of problems...without the help of third party software it is almost impossible to maintain older versions of Windows from the perspective of a computer guy that takes in Windows computers every day with XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows 10....and all are experiencing update problems.... there is often a red cross where it should be a green tick and that is because they haven't searched for several weeks...months for updates even if it is set on automatic...Often odd dates have been installed after the last search date but the search for new ones isn't happening automatically...

I have had a gut full of looking for ways to fix Windows update....and even if I have an arsenal of different solutions...it just gets worse....Let us face facts...Microsoft can't cut it and it is just a waste of time that one can't even get paid for...no customer would even consider coming to a computer guy if it meant leaving an open cheque....

Getting off track.....Microsoft is the least of our problems....USA has a w****r for president and he is likely to cause major wars with all his insane talk....if you have a man that is as wealthy as he is....and with a history he has...then USA is just about to wake up to the biggest threat their country has ever known...and that threat goes by the name Trump.... He didn't get as rich as he is without treading on toes....so the cost to USA could be more than they can imagine....

He is going to create jobs for hundreds while he builds this insane wall between them and Mexico....God help us!! The riots across the states are just the beginning...

bookie32

Edited November 14, 2016 by bookie32

[kosamja]

5 hours ago, bookie32 said:

God help us!! 

But he already helped us... We got Trump as our savior.

[NoelC]

11 hours ago, bookie32 said:

I would like to hear what the problems are because like Linux on a daily basis and haven't any real problems with it at al...

I should have added "for me".

Switching to use Unix/Linux would of course involve the logistics and time lost in making the switch and getting used to a new system, but it cuts into a bigger issue.  I currently make my living creating software that runs on PC.  It's best to use a Windows OS for that (i.e., to run Visual Studio, to test, etc.).  The bright spot is that it is possible to use whatever popular OS you want as the host system then run virtual machines to run guest operating systems.  My chief engineer does exactly that; he has an iMac on which he runs Windows 7 via VMware fusion to operate Visual Studio and other Windows tools.  There are, however, weaknesses to that approach (e.g., w/regard to creating GPU-acceleration code, such as shaders or OpenCL programs).  For some things we need the OS running on actual hardware.

It is of course possible to run Windows 10 as a virtual machine, hosted by an older Windows OS - which is what I do now.  Virtualization has made the choice a lot more relaxed.

The even bigger picture, however, is that if the Windows ecosystem is evolving, so must my business evolve.

-Noel

Edited November 14, 2016 by NoelC

[cc333]

9 hours ago, bookie32 said:

Getting off track.....Microsoft is the least of our problems....USA has a w****r for president and he is likely to cause major wars with all his insane talk....if you have a man that is as wealthy as he is....and with a history he has...then USA is just about to wake up to the biggest threat their country has ever known...and that threat goes by the name Trump.... He didn't get as rich as he is without treading on toes....so the cost to USA could be more than they can imagine....

He is going to create jobs for hundreds while he builds this insane wall between them and Mexico....God help us!! The riots across the states are just the beginning...

I agree 10,000%!

I'd like to share one anecdote: yesterday, an acquaintance said that we're all being manipulated by the media, and D.T. is actually a good guy who has been lied about and misrepresented. Really?

However, I believe that talking of these things is against forum rules, is it not?

c

Edited November 14, 2016 by cc333

[cc333]

Separate post for clarity....

Windows 10 seems to be defying logic. It keeps getting worse with every update it seems!

Well, I'm sticking with XP/7/Vista (yes, Vista)/7/8.1 for as long as I can, and when I no longer can, I'll look into switching to Linux (I'm split 50/50 between Mac and Windows, and I might go 100% Mac, except I'm not terribly enthralled by the direction they're going either (much better than Microsoft's, though).

c

[bookie32]

2 hours ago, NoelC said:

I should have added "for me".

Switching to use Unix/Linux would of course involve the logistics and time lost in making the switch and getting used to a new system, but it cuts into a bigger issue.  I currently make my living creating software that runs on PC.  It's best to use a Windows OS for that (i.e., to run Visual Studio, to test, etc.).  The bright spot is that it is possible to use whatever popular OS you want as the host system then run virtual machines to run guest operating systems.  My chief engineer does exactly that; he has an iMac on which he runs Windows 7 via VMware fusion to operating Visual Studio and other Windows tools.  There are, however, weaknesses to that approach (e.g., w/regard to creating GPU-acceleration code, such as shaders or OpenCL programs).  For some things we need the OS running on actual hardware.

It is of course possible to run Windows 10 as a virtual machine, hosted by an older Windows OS - which is what I do now.  Virtualization has made the choice a lot more relaxed.

The even bigger picture, however, is that if the Windows ecosystem is evolving, so must my business evolve.

-Noel

Hi NoelC!

Thanks for the update....I can understand your point of view perfectly...

Yes, I like virualization for just your reasons!

CC333!

I just am so sick of this with Trump....just wanted to let of steam....sad thing is in the states it isn't just letting off steam..... violence isn't the way and never will be and that is why human beings are seriously flawed....can't learn to live in peace with each other....There will be more than street riots before this gets sorted....

bookie32

[jaclaz]

3 hours ago, cc333 said:

I agree 10,000%!

What about the remaining 90,000%?

jaclaz
 

[NoelC]

Hm, someone uses commas the way someone else uses periods.  Imagine that.

I wonder how many times that's thrown off collaborative science projects. 

-Noel

[dencorso]

In Brazil commas and periods are used the reverse way, like that.
One has to be very careful to avoid mixups when transitioning from English to Portuguese written numbers and vice-versa.
American calculators, with the decimal point key, used to cause lots of trouble, but they also served make people realize that issue actually existed...
Standards are beautiful, but we live in a babelized world, you know.

[Tripredacus]

No politics talking here, be it US or otherwise. Only exception is something that is specifically technology related. There are plenty of other places to talk about world politics.

[cc333]

4 hours ago, Tripredacus said:

No politics talking here, be it US or otherwise. Only exception is something that is specifically technology related. There are plenty of other places to talk about world politics.

Agreed. Let's keep talking about Windows!

c