Windows 10 Anniversary Update: This design needs a dictator If you’ve travelled at all around suburban or rural Greece, Turkey or North Africa you’ll wonder why almost every other house seems to be permanently under construction. There’ll be a house extension underway that can take decades to complete. Sometimes it’s because there just aren’t enough builders or because more tax has to be …
Everyone I've ever asked has stated (without even thinking about it!) that it's a continuing investment for the future, like a retirement account. Makes sense, when you think about the dodgy banks in such areas ... that an the fact that common-or-garden "bad guys" will steal your gold/jewelery, but are unlikely to steal your house.
Odd.
On my two W10 devices - a Dell laptop on insider slow and Surface Pro 4 on insider fast - I can't replicate the same problem. When I pin C:\Users\Steven.Original to Quick Access I get Steven.Original in all the views.
Not suggesting it's not something that's probably broken - the OS is half baked regardless of what build or version of Windows 10 you use. It's very nature is that it'll never be done.
Would like to replicate it though...
All this turd-polishing might be all fine and dandy, but it ignores my main issues with Win10
(1) It constantly spies on me, and its almost impossible to stop this (and if you do, they change things next update so its doing it again)
(2) It depends more and more on the cloud, which removes control from me and puts it somewhere dependent on external factors to work. And if they go wrong, it doesn't
(3) They keep trying to shove what THEY feel is a wonderful 'experience', like Cortana, down my throat, giving me no options to say 'sorry, don't want this particular feature'
Until these issues are resolved, you can polish it to your hearts content, I'm still not touching it.
"(2) It depends more and more on the cloud, which removes control from me and puts it somewhere dependent on external factors to work. And if they go wrong, it doesn't"
Does it? I don't use cloud anything and haven't found W10 to be hamstrung because of that, not once.
"(3) They keep trying to shove what THEY feel is a wonderful 'experience', like Cortana, down my throat, giving me no options to say 'sorry, don't want this particular feature'"
I've hidden Cortana and she hasn't popped back up. Whether she is actually turned off or not is another matter. Perhaps I should unhide her and actually talk to her, that seems to turn off most women I know! ;)
Is it an OS for me to run my applications, or is it a market stall for MS to flog stuff to me and about me?
Just because its free doesn't mean I'll accept anything the vendor wants to take from me or shove in my face.
The Cluedo version of who dunnit: How did Windows die? In a VM, on Linux, with a last copy of Visio 2010.
What's the thumbs down for? Android's primary function (and IOS to a lesser extent) is to harvest and monetize every bit of personal data users can be persuaded to generate. And all Android apps regardless of seeming utility are merely adjuncts to that primary function; whether by Google or by the app creators.. Do you refute that? How?
Here's my list of things that would make WIndows 10 be worth using:
1. Windows 7 style updates. This is key.
I've heard Microsoft's explanations as to why the forced, monolithic, cumulative updates are good, and the reasons they state are not totally without merit, but it requires a degree of trust that I do not have for Microsoft. It's way, way too easy for MS to abuse forced updates, and they've already shown us they will take liberties that they should not when it comes to pushing their agenda. As such, the big monolithic updates that are more like mini service packs have to go.
I should not have to swallow whatever non-security updates MS has dreamed up (like not being able to disable Cortana, that kind of thing) just to get the ones I want (security updates and bug fixes). One of the reasons behind the forced updates is that it will increase security, but is that really true if people find a way to block ALL updates because that's the only way to stop some particularly egregious change from being made to their systems?
So lets get back to the old way: Have each update address only one specific issue, and have them all available on an a la carte basis, non-cumulatively, where skipping one update doesn't block ALL security updates from now on. Have Windows set to download and install security updates by default, but have the option to notify about available updates, but don't download or install them until I say so.
2. A telemetry OFF button.
The first time Windows is run by the end user on a new PC where it is preinstalled, or during the installation process otherwise, Windows needs to clearly state that they collect data and send it back to Microsoft. In reasonably-sized text that is easily visible against whatever background is present. Next to that, have a clearly-marked button to Edit Data Collection Options.
If that button is pressed, it will open the privacy settings, which will be similar to how it is now, with one exception: The first option will be to disable ALL telemetry except Windows Updates (include a link to the Update options), and it will be clearly marked as such. Any disclaimers MS needs can be included... "not recommended," "services such as Cortana will be unavailable with this setting," or whatever else they need.
It would go a long way in getting some trust back, and they're sorely lacking trust at the moment. Let it be a reminder that it doesn't matter what Microsoft's reasons are for wanting telemetry, and it doesn't matter how misguided MS feels customer desires to turn off telemetry are. What matters is that the customer owns the machine, and the owner gets to decide stuff, not MS. It's that simple.
3. Ability to uninstall everything.
There's no reason Cortana, Edge, Windows Store, IE, etc., need to be on every Windows 10 PC. Let the user uninstall them all from the usual "add or remove Windows features" dialog. Warn them, if you will, of the tragedy that may befall you if you do so (like when I removed IE in Win 7, which never caused any issues, but I don't have any enterprise stuff that relies on it either), but then do it. Don't just disable or partly uninstall them, either; do a full uninstall.
4. More options!
MS is busy taking options away: Cortana can't be used with non-Bing. Cortana can't be disabled. Web search (from the taskbar) can't be turned off. Lock screen (which can be used to display ads) can't be turned off. App ads (and even unwanted installations) can't be turned off. Windows Store can't be turned off.
We need more options, not less. It's pretty simple to do, Microsoft; just pretend you're trying to make the Windows user happy rather than pushing your corporate agenda. The rest will fall into place! Give us the ability to change all the colors in Windows, like in the Classic days; give us a range of Window themes to choose instead of forcing us into the flat ugliness of the default theme. (Yes, you can install aftermarket themes, but MS makes it deliberately difficult to do).
5. UWP for phones and tablets, Native Win32 for traditional PCs.
UWP is not suited to the attributes of a desktop PC or traditional laptop (not all-in-one; dedicated touchpad for pointing). Those platforms are best served by the kinds of UI we've had all along before "apps" came to the PC. Let any Windows user whose device has a keyboard, a mouse, but no touchscreen see only the Win32 UI by default, including support for Win 7 style transparency effects in themes (if the user chooses). Everything would be rendered in this style, including the notification center, all menus and dialogs, the task manager, the default Windows applets like Calculator, Picture Viewer, etc.
For devices that have a touchscreen but no mouse/touchpad or keyboard, Windows would use UWP UI by default. It's meant for such devices; let it go where it is meant to be.
For convertible or all-in-one devices: UWP by default when undocked; Win32 by default when in laptop mode.
All of this would be user-configurable. It would require each menu or program to have UI for both "design languages," but the increase in program size would be unnoticeable. The code to describe a Win32 window is very compact; the costly part is the widgets, common controls, etc., and those are going to be there one way or another.
Start working on that stuff, MS, and you will have a hit the size of Windows 7 to deal with. Until then, the actual 7 (and Mint as a dual boot option) will continue to do the job for me.
It's not all black. The screenshot of the right click context menu posted here is from office which for some reason has it's own theme that overrides windows settings. The actual black theme in windows 10 only applies to the new UWP system. Conventional win32 applications are still same as they ever were. Which actually pisses me off. I wanted that dark theme for file explorer.
Unfinished houses or an OS in progress: it's probably a good idea to level the foundation, firm up the wall studs, anchor strong support beams, test the wiring, flush the plumbing, replace leaky faucets, patch holes in the ceiling and roof, and install a safe heating system.
Nobody gives a shite about the shiny, shiny siding (or the lipstick on the pig's snout) until the fundamental structure is sound.
"We're told that Windows 10 is “more democratic” than ever, which means it reflects the views of the same self-selecting group of people (ie, computer enthusiasts with lots of time on their hands) who volunteered for the Windows 10 Insider programme have been. These people have an even greater say this time."
Pardon me for laughing it out after reading this. Because if you follow Microsofts track record on valuing user input then you'll realize just how ridiculous this sounds.
I present you: Visual Studio 2012. Wouldn't you agree that Microsoft's development environment is the key to the kingdom? The one thing they want to get right because this could easily persuade people to jump onto the Windows bandwagon and use their design skills to come up with better and new stuff to be used on their operating system?
So wouldn't it also seem logical that you really want to keep this in-crowd as happy as possible because these are the guys who will most likely also advocate your system?
Yeah, about that... So VS2012 came with an 'awesome' new design which changed the layout to match that of the new and hip Windows 8 environment. Why the heck a developer platform had to follow the same themed style as a consumer environment is still way beyond me up until this date, but hey: this is what happened. Worse yet: Microsoft also deemed that all those colors and icons and such were way too distracting. Like Office we needed a plain flat looking environment. So all icon colors got removed and were plain black (rings a bell?). The only choice us devs. had were 3 themes and that was it (the default even gave me headaches, seriously).
So dozens of developers cried out on Microsofts feedback platform to bring color & sanity back to Visual Studio. Where a suggestion would normally get around 600 to maybe 900 votes this one managed to gain an easy 6,000 votes in one week.
The end result was basically another theme, and a somewhat crude theme editor which wasn't even officially released by Microsoft but a developer working for them, all made in his free time (or so the rumor went which I picked up).
Soon afterwards VS2013 came out: "We listened to our community and added extra color detail to our development environment". Of course the only thing they wanted you to do was cash out for another license because upgrade policies are things which Microsoft never heard off (giving existing customers a small discount for upgrading).
Those we're paying customers who got fully ignored. And it also cured me from ever wanting to buy a Visual Studio license again, even though I actually like the program.
If this is how they treated paying customers, do you really believe this story about valuing user input over a freebie? Because I sure don't :)
Besides: I think Windows 10 has other issues to deal with than its looks.
Micro$ only listened to what they wanted to hear. The never heard any of the Tens Of Thousands of requests for Aero, for the return of the 3D intuitive interface, for the return of Media Center for recording encrypted cable channels, for the return of the classic menu system and desktop viz Windows 2000 for lab PC's and equipment. No they only heard what they wanted to hear. So I responded with blocking Windows 10 from my 12 PC's and my friends and family were on their own if they upgraded to 10. If they needed support I will wipe what is on there and put 7 back on the PC's I built for them. I am a happy 7 user who hopes the current administration in charge at Micro$ realize they are heading in a direction some of their users are not going. They will eventually.
Just yesterday, in an expansive mood, I thought it would be fun to start a rock group called "Windows Nine". On stage, the group leader would ask the audience: "A lot of you have asked what the nine stands for," followed by appropriate noises from the bassist and drummer. "And nobody asks about Windows, we just like to break 'em."
In my humble opinion, the goal of a unified UI is similar to chasing a unicorn. Application of process management rules should be followed as each device will be used in different ways. The result of a unified UI is that everything that should be at our fingertips from the start (or Desktop), gets buried deep in a folder, is hiding behind a right click or worse yet, a slide to view screen. Dr. Who's solution is a sonic screwdriver. Unfortunately, not everyone is a time traveling scientist so its utility will be lost on many. Power users are still executing DOS commands. This begs the question as to why so much time and effort is being wasted on a unified UI when there are so many things that could use a little graphic interface love. Besides, once Microsoft figures out how to make Cortana fully functional, our UI will be our voice, assuming we don't need to remember the DOS command to access the function we need.
Same here. I always used what we now call an API layer below the GUI and Shell top layer and that was tweaked with the users as they were "playing with it." Some three decades ago. {Sigh} Besides, the users got used to the applications, and suites, being open-ended and always came up with killer functions which surely kept their, and my, efforts from being wasted.
Which is why Windows 10 fails?
Sidenote: Windows 10 did have a dictator. Some guy by the name of Sinofsky*, same as Windows 8. He's since passed on (metaphorically). Isn't some Lady in charge now? Used to work with S.
*: scary that my spellchucker anticipated his name.
Re: down votes for ascii
Ok, you had your glee in pushing the down arrow, now defend your position. I'm truly curious.
I didn't downvote but now you draw my attention to your post, I feel I have to criticise you for preferring such an outdated concept as the ASCII command line. Have you never been tempted by the thought of a Unicode command line?
once Microsoft figures out how to make Cortana fully functional, our UI will be our voice
"I'm sorry; I didn't get that. You can say 'I want to write an email,' or 'I want to send all of my personal information to Microsoft.' Now, please say what you're computing about."
Wow. I can't wait for that wondrous future to arrive...
One of the things about GUIs was that they liberated us from white (or green or orange) text on black backgrounds. We could finally have easy-on-the-eye black on white. Now designers seem intent on forcing white (or grey) on black on us. The link http://www.citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/modernists.html in the article was an outstanding example. Cramped, minuscule, spindly off-white text on black, ironically trying to explain the history of visual communication. I'd like to think this is just a passing fad & they'll give it up soon. Being a pessimist I fear they'll only do that when they can come up with something worse.
Nice example. In the 1960s, IBM published readability figures for matte paper. Perhaps that's why so many brochures were printed in blue ink on white paper, which colour combo was the most legible. I wonder if over the years the same work has been done for various screen technologies. One obvious hit against a white = 255-255-255 emittive screen background is that it can get glaring if you turn up the brightness.
In the days of DR-DOS, most drop-down menu apps (including M$) went with white text on a deep blue background, which was great except maybe that it was ubiquitous. It's definitely "an 80s look". When I have the chance, I put deep yellow text against a dark red background. These are both basic-16 colours. If the font is not spidery, it is quite legible--and different.
An issue with light colour on dark is that when the application shows--gasp!--images, it has to be ever so slightly intelligent not to show images in reverse. A simple rule to accomplish that would be: show images in their original colours. A printer driver also needs to be ever so slightly intelligent. If 10 birthday suit is white (or grey, yuk) on black, maybe we will see these issues solved, ha, or maybe we'll relive them.
> white text on a deep blue background, which was great except maybe that it was ubiquitous.
That's because that conformed to the IBM/Microsoft usability standard (can't remember what it was called - CUI?).
Actually derived from research on what helped people to read the screen in the old CGA/EGA/VGA days.
For a lot of us, the ubiquitous white backgrounds are anything but easy on the eye. I don't know how many times I've referred to them as "retina searing." They're intolerable! The glare causes instant eye pain, and the squinting gives me a headache in a very short time. If I turn down the brightness enough to alleviate this, it ends up so dark that the darker elements (images, etc) turn to nearly black blobs.
A lot of people have similar issues. I discovered this searching for solutions to the insistence that many web and UI designers have on white backgrounds; there were a lot of us seeking relief from the ever-present eyeburners. It should be an accessibility issue; non-changeable white backgrounds are an impediment for many of us, but for whatever reason, we're overlooked.
(and now for part 2)
There was nothing particular about GUIs that brought an end to amber or green monochrome monitors. I knew several people who used Windows 3.0 with them (monochrome VGA), and we all used DOS a lot back then too, even those of us with color displays. The computer that popularized the GUI, the Mac, also came only with a monochrome display in its early years.
I think what vanquished the green and amber monitors was the reduction in price of color displays. The monochrome monitors were cheaper; that was the only real reason people ever bought them.
"One of the things about GUIs was that they liberated us from white (or green or orange) text on black backgrounds. We could finally have easy-on-the-eye black on white."
FWIW the VT100 could do reverse video to produce black on white, though my vague memory of that was that I didn't want to work in that mode for any length of time. It was very good for leaving messages on the console for whoever turned up first thing next day though, they couldn't miss that.
"Now designers seem intent on forcing white (or grey) on black on us"
But it's not just the designers. There are loads of geeks out there who prefer dark themes.
In particular, many seem to think a dark theme is "natural" for coding. To me it looks like a backward step to DOS days. :-(
Is it a Heavy Metal or Goth thing? Enquiring minds wish to know :-)
I wonder how much they noticed Google getting away with totally abstract line shapes in Android.
Or more accurately Google showing Microsoft levels of ignoring users and just doing it, a strange circle of Google stealing Microsofts 'ignore users' policy and Microsoft stealing it back.
Hopefully by this time next year, the challenge of integrating tablet and desktop UIs in a way that doesn’t suck will finally have been addressed.
I don't think we'll be holding our breath for that.
Good review but one has to ask the question: why not do all the under-the-hood works with the Windows 7 (& Metro for the couple of touch users) GUI. Pissing around with the OS and the GUI never works well.
As with the dodgy repainted tram advertising Windows 10 when they introduced it, WIN10AU too is much closer to the truth in Dutch than we give Microsoft credit for.
"AU" is the Dutch equivalent of "Ouch" - an exclamation made when experiencing pain.
QED...
The 'crowdsource' aspect of Win-10-nic was FIRST demonstrated during the insider program, where a LOT of us VERY vocal 'insiders' on the answers.microsoft forum, who wanted Windows 7.1, but got "Ape point Two" instead, FRANTICALLY tried to convince Micro-shaft that their direction was WAY wrong. THEN, Micro-shaft started BANNING the dissenting voices, and didn't even try to HIDE it.
The vocal fanbois would regularly BULLY the dissenting voices, requesting they be banned, backstabbing and ganging up on them and getting all-too-willing moderators to go along.
And the TRUTH was that Micro-shaft ITSELF was it's own BIGGEST FANBOI. And 'crowdsourcing' became a small percentage of users that were VOCAL, SYCOPHANTIC towards Micro-shaft, and RUDE to anyone to disagreed.
So the observation in the article, that a FEW users are "voting often", while MOST do not vote at all, is probably a LOT closer to reality than a lot of people might realize.
There are limits to crowd-sourcing Bob.
For example, when crowd-sourcing the design of a new boat, the LOTS of VERY vocal 'insiders' that suggest that building a helicopter instead may be perceived as unconstructive little fucktards, and removed from further input. Crowd-sourcing doesn't mean building what everyone in the crowd wants, otherwise nothing would ever get built.
I'm also guessing by the way you cant write a single post without writing things like "micro-shaft" may have granted you admission to the "unconstructive little fucktard" category quicker than most.
Just food for thought.
I agree completely with the article's assertion that Win 8.1 plus a Start Menu replacement is the much better choice from a UI perspective. With Start8 ($5, but there are other free ones), I get the full and familiar Start Menu w/ enhancements and I *never* have to visit the "Metro" side.
Win 8.1 is uber stable, fast and clean. While it would be fun to play with the Linux subsystem and BASH, they're about the only things in Win 10 that has even the slightest interest for me. I simply don't have any desire to mess witha perfectly good and highly functional OS installation. Factor in some issues with several apps and Win 10 on hi-res monitors and I plan on staying away from Win 10.
A couple weeks back, I was doing a routine update on my Win10 desktop Dual-boot Ubuntu, SDD boot drive). When Windows rebooted, it could no longer recognize the boot partition...so my Win10 installation was fubar. I guess that's complaint no.1. .No problem, I keep data and operating system in separate drives right , so lets reinstall. Since I also wanted to do a clean install of Ubuntu 16.04 rather than upgrade, I deleted my partitions, did some resizing and set my installation partitions using gpart from the new Ubuntu Live DVD. Windows now refuses to install on my 128GB Samsung 750, complaining that the installation partition is not the right type. I made it a primary partition, ntfs, flagged bootable. Well apparently, if you have a working Windows installation, you can fix it. But I'm trying to install Windows from a Media Creator executable, so I'm s.o.l. a) Win 10 committed suicide during update. b) Trying to install from the cloud will not 'work' and there are no tools provided to fix whatever condition the install is testing for. So, as I said. I HAD windows, now I don't.
Yes it removes the Master Boot Record and puts in UEFI which goes into the firmware that allows BIOS to be ignored.
Very rude of Microsoft IMHO.
I found Installion CDs were ignored But it did unexpectedly allow a Windows 7 CD to boot and I installed W7 which I immediate overwrote with an Ubuntu 16.04 , which worked just fine.
As my 3TB disc was nearly bricked by W10 I never went back to W10, which I regarded as dangerous rubbish with its capability to knacker my expensive hardware.
Do wiki UEFI which explains a lot more....
Tim
UEFI is part of the answer wiki it !
W10 wipes the master boot record and replaces it with UEFI which allows a boot up which skips Bios.
I found that my w10 had been bricked just as you did and installing another OS from a CD didn't work but did recognise a Windows 7 Install CD. That worked.
I could then install Ubuntu 16.04 and I've never gone back to trying out W10.
What really hacked me off was they had put there code into the firmware of my PC that I owned permanently changing its characteristics and came very close to bricking a 2TB Hard drive.
Tim036
Thanks. I had already spotted the UEFI situation. Since Windows will not install, I already now have Ubuntu 16.04 installed with no Windows alongside. That's not the desired end result. During a routine update, Windows made a change that broke a working GRUB so it could no longer find the Win boot partition, and refuses to reinstall...and MS offers no tools to fix the situation. Oh, if I had a recovery disk, or a physical Windows install disk, or expensive imaging software, I'd be golden. But I don't. I can only work with the tools given me. Its almost as if MS doesn't care if I use their software or not. They're certainly not trying very hard to make sure we can install their stuff. My opinion of MS compared to Ubuntu was already low enough that the only thing I need Windows for is so I play commercial Blu-ray disks on my pc using PowerDVD. And this is coming from a guy who has used, installed, and supported every version of MS Operating system since MS-Dos with Novell Netware. Windows has become something you're not using because you WANT to, but only use because you HAVE to. I even optimistically gave Windows tablet a go, but found it unusable without a keyboard and mouse because everything I wanted to do required working with fiddly menus and tiny selection areas. Am I disgusted with Windows? Yeah, you could say that.
You will be amazed what offends people around here (my guess is that it is because you dared to try to use w10 at all).
I don't know exactly why your install failed, but its a pretty unorthodox method. Given that you are prepared to blow away both your Linux and win OS partitions, I would recommend getting bootable windows media 10/8/WinPE etc. and using that to do your partitioning, and then launch the w10 install
Have you tried Linux tools like Boot Repair or Grub Customizer? If you can't get into your Linux installation, you can install and run them from a live CD/DVD/USB session. You may need to add the associated PPAs (I don't know them offhand, but a quick search should turn them up), but there is no problem "installing" them in the live session's RAMdisk and using them there. I've done it to fix GRUB before too.
From your Wau-ten, I'd choose wotten = rotten, in a certain accent.
From "windows_10_anniversary_update", it might be contracted to ~w...ate~, which, spelling corrected, might be:
wait - to see what we do to you, --or
weight - our full corporate weight upon you forever.
It used to be an operating system, something you didn't need to lather yourself up about.
Windows is garbage. Insecure, half-finished, bloated dreck that only survives because 99% of computer users (and 95% of adults) operate at level of competency equivalent to a mediocre grade 9 student.
I have one home machine infected with Redmond quasi-malware, but only because my partner - a lawyer - moves in circles where nobody can work outside of the Windows 'biosphere'.
As a result of that one machine loaded with Redmond's insecure garbage, I spend my spare moments wondering what gaping security hole will next be discovered by a teenager with an IQ 2sd above normal (and 3sd above the average Microsludge security-layer coder)
In a world not dramatically tilted by artificial barriers to competition (e.g., 99% of Microsludge's revenue existing solely because of IP/patent protection), the desktop OS market would have gone the same way as the server OS market (and the hypercomputer market - where all bar one of the global Top 500 use... wait for it .... Linux).
In another 10 years, Windows will be something about which the kiddies know nothing - much the same as the average 20-year-old nowadays has never heard of OS/2 Warp (I had a copy: one of the very few OSs that I've ever paid for). And MSFT will be headed the same way as Nortel, Yahoo and everyone else who thinks that a dominant position - obtained by gulling the stupidest - is a way to success. That is, to zero.
The internet exists to kill bad ideas, and to expose fraud. Microsludge has imposed its half-finished, insecure malware on the world for 30 years (OK, so pre-internet the security problems were less pressing), but nowadays nobody needs to care about them - they have as much relevance to the future of computing, as the US has to the future of diplomacy.
I see where you're coming from, but I think you're overstating your case.
Windows is still useful in its own way, even if it's not perfect. The business world is still firmly wedded to Excel, Powerpoint, Word etc, Windows servers, countless projects of custom software hooked up to SQL Server, etc., and all this DESPITE the latest privacy concerns over Win 10! If that doesn't kill 'em off, what will?
So although I won't claim to have any clue where we'll be in 10 years time, I suspect MS will still be going in some high profile shape or form.
Let's put 2026-Aug-3 in our diary to come back and see :)
I won't really care either way if you turn out to be right or wrong (I wouldn't even assume I'll still be alive in 10 years!) but will you admit you were wrong if you are?
>> As a result of that one machine loaded with Redmond's insecure garbage, I spend my spare moments wondering what gaping security hole will next be discovered by a teenager with an IQ 2sd above normal (and 3sd above the average Microsludge security-layer coder)
Given your superior intellect, you should probably spend less time "wondering" and more time finding these gaping holes and claiming the lucrative bounties on offer. Let us know how you get on ;-)
I do several things every day to advance the cause of datasec - but unless I develop early-onset Alzheimers, there is no way in hell I ever donate my time to fixing Redmond's crapshower of insecure failware. I have my home network router clamped down tighter than a nun's nasty (and far tighter than I would need to if all of our home machines were non-Microsludge), and I monitor every packet that leaves The Lovely's ultrabook (the only Windoze machine on our net) - that's as much of my time as I am prepared to waste on Redmond's habitual release of half-finished bloated malware.
And about your idea that anyone who is in a position to understand the massive, secular, institutional-level failure of Microsludge, is also obligated to furnish free labour to the masses in order to mitigate that failure? Well, that's the sort of drivel I have come to expect since the internet user's median IQ started falling precipitously in the early '00s (from ~115 and an average of 120, to 100-ish on both scores). it's of a piece with third-quintile no-hopers who accumulate vast amounts of student debt, then wonder why they can't get a job that yields a salary sufficient to make repayments. (Lietmotif: the world does not reward anyone outside the top decile, and even then it does so barely. Unless you're top percentile, you're not going to make out).
I doubt I will ever be as productive as I was using XP and Office 2003
Now you know why I stuck with OSX after I tried it. It wasn't the plan (I only did it for research), but I recognises that feeling - the ability to again just get on with work instead of constantly having to deal with Windows issues in one form or another.
Yes it removes the Master Boot Record and puts in UEFI which goes into the firmware that allows BIOS to be ignored.
Very rude of Microsoft IMHO.
I found Installion CDs were ignored But it did unexpectedly allow a Windows 7 CD to boot and I installed W7 which I immediate overwrote with an Ubuntu 16.04 , which worked just fine.
As my 3TB disc was nearly bricked by W10 I never went back to W10, which I regarded as dangerous rubbish with its capability to knacker my expensive hardware.
Do wiki UEFI which explains a lot more....
Tim
Windows Defender and Windows Update still get in each other's way. It's 2016 for gosh sakes...
There's still the issue of every bit of code rushing towards the network, to check for updates, at power on. It's less noticeable with very fast 'net, but it's a nightmare for those with slow 'net.
Windows Update... What the hell is it doing? Why does it need such vast amounts of time? How about a different algorithm based on date stamps. Could be done in three seconds.
MS is, fundamentally, stupid. And they don't seem to even realize it.
>> Windows Update... What the hell is it doing? Why does it need such vast amounts of time? How about a different algorithm based on date stamps. Could be done in three seconds.
MS is, fundamentally, stupid. And they don't seem to even realize it.
You don't know whats its doing, but whatever the hell its doing, it isn't fast enough for your liking - therefore MS is fundamentally stupid. Thanks for your wonderful insights (and your sense of irony :-)
You don't know whats its doing, but whatever the hell its doing, it isn't fast enough for your liking - therefore MS is fundamentally stupid. Thanks for your wonderful insights (and your sense of irony :-)
Well, the thing is Windows Update tries to be very opaque about what it is doing. So it'll sit there on a fresh install of Windows 7 for more than 10 hours allegedly "looking for updates". I could probably in-place-upgrade an installation of Debian Potato to Jessie in that amount of time!
Windows Update provides no feedback as to how long this "search" will take, or what it has found thus far. There's no clue what the search criteria is, no ability for the end user to provide hints as to where to start searching to perhaps reduce the scope (and speed things up). Nothing. You're just expected to sit there and wait, dumb user, because you clearly have nothing of value to contribute!
How's the search implemented? No idea. Something with O(n²) complexity sounds close since clean installs seem to take exponentially longer to update with each passing month.
Firstly, let’s deal with the odd name. I’m still puzzled that this is officially the “Anniversary Update” for a few reasons. Was last year’s Windows 10 really some event worth commemorating, like the Battle of Trafalgar, or VE Day? The name does imply last year was more important than this year, which is odd.
I'll be sure to mention it to the missus if I ever forget my wedding anniversary.
I had the opportunity to install it in a VM yesterday. I noted the install process listed...
Gathering files
Installing features
Setting up
I thought, "no OS then , just a set of 'features' is it?"
Anniversary edition reminds me of games re-releases that come out with a few extras.
is how moving from my one time purchase only Windows 7 Pro, to a subscription based spyware loaded unfinished OS is going to enable me to do anything I can't already do, workwise or leisurewise
Surely this is the real problem
Then again I'm a dinosour who still finds sendmail good enough for doing email and sees no point in an Office 365 subscription.- laugh all you want, I can set that up 20 times faster than the old Office / Active Directory stuff that was the alternative (I know because I have)
..
FFS - a PC is a tool for getting stuff done. Do most people really panic when they see different style settings boxes or sub-par icons? Why the constant attention on these things?
Is it a work or art? - no. Is it improving? - I honestly couldn't tell you because I don't really give a shit. All I know is I find things when I need to, and it allows me to get my work done.
And let me help you with your confusion Andrew - its called the anniversary edition because it is 1 year since its release. Subtle innit?
I'm glad you find that a UI using hard to interpret elements or three different designs for the same concept understandable. Others don't precisely because it doesn't help them find things when they need to or get their work done.
The style criticism I get - not having a consistent look and feel bothers some more than others. Tiles may bother people if they obsess over neatly organized, cascading start menu items instead of using the more efficient alternatives.
But give me an example of something where you cant find a setting that used to be available in win7/8. Maybe there are, but I cant remember any.
(in fact the stupidest UI decision of any OS ever was putting the shutdown menu under "settings" in win8 - I actually had to use google to find that!)
The real name for this latest version of Windows is "Windows 1607" which is what its called if you are looking for the ADK.. But that just may be for those of us who deal with work versions of Windows 10 or corperate versions. The consumer versions are just Aniversary edition.. in any case you just have to wait for it to be installed which may or may not happen. Gradually we go farther into 1600s till we get to the next version. I am going to predict is going to be Windows 1729 the What goes up must come Down edition.
It landed on my PC.
"Restart to install updates" - except it shutdown and powered off. Nice.
It also disabled incoming ICMP (which I'd explicitly turned ON before). Nice. That upset my elementary monitoring.
It turned off my Jumbo Frame support, which upset my file transfer speeds, and me.
I'm also using a local account, but it said it required access to my MS account "for something". It then showed up under Account again (since removed and logged out and it's not come back. Yet).
It enabled Windows Ink without asking. It got turned off.
Cortana is absent, as I'm using a local account. Good.
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