Posts by BobChip

Windows 11 runs on fewer than 1 in 6 PCs

Re: As a Win11 user myself, don't bother if you don't have to!

As an occasional, and rather reluctant, Win "user", I updated to 11, from 10, on a custom build multi choice system using a separate HD for each OS, selected before booting by an individual SATA power switch for each HD. I can choose from 2 flavours of Linux as well as Win 11. Each lives on it's own 2 TB SSD, and accesses exactly the same system resources when powered up - modern MSI mother board, Intel i7 chip and 32 Mb of ram . Basically several PCs in one box, each being powered up on the basis of meeting my immediate needs. I still need to use some win only software, because a few of the people I do work for persist in sticking with MS. All the sensible guys (IMHO - more than 80% of them as of today) went Linux ages ago.

Win 10 was a total slug. No mistake. Win 11 is worse - when it is working at all, that is... It seems to crash a lot, and I'm thinking of reverting to 10 just to get something that works when I want it to. As you might imagine, I normally boot the Linux Mint 21 disc, which is blisterringly fast for rendering and re-drawing maps - a lot of what I do. Windows is chronically - unusably - slow by comparison

Can't wait for the day when I can finally wipe anything to do with MS and forget that I ever had to use it. That said, I thought Win 7 was about as good as they ever got it to, so much so that it now sits in an instance of Virtual Box on one of my Linux drives, for the occasional old win game, but not for some of the modern software I use, but that's about as far as I'll go.

OpenPrinting keeps old printers working – even on Windows

Re: Therapy

When I discovered, decades ago, that Win (8?) was dropping support for a Minolta film scanner AND a canon roll feed A0 printer, BUT that these still worked perfectly under Ubuntu, (don't recall which version), the drawing office "went Linux". My only real contribution to the cause. That particular therapy however has proved to be extremely (cost) effective because, even though I have been retired some 20 years or so, the drawing office is still on Linux, even though the scanners and printers have been upgraded many times.

Interestingly, like ink in the bathtub, Linux has slowly "leaked" into a number of other departments as well.. Could be something to do with the fact that it just works, and that the bean-counters have become vaguely "cost-aware" of it. Obviously they have not the faintest clue about what it is or what it does, because they are far too busy counting beans.... using banking systems which have also been on Linux for many years, but no one has told them yet.....

Tavis Ormandy ports WordPerfect for UNIX to Linux

Reveal Codes

I was "brought up" on WP5, back in the days of DOS....

Before then, we had to write out all our business letters and reports, in long hand, on red lined drafting paper, and then submit the result to the company typing pool for 'presentation' on offical letterheaded paper... It paid to have half ways decent handwriting back then - I no longer do, and I still blame WP for that. Of course, the typists went, and we were told to get on with it ourselves. We were NOT trained typists, hence the frequent need to correct....

Call me old fashioned if you like, but I have no idea just how many formatting messes "reveal codes" got me out of, before "real" WYSIWYG came along. Not just the ability to see what was going on behind the page, but the ability to correct it where necessary. Shame this function is not replicated in ANY modern word processor, so far as I am aware. You got a clarity of process which is now burried invisibly behind a wall of inacessible code. I still miss the control it gave you.

P.S. I'm almost 80 now, so you can guess how long I've been using word processors for...... icon for what I use today.

Microsoft mulls cheap PCs supported by ads, subs

Re: A CS student's - cracked - wet dream

It WILL be hacked / cracked within days, and an attempt made to install a new, genuinely free (and advert-free) OS. You all know the one I mean. Watch El Reg to find out how to as soon as someone has worked it out. MS's only hope is to make it self destruct as soon as any significant changes to the OS are spotted, which ought to be simple enough when all the useful functionality will be in the cloud which MS will own and control. As other posters have said above, just more MS landfill...

C'mon little mouse - there's some nice fresh cheese in the mousetrap. I promise it won't hurt ........ to start with.

Firefox points the way to eradicating one of the rudest words online: PDF

Re: I don't mind PDFs

Try the same stunt sending stuff in MS Word formats to Japan! Forget letter or A4, but to be fair PDF usually managed to output something useable - complex tables and peculiar formatting excepted -, particularly if you took their oddball paper sizes into account when composing your original document. Just a little forethought and planning.

Else persuade your boss that your work is so critical that you have to take your precious printed paper to Japan in person.... Ah! Sushi!

More than 4 in 10 PCs still can't upgrade to Windows 11

Re: I wonder...

I have a system which could easily run Win 11, with a spare switchable sata power supply, and a spare disc bay, plus i7 chip and 32 Gb ram on a recent MSI 490 mobo. Plenty good enough.. and Ive got a spare 2 Tb ssd kicking about somewhere.....

But I'm sticking with Linux Mint. Of course, if I really wanted Windows there's always VirtualBox... except that I think MS have disabled Win 11 for virtual machines (?) So the question becomes, what do I actually need / want Win for?

Got me there.....Can't think of even one half decent reason. Linux does everything I need.. QGIS for mapping, Inkscape for filling in the fiddly details and SVG graphics, Libre CAD for 3d design, Audacity for my music collection and GIMP for the holiday snapshots I screwed up, plus Libre Office for "work" ....

Oh - and of course all of this stuff actually WORKS. Why would I want to change that??

Enough with the notifications! Focus Assist will shut them u… 'But I'm too important!'

Re: Another great victory for Tim Cook and Jonathan Ive

Wow!! I'm crushingly disapointed! Why does my Linux system not entertain me like this? It notifies me about updates (for example) - SILENTLY! I have to look for them myself!! I can feel a murderous rage coming on!

Microsoft warns Windows 10 patch broke printing for some

Re: I don't see the problem

Likewise. Win 11 has screwed up my Epson scanner. Fortunately, it still works perfectly in Linux. As do all the other devices (printers etc..) attached to my desktop. Guess which OS I am now using for my WORK

Microsoft's latest security patch troubles Windows 11 users

Re: "This update is just awful."

I'll take that as advice then, and stick to Linux Mint. Always happy to learn from other peoples experience.....

Thank you, El Reg.

Get over it: Microsoft is a Linux and open source company these days

Re: MIcrosoft understood you can't compete with free software regardless of how bad it is.

Odd. I use Win 10 AND Linux on a daily basis - each for what it does best - each sitting on separate, identical 2Gb SSDs, sitting in the same box and using identical resources. i7 chipset, 32 Gb ram etc, and selected by SATA power switch prior to boot.

Increasingly, I find myself forced to conclude that it is the Win environment which is "bad", Linux being very much faster, and more stable. I know which environment I prefer to WORK in.

Windows 11 22H2 is almost here. Is it ready for the enterprise?

MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

They've B***DY gone and done it again!

My move to Linux a decade ago was triggered by MS dropping support for (1) a large format - 1.5 metre roll feed - technical drawing printer which we used for CAD output, AND, simultaneously, (2) my personal Minolta 35 mm film scanner. Neither were supported in a Win 8 environment, but, believe it or not, both worked still perfectly in an Ubuntu environment, with the manufacturers producing Linux drivers. We were talking about £ 000s of kit here, not something to be casually replaced.

About 3 years ago (I'm now retired) my Minolta scanner died, and after some research I replaced it with an Epson V600 - not quite as good as the Minolta for film scanning, but still good enough for my needs, and properly supported by Epson with Linux drivers (plus Vuescan for Linux systems as well). I still work with an ex-colleague who also uses a V600, but in a Win 10 environment. He has just been told that the Win 11 upgrade he is being pushed to install will NOT support his Epson scanner. "advice" is to get a new machine that Win 11 will play nice with - at least £650! What are MS playing at? This is modern kit, not a relic of the dark ages.

We have arranged a visit when I will see just how much of his kit will play nice in Linux - it is all looking good on paper so far - and will probably end up with me moving him onto Mint 20.3.

It is bad enough having MS trying to "own" your whole machine, but he is determined to make sure that they do not get to own his whole budget as well!

BOFH: Tech helps HR investigate the Boss's devices

Re: Inspirational!

Why the Joke Alert? THere's nothing funny about the truth! that is their SOLE purpose!

Microsoft accidentally turned off hardware requirements for Windows 11

Re: Win 10 is good enough

I implemented my escape plan more than ten years ago, and have never looked back. Simples. (Icon, but you already knew that anyway..)

Watch out for phishing emails that inject spyware trio

Re: So, you're not opening an email in Excel

Think I'll stick with Linux and Libre Office ...................

Why the Linux desktop is the best desktop

Re: Linux "Desktop"

"except when trying to help other people who have problems with their Windows machines".

Likewise. I just carry a bootable USB with a Mint ISO on it. It can take as much as 20 or 30 minutes - exploring the new OS - to "fix" any WIN problem I have come across..... Including the install.....

I will offer dual boot, but "that's much too complicated" - "I really want something (usually it is Libre Office) that JUST WORKS when I want it". Everything else is a bonus.

Windows 11 growth at a standstill amid stringent hardware requirements

Re: Why move to Windows 11 ?

They will both run Linux mint 20.3 - and it's successors - perfectly, probably for years to come.......

But keep a few old boxes in stock, in case of "ballistic" accidents, which sometimes do happen......

File Explorer fiasco: Window to Microsoft's mixed-up motivations

Re: Re:Please tell us if the year of Linux

"An OS is there to facilitate the user doing stuff"!!!! Well said.!!! Full marks!!!

Could be that is why, for me, it has been "the year of Linux" for the last decade. And why it will continue to be so. It amuses me that the small number (about 20%) of my working colleagues / collaborators who still persist in using M$ seem to spend most of their time moaning about how awfull it is. The rest of us went Mac (Nix) or Linux years ago. And no longer have anything (IT related) to moan about.

We now moan about important stuff, like the price of beer.......

Win 11 adds 'requirements not met' nag for unsupported hardware

Re: What about?

Silent updates? That'l be Linux then...

Re: What about?

Those of us who have more than adequate hardware (I do) and STILL have no intention of "trusting" Win -any number you like - EVER? Icon cos you already know what I TRUST.

FYI: If the latest Windows 11 really wants to use Edge, it will use Edge no matter what

Updates

I share your disdain (or something much stronger) for Windows updates: Linux updates, however... Sweet pleasure by comparison - very fast to download, very fast to install, no intervention needed, and very rarely a reboot afterwards (after kernel updates, usually) and continuing to work smoothly while all this goes on in the background. NO borking, NO BSD..

Icon, because you already know what I use.....

'IwlIj jachjaj! Incoming LibreOffice 7.3 to support Klingon and Interslavic

Re: Well done Liam...

I've worked with them (Americans) - they often seem to abuse English to confuse themselves. Lost in translation???

Language and diction...

Of course we Scots can speak good English - when necessary. It is only the glaikit English who sometimes have difficulty with our quite excellent diction.... (Scottish born and bred, and now also looking out for the low flying tomatoes ----)

How to learn foreign...

I have often heard it said (in both the UK and France), that the ONLY way to really learn a foreign language was in bed. If only I had stuck with that French girlfriend ......... Immersion?

Microsoft's problem child, Windows 11, is here. Will you run it? Can you run it? Do you even WANT to run it?

Re: Want to run it?

Do I want to run it? NO - because I have Linux, which works brilliantly, reliably, every day, all day. Simples

Re: Want to run it?

My Mint 20.2 system (homebuild) supports an HP laser printer, Canon Pixma inkjet, and an Epson V600 scanner, all running seamlessly together, with a wireless internet connection as well. Linux drivers for all these devices are provided by the manufacturer, and are perfectly good for day to day use with existing Linux software such as Simple Scan or Xsane. Yes, Vuescan is excellent and I have added it too - but I also used it with Windows back in the dark ages because MS on it's own did not cut the mustard, as well as the very useful Turboprint, which I have also carried forward into Linux. Don't let ANYONE tell you that Linux systems are unusable or difficult to work with - if I can do this without any formal training or "technical support", at nearly 80, anyone can. I use all this for extensive real WORK in my local community, not just as a hobby project.

In fact, IMHO, it has proved much easier to do all this in a Linux environment than it ever was under MS. With the added advantages of FOSS, far superior stability and the delightfully quick and simple (compared to MS) Linux update system - no borks or BSDs.

Happy (elderly) bunny.

Want to check out Windows 11 but don't want to buy a new PC? Here's how to bypass the hardware requirements

Re: Even better....don't bother yet!

My head hurts! Sounds like an awful lot of very iffy hard work. Think I'll just stick with Linux.......

Got enterprise workstations and hope to run Windows 11? Survey says: You lose. Over half the gear's not fit for it

Re: On the other hand

- and on which you will still be able to run Linux systems for years to come. Win 11? Who on earth really needs or wants it? Certainly not me. I'm now looking to upgrade my 15 year old Dell laptop to a really cheap, high spec one. Running mint 20.2 of course.

With just over two weeks to go, Microsoft punts Windows 11 to Release Preview

Re: Joke

Good decision! But why not just "go Linux" immediately? The last version of Win that I actually "used", in the sense of properly understanding the OS, and doing productive work on it, was XP. I started out dual booting XP and Ubuntu, and after a few months I realised that I was preferentially booting up Linux more than 95% of the time. Decision made. Microsoft in the trash can. No more hours of waiting to be borked by the latest Win update. Linux updated in a few tens of seconds, while I could go on working as well, mostly no need to restart the system, no more BSOD etc. Now a very content user of Mint 20.2, which I use for all my WORK. All the software I need, plus my Epson scanner and two printers (HP laser and Canon inkjet) all perfectly integrated and supported.

To quote Jack Reacher, Never Go Back!

If you must use MS for any reason, there is always Virtual box. Not for Win 11 apparently, but seriously, who cares?

Alright! Who's stoked for Windows 10 20H2? Anyone? Well, it's ready for commercial pre-release validation anyway

Re: Time for ZERO hours of lost computer time

Linux. That's how I do it. I'm on a less than 10 Mb connection, and most "big" updates are completed - download and install - in less than 5 minutes. Silently, in the background, with no lost working time (and only very rarely, the need to re-boot). Windows? Never again.

Microsoft doc formats are the bane of office suites on Linux, SoftMaker's Office 2021 beta may have a solution

Having had to prepare many documents - fortunately in english language only - that would format properly and print out legibly in almost every country on earth (see weird Japanese paper sizes, for example, and note that the US rarely uses A4), I have reverted to creating documents in Libreoffice and exporting as PDF. This seems to perfectly in the great majority of cases. Else use Latex or a Pagemaker clone. You will hear quick enough if it comes out junk at the receivng end. Jump on a plane and take a paper copy with you if it is that important - and your boss will wear the cost....

Are you getting it? Yes, armageddon it: Mass hysteria takes hold as the Windows 7 axe falls

Re: one would think

The boundaries probably will blur, but having made the switch to Linux years ago I will stick with it. I will never go back to anything made by / associated with $MS. Think of it as a cultural preference. OH - and a fondness for stuff that actually works, as if functionality actually mattered when I am trying to do productive WORK.

Breaking, literally: Microsoft's fix for CPU-hogging Windows bug wrecks desktop search

Re: Hmmmm..GIVING UP

Have you never noticed how easy it is to make pain and irritation go away by simply ceasing the activity which is causing them. Tis is exactly what I found about eight years ago when I -GAVE UP_on MS WINDOWS and migrated to a totally Linux environment. YES, I did have some early MINOR Issues, easily redolved by seeking help from the highly supportive LINUX COMMUNITY. I am now a very happy bunny, doing CAD work, and corresponding frrely with colleagues. (Libre office)

NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVER PAY THE MICROSOFT TAX FOR THE " PRIVILEDGE OF RUNNING (OR TRYING TO RUN...)"SECOND RATE SOFTWARE

Call Windows 10 anything you like – Microsoft seems to

LibreOffice

Great to know that LO can recover old MS Office documents (I have also found this useful), but why on earth save them back into MS format when you already have LO?

Re: Separate partitions for data?

No. Not on the machines I build. One HDD for the (usually Linux) OS and software, and a second, separate HDD for user data. In case the system HDD crashes.

If you are really nervous about data security, you can even leave the data drive unmounted except when you actually want to save fresh data to it. But never forget to backup, backup, backup.....

A lucky 10 %

As of last week, a lucky 10 per cent .......

Lucky? Are we sure about that?

BT adopts Ubuntu OpenStack as core brains for its 5G, fibre-to-the-premises rollout

Ubuntu

So, regardless of what we are always being told, Linux must be on somebody's desktop .....

Microsoft middlemen rebel against removal of free software licences

Re: Still miss my TechNet...

"Guess I'll be running more Linux in the future too."

We mostly all started where you are now. Welcome to the club. We're large and friendly. And free.

'Evolution of the PC ecosystem'? Microsoft's 'modern' OS reminds us of the Windows RT days

Seamless updates with no interuptions?

Seamless updates with no interuptions? That'll be Linux then.

Let adware be treated as malware, Canuck boffins declare after breaking open Wajam ad injector

Block the lot!

Block ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you do not actively want on your system. Aggressively. By all means at your disposal. Even "harmless" adware still steals bandwidth I have paid for, and for which I have much better uses.

Banhammer Republic: Trump declares national emergency, starts ball rolling to boot Huawei out of ALL US networks

Re: "Unacceptable risk", eh? - let me guess

Note that exactly the same argument could (should?) be used to stop UK Inc buying US made systems. Question is, who do you trust more? China or US? And why.

Answers to El Reg please, on no more than 50 sheets of A4 .....

Be wary, traveller: There is no going back if you step over the Windows 10 20H1 threshold

Be wary? Don't do it then.

Sounds like a recipe for a permanently screwed up machine. Unless your principal pleasure in life is playing catch up and trying to sort out where M$ got it wrong. And of course, you don't actually need the machine to do any work.

As another comment on this article says, "I hear Linux is good." Yes. It is. Very good.

They're BAAACK: Windows 10 nagware team loads trebuchet with annoying reminders to GTFO Windows 7

Re: Solving the Windows Issues - and preaching to the converted

You are far from alone. All our desktops and laptops are now on Linux Mint, and both kids university laptops are Chromebooks (AKA Linux).

Did I mention that none of these systems ever nag you? About anything? Or that they update silently and in minutes, not hours?

Linux is the only upgrade you will ever need.

Take your pick: Linux on Windows 10 hardware, or Windows 10 on Linux hardware

Year of the Linux desktop?

For me, this IS the year of the Linux desktop, just as it has been for the last eight years or so. It does all I need and more with Mint 18.3 and FOSS software. CAD, graphics, documents, spreadsheets, photo editing etc..

Yes, I enjoy a tinker as much as anyone, and I could easily run Windows inside my Linux system.

But why on earth would I ever want to???

Home users due for a battering with Microsoft 365 subscription stick

Re: Never guessed...

I did guess. Saw this coming a long time ago and migrated to Linux. Home built PC(s), Mint 18.3, Libre Office, FreeCad, Gimp and Inkscape do all I need. VirtualBox for an old copy of Win 7 if I need it, though a quick look at the log says I have not fired it up for almost a year.

I don't pay the Microsoft tax now, and have no intention of ever doing so in the future.

Happy bunny.

It's official. Microsoft pushes Google over the Edge, shifts browser to Chromium engine

Re: And who got fired for taking all the wrong decisions?

Windows 11 will be based on 7 UI?. Nah. Linux, obviously.

Incoming! Microsoft unleashes more fixes for Windows 10 October 2018 Update

Incoming....

Incoming. Take cover! Enemy missile approaching. WILL do serious damage on impact.

Yeah. Seems about right..

Question: How fast is the Windows 10 October 2018 Update rolling out? Answer: Not very

Once bitten....

No surprises here then.... But probably not too much new wisdom either.

Microsoft slips ads into Windows 10 Mail client – then U-turns so hard, it warps fabric of reality

Re: You paid

I pay good money to build my own (desktops). Second HD for data, so no cloud for me. Load up Linux. Adblock, Ghostery, Ublock deal with ads and tracking etc. Fast, stable, rock solid and great for WORK.

Happy bunny

My hoard of obsolete hardware might be useful… one day

Keeping old kit? - YES if it still does it's job.

OK, I am guilty of almost every behaviour identified in previous posts, and possibly some quirky ones of my own. But I will make a case for keeping SOME old kit. For example, I have an old Minolta 35 mm film scanner, for which Windows support was dropped around Vista time. However, it is recognised by Mint 18 and still works perfectly well. It is probably far better built than most modern equivalents costing £00s to £000s. Why throw out anything that still works? Linux OS seems to have a remarkable ability to breathe new life into (some) old kit.

OK, so I am Scottish and traditionally tight fisted, but it is my money.