Underground Piracy Sites Want To Block Windows 10 Users

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Underground Piracy Sites Want To Block Windows 10 Users

Posted by timothy on Sunday August 23, 2015 @12:30AM from the so-cool-to-be-underground-like-Windows-7 dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Some smaller pirate sites have become concerned about Windows 10 system phoning home too many hints regarding that the users are accessing their site. Therefore, the pirate administrators have started blocking Windows 10 users from accessing the BitTorrent trackers that the sites host. The first ones to hit the alarm button were iTS, which have posted a statement and started redirecting Windows 10 users to a YouTube video called Windows 10 is a Tool to Spy on Everything You Do. Additionally, according to TorrentFreak, two other similar dark web torrent trackers are also considering following suit. "As we all know, Microsoft recently released Windows 10. You as a member should know, that we as a site are thinking about banning the OS from FSC," said one of the FSC staff. Likewise, in a message to their users, a BB admin said something similar: "We have also found [Windows 10] will be gathering information on users' P2P use to be shared with anti piracy group."

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Context by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 00:41 · Score: 5, Informative

Not in the summary:
"The anti-piracy group the pirate site admins are referring to is MarkMonitor, a US company that specializes in online corporate identity protection, one that is known to have work with the MPAA in protecting its copyrighted materials, but one that has also worked with Microsoft in the past, to protect Windows users from online identity theft and scam campaigns."
1. Re:Context by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:16 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, they're certainly protecting me well from all of the callers we get claiming to be from "Windows" telling us our computer is "virus infected," but if we go to www.brand-x.site.twat and run their installer it'll all be okay.
  Maybe they mean "identity protection" in the same way the mob provides "knee protectiion."
2. Re:Context by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:20 · Score: 0
  
  Honestly, since Russia and China are very active in counterfeiting games and injecting them with all sort of virus, some of them cyberwarfare related, I think Microsoft may be doing all of us a favor.
  -
  Who among us have not at least once downloaded a pirated game, even if just because the local store no longer sold those old games, just to find a mysterious viral attack on your computer
  -
  Must say one thing about Russia: really good hackers
  -
  Think of it for a minute - Give away free games (pirated, zero development cost for Russia), inject them with cyberwarfare virus that can turn computers into zombies at the whim of a global signal ... that got to create the largest supercomputer network on planet earth
  -
  So yep, I would rather buy steam games and Gog games cheap rather than help cyberterrorists
  -
  And don't think for a minute cyber pirates are any better than russia or China. Ransom wares, addwares, they're not really giving away those games for free
would have posted first by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 00:44 · Score: 0

except Im using windows 10 and dice blocked me
I knew it. by stongef · 2015-08-23 00:49 · Score: 5, Insightful

When Microsoft offered Windows 10, I first thought it was an interesting move. Then I remembered who we are talking about here. Of course they will have back-door deals with the media industry. And of course once everyone who had a pirated version of the OS upgrades to the legit free version, they'll slowly move to a subscription model. The future of every business venture nowadays is recurring revenues. Water is wet, rocks are hard and Microsoft is Microsoft. The universe balances. And I'm staying with Xubuntu and VMWare ...
1. Re:I knew it. by YrWrstNtmr · 2015-08-23 00:55 · Score: 2
  
  And of course once everyone who had a pirated version of the OS upgrades to the legit free version,
  
  This is false. A pirated may (not will get upgraded to Win 10, but it will remain pirated. This does not change the legit status. http://www.computerworld.com/a...
2. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:19 · Score: 0
  
  That's not entirely true. Non-genuine versions of Windows will be upgraded to non-genuine versions.
  However, if your Windows 7/8 was saying it was genuine, then Windows 10 does too
  If you read the (very dated!) link you posted, it explains exactly the same caveats - resetting desktop background, and no optional updates.
  If you don't get those on Windows 7/8, (e.g. via a KMS activator), then you won't get them on Windows 10 and it appears genuine too, without any additional activation.
3. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:22 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  When Windows 8 came out, I said to myself: "I'll skip it, Widows 7 is running fine for me".
  When Windows 8.1 came out, I said to myself: "I'm glad I stayed on Windows 7, those MS jackoffs pulled another Windows ME".
  When Wine Windows 10 came out, I said to myself: "I'll skip it, Windows 7 is running fine for me"...
  Windows 7 EOS 2020.
4. Re: I knew it. by PopeRatzo · 2015-08-23 01:42 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  When Wine Windows 10 came out
  I've heard of Beer Goggles, but never Wine Windows. I'm willing to learn.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
5. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:52 · Score: 0
  
  The media industry, doesn't have a lot of money. The segment represented by MPAA and it's kind isn't very large or powerful, just very very loud.
  If Windows collects any significant data, it won't waste that ace on idiots like this, but save it for far more important things. It seems to me, it's more like a ploy by those websites to get more users. Until recently there was this craze with VPN's and other "secure" methods of downloading torrents, and now this.
  On a side note, I'm curious how they'll implement this. On the website you can change your identifier string to anything you want and I'm pretty sure most torrent clients will allow you to change theirs as well.
6. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:19 · Score: 0
  
  Wine is not an emulator.
7. Re: I knew it. by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:37 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Wine is not an emulator.
  beer is not a simulation
8. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:05 · Score: 0
  
  Either way, they're doing things that an OS has no business doing. OS means "Operating System", not "Overlord System"...
9. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:24 · Score: 0
  
  Are you kidding? In this day and age the information gets sold to whoever hands them some cash. It's not like they're going to restrict it to one buyer. And it they did restrict it to one buyer, that buyer would be a reseller themselves, likely a shell company of Microsoft themselves just so they could say they didn't sell the information to MPAA, NSA, or whoever. Ya, technically they didn't, they sold it to ShellCo, who then sold it to MPAA, NSA, etc..
10. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:32 · Score: 0
  
  You could have at least tried.
  Here's my effort.
  Beer is enjoyably enhanced reality.
11. Re: I knew it. by LiENUS · 2015-08-23 05:06 · Score: 1
  
  beer eats every reproduction
12. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:11 · Score: 0
  
  It's simple... you drink wine until you have glassy eyes and everything feels like a window-shopping expedition, with a lovely sheen but slightly out of reach. It's like a subtle version of Vicodin Viewfinders.
13. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:25 · Score: 0
  
  It seems to me, it's more like a ploy by those websites to get more users.
  Probably more like some 13-year-old kids just trying to look paranoid-cool. And various other websites going for the click bait themselves.
  
  The media industry, doesn't have a lot of money. The segment represented by MPAA and it's kind isn't very large or powerful, just very very loud.
  If Windows collects any significant data, it won't waste that ace on idiots like this, but save it for far more important things.
  Well, they do have a lot of contacts anyway, but I'm not sure where you're pulling the no money idea from... The main point though is this wouldn't even just be a waste of data. If this information gathering was so overt and used some day in court on the 'common people', it would most likely be one step too far (or at least, too fast) for Microsoft, leading to a real PR disaster.
  It would however most likely be used for anonymous statistics, for more targeted advertising, and for helping to identify major 'infringers' (then gather data on them through other means for court -the same it has been for actual and considered 'criminals' for a long time, using various illegal means of surveillance for easier targeting, and only then building a case using legal means, trying to hide the illegal basis).
  Meaning that if you're just downloading movies, music, software, games and ebooks for your personal use, there is little risk you will be affected by this in the foreseeable future.
  Of course, it most likely won't improve then, particularly if we say nothing about it now.
  Most likely there will be enough noise that Microsoft will in part concede, clarify, and tone things down (at least by providing clear options having a complete effect). It probably is their plan from the beginning anyway (a classic).
14. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:44 · Score: 0
  
  And I'm staying with Xubuntu and VMWare
  There's some tool chains I have that I either prefer Windows due to familiarity as that was how I learned to do it, and/or including purchased licenses so I don't want to throw that away.
  My suggestion to people would be to install a Hypervisor if you haven't already. Have your host OS be something other than Windows. (VMware ESX, Linux). There's free and paid for hypervisor options.
  For things that require Windows, you can run them inside of a VM. If you're worried about phone home you can prevent all network access to the VM. You can configure snapshots or non persistent disks so all changes to the VM (cookies and any other tracking files stored on the system) can be manually cleaned (revert snapshot), or automatically when you shut down the VM (non-persistent disk).
  At work the standard toolset is Microsoft. Supposedly the privacy settings for Server/Enterprise versions is not so draconian and abusive towards the user base. My work laptop I use only for work tasks. A lot of businesses have other monitoring software in their networks and on the corp image so it's a better policy to not perform personal tasks on the work systems anyways.
  Video games obviously you'll want to run natively on a system and not inside of a VM. Same goes for anything time/latency sensitive like DAWs and 3D apps. I'd say you could still fully block network access though that may break some DRM and some games are network by their nature. I don't have a good answer for that except that I stopped. If I get curious about a game, I watch an online video for 5 minutes and then I go on to something else. At least for me I'm not willing to submit to their demands. I do them the courtesy of not pirating their content. They also lose my mind share and my money. It may not change the way they do things but at least I can live with myself.
15. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:54 · Score: 0
  
  Many of the criticized features are being back-ported to Win 7 and installed automatically as critical updates.
16. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:12 · Score: 0
  
  Not only are they moving towards a subscription model, they are moving towards a model where all your data belongs to them as well. Better read those "cloud" agreements carefully
  FYI, "Cloud" is not a new idea; it's an old idea with a new buzzword. It simply means sting your data on other people's servers, all under THEIR control.
  If you have your own server(s) and your own internet connection, then you have almost everything you need to establish your own "cloud". You will keep control over all the data. And frankly any company or government agency that uses "cloud" services from a 3rd party, is clearly an organization run by idiots.
17. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:17 · Score: 0
  
  Wine is a program that simulates part of the Windows environment under Linux. If you are running Linux, and Wine, then many software packages intended for windows will also work under linux via Wine.
18. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:38 · Score: 0
  
  Do you realize how easy it is to activate a copy of Windows without a key?
  Those friendly people working for MS in India will happily give you a key if you answer their question properly.
19. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:01 · Score: 0
  
  Unfortunately some of us like powerful hardware and gaming, which means it's Windows 10 or no DX12 support.
20. Re:I knew it. by spiffyspiff · 2015-08-23 08:04 · Score: 2
  
  "My suggestion to people would be to install a Hypervisor if you haven't already. Have your host OS be something other than Windows".
  this gets my vote.
  I run a Linux host (Mageia) for almost all my day-to-day work, and I use VirtualBox to run a Windows7 guest when I use something that's Windows-specific, namely Adobe InDesign/CS, where I can't find a Linux alternative I feel I can use in a production environment. All my other work is done safely within Linux.
  So, yes, it's a compromise, but running InDesign on a Windows7 guest is a good, safe alternative that works well for me - I'd recommend it.
  And when Windows7 goes EOS in 2020, I suspect I will probably just kill the networking to the Windows7 guest and carry on using it.
21. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:33 · Score: 0
  
  See "SteamMachine" as replacement - a dedicated box for gaming. Supposed to be available this November with 1000+ game titles. It runs a Debian-based operating system called "SteamOS".
22. Re:I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:50 · Score: 0
  
  They are very smart too. The RIAA was demanding DRM before moving pictures were even invented. Look at the TPP with its tightening the grip of copyright controls where dressing up as Stuporman is not just a civil, but criminal offense.
  Problem is that what data is collected is a juicy place for hackers. Said program that sifts through documents supposedly to help searches will be quite useful to offshore bad guys looking for ways to extort, or just sell company secrets abroad.
  The answer? Virtualization. Make a PFSense appliance that is a VPN client and routes all traffic through it, put W10 behind the virtual router, and call it done. It can phone home all it wants, but it is separated from all other data, and even IP metadata won't be useful due to it coming from elsewhere.
  I most likely will be using W10... but that sucker is going to wrapped tighter than a sub in a vacuum bed when it comes to security. Of course, watch some backdoor (like the F0 0F bug) or a RAM issue make all this virtualization separation all be for naught.
23. Re: I knew it. by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 10:15 · Score: 1
  
  Then have a dedicated gaming box and don't use it for anything else. Wait, that's what Xbone is.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
24. Re: I knew it. by nmpg · 2015-08-23 10:41 · Score: 1
  
  Same here... since windows XP
25. Re:I knew it. by rcase5 · 2015-08-23 12:02 · Score: 1
  
  As the old saying goes: "If it's too good to be true, it probably is."
  Microsoft basically giving away Windows 10 upgrades smelled fishy to me, and now I know why. Then again, I think Windows should be given way for free anyway since I think it's worth less than Linux (pick your flavor) and Linux is free for the download, but I digress.
  I run Windows 7 under VMWare, and that's the way it's gonna stay. If nothing else, I want to prove to Microsoft that they can't give that shit away...
26. Re: I knew it. by raind · 2015-08-23 14:09 · Score: 1
  
  Or artificial joy.
  
  --
  Get up!
27. Re:I knew it. by grantspassalan · 2015-08-23 14:55 · Score: 1
  
  I installed Windows 10 in a VM on my Mac in order to find out whether the software I need to use will work correctly. Since it is older software, it does not need any network connection of any kind except to activate it. It works just fine so far. I see no advantage of Windows 10 over my day to day use of Windows 7, also on a VM. Other than the original installation, I can and do unplug both versions of Windows from the Internet. It may be that five years or less, it will be impossible to buy any software that will work independently, without an Internet connection.
  
  --
  A sufficiently advanced simulation is indistinguishable from reality.
28. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 16:14 · Score: 0
  
  ... and Windows XP runs fine with me ....
  (only the last months I have encountered software that no longer runs, and that is due to Visual Studio by default making XP incompatible 32 bit binaries)
29. Re: I knew it. by a_n_d_e_r_s · 2015-08-23 18:49 · Score: 1
  
  You can download it here - but it works only on Linux not Windows: https://www.winehq.org/
  
  --
  Just saying it like it are.
30. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  When Windows 8 came out, I said to myself: "I'll skip it, Widows 7 is running fine for me".
  When Windows 8.1 came out, I said to myself: "I'm glad I stayed on Windows 7, those MS jackoffs pulled another Windows ME".
  When Wine Windows 10 came out, I said to myself: "I'll skip it, Windows 7 is running fine for me"...
  Windows 7 EOS 2020.
  Windows 7 was great. And, while 10 seems to have some cool stuff, it is a privacy nightmare. I think I'll skip.
  However (and I am surprising myself a bit here) I actually think Windows 8/8.1 is okay.
  Controversial I know. But the thing is, yes Metro is awful, but you don't have to use it. Once you get a start menu like Classic Shell (the best one) you never have to see Metro again. I haven't seen a Modern app since I updated from 8 to 8.1. No functionality has been removed from the regular applications.
  Unlike Windows 10, which has destroyed the Control Panel and killed Windows Update.
  So, in short, I have found Windows 8.1 to be very usable.
  Windows 8.1 EOS 2023
31. Re: I knew it. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 23:57 · Score: 0
  
  when windows 11 came out, there was no one to no one to speak for me
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 00:58 · Score: 5, Funny

> We WILL rise up and make Windows as worthless as fly shit
And Mom? Bring more Doritos the next time you come down to the basement to get my laundry!
(nom-nom-nom-nom)
Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:00 · Score: 5, Insightful

Windows 10 is malware in its default seutup. This phone home shit should be blacked so they suffer for being so anti-user.
1. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:08 · Score: 0
  
  And people are stupid and leave things on default.
  And pirates deserve any shit they get for being shitty people.
2. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:38 · Score: 0
  
  How can you be sure that all those settings do what they say?
  Windows phone gives a lot of privacy options, compared to android, but they're only an hassle since the operating system is closed source and less capable than android.
3. Re: Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:46 · Score: 0
  
  Android gives a lot of privacy options too with AOSP, like sideloading, developer settings, privacy guard, the ability to choose other app repositories, and lots of customisation options too. People just usually give up that privacy so they can enjoy Google's apps.
  Tl;dr: GApps are the problem, not Android
4. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:49 · Score: 0
  
  And people are stupid and leave things on default.
  All datamining should happen only with my consent in the first place. I am not going to constantly dig through system settings to find new knobs to turn off.
5. Re:Good by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 01:51 · Score: 1
  
  All datamining should happen only with my consent in the first place.
  
  you give your consent when you send your packets out onto the internet, they cease to be your data and are free for others to accumulate
6. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:06 · Score: 0
  
  I'm fine with that, but there's a difference between packets that I want to send (such as this Slashdot message) and stuff that the operating system unknowingly sends behind my back, possibly compromising my privacy along the way.
7. Re:Good by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:09 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  stuff that the operating system unknowingly sends behind my back
  you installed the operating system, you take responsibility for what it does.
8. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:19 · Score: 0
  
  Sure, no disagreement with that.
9. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:24 · Score: 0
  
  Android and Google services gives you the option of opting out during the configuration and it's very obvious and not hidden. Windows 10 proactively turns everything on and makes sure that firehose of data is going to Microsoft. Microsoft are a duplicitous hypocritical POS for doing what they accused Google of doing. And like the bottom feeders they are they took it to the next level.
  Do yourself a favor and upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows 10.
10. Re: Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:24 · Score: 0
  
  All systems ca be compromised and it's all your fault.
11. Re: Good by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:26 · Score: 1
  
  yes, it is your fault if your computer gets compromised
12. Re:Good by PPH · 2015-08-23 03:05 · Score: 1
  
  How can you be sure that all those settings do what they say?
  I checked the "I want a pony" option. We'll see.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
13. Re: Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:44 · Score: 0
  
  It can't be solely my fault because I cannot know any modern operating system inside out. I can only choose which vendors to trust.
14. Re:Good by Khyber · 2015-08-23 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  All Windows 10 installs except Enterprise are malware in ANY setup configuration. Enterprise is the only one you can do a full disabling of telemetry on.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
15. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:22 · Score: 0
  
  You're responsible for the state of the government, so you take responsibility for the atrocities that it does.
16. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 14:13 · Score: 0
  
  I got my pony... he pooped all over my house, and then dropped dead.
THE F.B.I. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:04 · Score: 0

A Quinn Martin Production
Is to where these warez/pirate repos should redirect.
Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:08 · Score: 0

I think its clear Microsoft is following Google's lead and using its OS as a means to gather data. Nothing is free, and giving up information appears to be the cost for getting Windows free. The easy way to stop a lot of it, is not to sign in with a Microsoft account. At least much of any data shared with Microsoft is only on a more random level not tied to your profile in a Microsoft account. This really started back in Windows 8 and was covered only lightly in the media. Probably because Windows 8 was a dud coming out of the gate. So nobody really paid much attention to anything about Windows 8. It was all bad and everyone moved on. Windows 10 is now the last release from Microsoft at least from one perspective. This version of Windows will have this questionable privacy issue from now on going forward.
The big question is, will Microsoft back away from this, or will they maintain this path of the end user trading information for free Windows and updates?
I personally do not like where this is going.
1. Re:Nothing is free by martin-boundary · 2015-08-23 01:20 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Uhm, no. Plenty of things in life are free. The reason MS is being despicable here is that they are choosing to offer free windows in exchange for installing spyware. It was wrong when people bundled spyware with freeware software installers, and it is wrong when people bundle spyware with an OS.
  Just switch to Debian or another Free OS that doesn't spy on you. It may be a little less convenient, but the inconvenience pays off in a bit more safety the next time you download something.
2. Re:Nothing is free by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 01:46 · Score: 1
  
  Nothing is free,
  existing is free, which is the opposite of nothing, so you could not be more wrong
3. Re:Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:01 · Score: 0
  
  The best things in life are free.
4. Re:Nothing is free by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:07 · Score: 1
  
  The best things in life are free.
  But when they aren't, there's always Ashley Madison
5. Re:Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:17 · Score: 0
  
  The Universe is a non-profit organization.
6. Re:Nothing is free by ColdWetDog · 2015-08-23 04:15 · Score: 1
  
  The Universe is a non-profit organization.
  The second law of thermodynamics:
  1) You have to play the game.
  2) You can't win.
  3) You can't even break even
  Hell, somebody is getting ahead here, it sure ain't me.
  
  --
  Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
7. Re:Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:32 · Score: 0
  
  So you are suggesting we trade our liberty to use Windows for the security of a massive, amateur-indie codebase running my entire computer system.
  Seems like a good idea, really.
8. Re:Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:41 · Score: 0
  
  There is no evidence for existence being free as is beer.
9. Re:Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 22:22 · Score: 0
  
  Free food?
  Free water?
  Free air? ... existing is not free.
10. Re:Nothing is free by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 02:32 · Score: 0
  
  Just switch to Debian or another Free OS that doesn't spy on you.
  No, thanks. I like my computer to be useful.
These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:09 · Score: 2, Funny

These companies keep giving us reasons to pirate. Like DRM, embedded spyware, crippled features, forced internet connection to even use it, and so on. And they expect us to pay money for their crap when a free version without these limitations exists? How stupid do they think we are?
Fuck Microsoft, fuck Windows 10. Pirate it and spread the torrent to all your friends. Let's bring down the evil empire!
1. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:19 · Score: 0
  
  Nobody forces you to use their software.
2. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:24 · Score: 0, Insightful
  
  You are what is technically referred to as a "shitdick."
3. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by jonwil · 2015-08-23 01:27 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Even better, dont use Windows 10 at all. Do what I am doing and stick with Windows 7 (which doesn't have all this crap) or if you dont need any windows-only software (e.g. games) switch to an alternative OS.
4. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:28 · Score: 0
  
  Haha, admit that you pirate just because you want free stuff.
5. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:30 · Score: 0
  
  That's right, just like nothing ever forces prostitutes to prostitute themselves and nothing forces anyone to work.
6. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:31 · Score: 0
  
  The only torrent you should be sharing, is the torrent to your favorite Linux distribution.
7. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by ilsaloving · 2015-08-23 02:06 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  You may wanna check your list of updates. Microsoft has already added a bunch of telemetry tools in the guise of "important updates".
8. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:22 · Score: 3
  
  No, you pirate because you want something for nothing. That's the start, and the end of it. If it really were about the DRM you'd buy the software, then pirate a DRM free version. You don't do that, because you're a hypocritical bottom feeder.
  I bought the damned album years ago and now it's scratched. I want a clean copy.
9. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by amiga3D · 2015-08-23 02:38 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  The simplest thing is to use something like a Raspberry Pi for torrents and such. As a bonus you can leave it up 24/7 as it uses only a tiny amount of electricity. For my banking and the like I have a laptop that runs linux from a CD. I'd never use Windows for anything I was worried about being seen as it's designed to be backdoored for ages now. They can watch me play games all that they want.
10. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:40 · Score: 0
  
  Like it or not, you pretty much have to use some version of windows. Whether it's at work or because of some windows-only software, there's really no way to avoid windows.
11. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Ivoch · 2015-08-23 02:50 · Score: 2
  
  To be honest, I can also understand the opposing viewpoint - that by buying DRM-ed software (even if you pirate it afterwards to remove the DRM features) you basically tell the publisher that you are fine with their DRM. Eventually pirating your legally bought software might not be a viable option anymore (due to various online-only features, for example), most/all of the software companies will have switched to DRM, since it works - see above, and THEN you'd have no recourse but to use DRM-ed software.
  That being said, once you've decided not to support the publisher because of their DRM, you might say that pirating it doesn't harm them, since you wouldn't have paid for it anyway. Personally, I think it really doesn't harm them and what's more, on average it actually helps them a bit - by using even just a pirated version, you are still helping them expand their user base, which helps them also get more paying customers. As a really simple and probably exaggerated example, let's say Company X sells 10.000 copies of their software, while 100.000 more people just go and pirate it. 10% of all users then go and post on an online forum about that software. That means 100 paying customers and 10.000 pirates. Now Joe Average hears from someone (maybe even a pirate) about the software and goes to Google to see what it's about. He finds a forum with 100 legitimate users and thinks - "meh, nobody ever uses that thing - if I ever need help or suggestions, probably nobody will be around to help me, so I'll buy the software from Company Y instead". If he finds a forum with 10.100 users instead, he might think - "hmm, that seems like a big and active community, looks like that's the right software for me".
  So, if you are 100% sure you won't pay for some software and want to demonstrate to the company that they are wrong, you shouldn't even pirate it, because by doing that you are still helping their bottom line at worst, or aren't making any change at best (because they can't know you've pirated it instead of simply not using it).
12. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:50 · Score: 0
  
  Oh shut up, you greedy shit! You're stealing from us! So fuck you! We don't care what you think because YOU are the thieves!
13. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:54 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, tell us that again when Windows 7 stops being supported.
  You are at the mercy of Microsoft and OEM drivers.
14. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:55 · Score: 0
  
  Like it or not, you pretty much have to use some version of windows. Whether it's at work or because of some windows-only software, there's really no way to avoid windows.
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
15. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:00 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Like it or not, you pretty much have to use some version of windows. Whether it's at work or because of some windows-only software, there's really no way to avoid windows.
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  Management.
16. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:00 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Svchost.exe
17. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:01 · Score: 0
  
  Probably lots of specialized software such as medical systems, x-ray machine control software etc.
18. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:19 · Score: 0
  
  One thing I've noticed over the years is that most of the sanctimonious, judgemental, finger-pointers out there tend to be the biggest freaks and sickos behind closed doors. Yep, hypocrites galore.
19. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:23 · Score: 0
  
  Automation development software
20. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Wycliffe · 2015-08-23 03:28 · Score: 0
  
  Like it or not, you pretty much have to use some version of windows. Whether it's at work or because of some windows-only software, there's really no way to avoid windows.
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  Management.
  That's not a software title as far as I'm aware. Give a specific example of software that requires windows. The closest I know of is quickbooks but even that has a mac version so you still have some choice. Anything important or popular or expensive is going to be ported to at least mac. You don't have to run windows. I don't run windows or mac and haven't for over a decade.
21. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:30 · Score: 1
  
  Who is "us"? If "us" is the RIAA, then fuck you too! If "us" are musicians, then I humbly suggest that you do like every other successful musician, and go on tour! And fuck you anyway for your hostile attitude and ignornace!
22. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by zedaroca · 2015-08-23 03:30 · Score: 1
  
  "Everything" - the search software. I have too much stuff (160k .mp3 files, 1.4k .mp4, 1.7k .mkv and so on). Navigating folders and finding things is a pain, and I'm mostly organized. This is the most important one, there is no real equivalent on linux. My indexes get huge and slow.
  If you have any suggestions, I would gladly be proven wrong, but poor alternatives are no equivalents. Before giving up I did try several poor alternatives.
  
  Whether it's at work (...) there's really no way to avoid windows.
  Like the anonymous, I can't choose what my company (the government) use, even though I do complain about public money being spent with windows and about all the problems we get with it.
23. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by fnj · 2015-08-23 03:36 · Score: 1
  
  most/all of the software companies will have switched to DRM, since it works
  For some piss-poor definition of "works".
24. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Blaskowicz · 2015-08-23 03:37 · Score: 1
  
  There may be some crazy option like washing the CD with a banana peel, then try to rip it with a 4x or 8x CD-ROM drive and a multipass ripping program.
25. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:48 · Score: 0
  
  MS paint
  For some reason none of the paint clones know how to include the "remove background" toggle feature with the one click simplicity. Until that feature is properly ported to anything else, I will always have a need for ms paint.
26. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:20 · Score: 1
  
  Nobody forces you to use their software.
  Oh wait, I can't run $program on Linux. Too bad I need it for my job. Well, run it in Win7 you say? Ok. For now. Until the next version rolls around that needs some .net rubbish only available for Win10.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
27. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:20 · Score: 0
  
  Mod up as insightful and "correct" too.
28. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:20 · Score: 0
  
  MSPaint runs perfectly fine on Linux under WINE -- its support status is considered "Platinum", which means it functions exactly as it does in Windows. See here: https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=549
  
  What works
  Everything works well. Including printing (on my HP Laserjet) which never worked years ago when I set this up.
  On previous version of Wine I copied mspaint.exe into the system32 folder and ran it out of there. On Linux Mint 17 (64bit) that didn't work.
  To get Paint working I did the following:
  - Copy mfc42u.dll from a XP installation to Wine's C:/windows/system folder.
  - Copy gdiplus.dll to Wine's C:/windows/system32 folder. Note: With Wine 1.6 the dll was already there, in that case skip this step.
  - Copy mspaint.exe to a folder in the Program Files. You should be able to run it out of there and it works great!
  What does not
  Nothing that I could tell.
  What was not tested
  Additional Comments
  Anyhow, you are really saying that you are sticking with Windows because of MSPaint?!? And only because it supposedly saves you a single click? LOL -- at least you know what you want -- I hope all the privacy invading intrusiveness of Windows-10 is worth that single-click in MSPaint.
29. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:26 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Pretty much anything custom developed. Plus a ton of security related analysis software that makes little sense to run on Linux when you try to find problems in Windows software.
  Also it's hard to get a hold of really good DTP software. "Oh but there is $x". Yes. There is. And now please pay the month my DTP specialist needs to get used to the completely different way things are done in this software package.
  Same for PCB layouting. Is there even a Linux version of Altium?
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
30. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:28 · Score: 1
  
  What about other OSS software? Why is it always only the Linux distris that get the love and we have to get by with GitHub?
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
31. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:29 · Score: 1
  
  I dunno, downloading it sounds a lot less of a hassle...
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
32. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:39 · Score: 0
  
  If the issue is piracy, you fail. You just pirated MS Paint. What makes you think you have the right to take Windows components from a Windows XP system and run them on a Linux system?
33. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by drkstr1 · 2015-08-23 04:49 · Score: 1
  
  Adobe Creative Suite. It's pretty much the only reason I have win7 running on KVM.
  
  --
  Fanboy Status: Apache Flex, C#, Eclipse, KDE, Pirate Party, Ron Paul, Slackware, Windows 7
34. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by spire3661 · 2015-08-23 04:50 · Score: 1
  
  Microsoft's conviction as an abusive monopolist says otherwise..... The fact is we are still dealing with Microsoft's malfeasance from the 90s, today. Its not as black and white as you seem to think.
  
  --
  Good-bye
35. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by drkstr1 · 2015-08-23 04:53 · Score: 1
  
  Actually now that I think about it, I prefer to do a lot of SVN stuff in it too, using Tortoise. It's the one thing I really miss in my linux host.
  
  --
  Fanboy Status: Apache Flex, C#, Eclipse, KDE, Pirate Party, Ron Paul, Slackware, Windows 7
36. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by spire3661 · 2015-08-23 05:03 · Score: 2
  
  IF you are going to do that, get a diskless Synology NAS for $99 and put in a disk. It comes with a kickass torrent client that shuts off seeds as soon as the DL finishes. It will only cost a little bit more than getting a pi up and running and is much more suited to the task.
  
  --
  Good-bye
37. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:03 · Score: 0
  
  A fresh update from 8.1 to 10 has, by magic*, a internet usage history by app for the last month. How about that?
  *for some definitions of magic
38. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:10 · Score: 0
  
  Well, in hopes that you'll actually have a solution, I'll bite. I currently play around with vocaloid software for making songs that officially only runs on Windows. Does it work properly on Linux?
39. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by St.Creed · 2015-08-23 05:16 · Score: 1
  
  Mostly my game collection.
  I coulnd't do without it :P
  
  --
  Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
40. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:18 · Score: 0
  
  Sadly quite a few, particularly business/finance related apps. Many decent trading platforms exist only on Windows. Tax programs and apps like quicken (horrible though Intuit might be) are more advanced on Windows than on other platforms. Trust me, I've tried desperately to move away from these tools but the only product hat comes close to quicken is iBank (for the Mac) but it still doesn't have all the required functionality.
  Having said all this, there's absolutely no reason why you can't run Windows in a VM to use these tools then do your other computing elsewhere.
41. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:27 · Score: 0
  
  Almost every popular game...
42. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:34 · Score: 0
  
  It is not "pirating" when you run software under Wine in Linux. Obviously the above user already has a copy of MSPaint, all he would be doing is installing it in Wine, to run under Linux. Now if he were installing Linux and copying Windows binaries onto a system that never had a legitimate Windows license, you may have a point (I would suspect the Windows license is tied to the original hardware).
  I do not condone piracy, and you will find that most Linux fanboys (like myself) hate proprietary software (pirated or otherwise).
43. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by CastrTroy · 2015-08-23 05:34 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah. Seems like a much better solution. I've tried the Raspberry Pi solution before, and trying to use the SD card (Class 10) to store the torrent caused the raspberry Pi to crash. I tried a USB flash drive, which made the device not crash, but the downloads still couldn't keep up to my internet connection. I'm not sure how well a synology would work, but it can't be worse than an old Raspberry Pi. I just use an old PC with a couple 1 TB disks stuck in it. There's more power friendly stuff if old PCs are too power hungry. An NUC or simlar box is under $200 without storage, and can run whatever server software you want.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
44. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  Sccm. Scom. Anything sc.
45. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by GrantRobertson · 2015-08-23 05:50 · Score: 1
  
  OneNote. Without it, I might as well just not have a computer at home.
  Anyone who suggests Evernote has never actually used OneNote. It is the killer app that no one knows about.
46. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by mark-t · 2015-08-23 05:55 · Score: 2
  
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  I somehow suspect you asking just so you can be dismissive of responses, but on the off chance you are not, the biggest ones for me are Genetica, Campaign Cartographer, and the Unity 3d editor. (The last one runs on macs, but that's not helpful when other software still requires a Windows PC). To be fair, the first two perform acceptably in VirtualBox on Linux, but Unity 3d will not.
  
  --
  File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
47. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:14 · Score: 0
  
  MS Office 2013 requires Win8.1 or 10 and doesn't work on WINE.
48. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:15 · Score: 0
  
  Tortoise can be integrated into KDE she'll, you need some scripting and a .desktop file
49. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Wycliffe · 2015-08-23 06:15 · Score: 2
  
  Now if he were installing Linux and copying Windows binaries onto a system that never had a legitimate Windows license, you may have a point (I would suspect the Windows license is tied to the original hardware).
  I don't believe the older systems were tied to the hardware. It was just a single license for a single machine. There was no problem with deleting it from one system and installing it on a new machine. I have several legal copies of XP and win98se with keys that I keep around. As far as I know, as they are not physically installed anywhere that I still own the license and would be legally allowed to use it in vmware, wine, etc.. as long as I only use the single copy on a single machine.
50. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:18 · Score: 0
  
  tell that to the assfuck win 10 popup crap
51. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:33 · Score: 0
  
  Getting tired of people thinking it is a fault of Linux that their proprietary Windows-only application only works under Windows -- without even looking or considering alternatives.
  Anyhow, though you probably don't care and you are set it your ways, there is LbreOffice that works on Windows, Linux, Macs, etc. It is Free & OpenSource software, and even supports the Microsoft Office proprietary formats.
  Complaints should be directed at your software vendor for not naively supporting non- Windows operating systems. There are plenty of Software Vendors that do naively support Linux, so shop around.
  Of course Microsoft will absolutely never port MS-Office to Linux, because they have a biased interest to keeping you locked into their bread-and-butter: the Microsoft Windows OS.
52. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:36 · Score: 0
  
  Staad
  Risa
  Adapt
  Enercalc
  Should I continue ?
53. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:49 · Score: 0
  
  Git cloning is already efficient. Anyhow, you are free to create a torrent of your stuff.
  When people say "Linux", they mean the encompassing Kernel, GNU, and all the other FOSS packages that run great on Linux -- including GIT & Gitlab & their ilk. If you have some $awesome software that you want included in a particular Linux distribution, reach out to that distribution's maintainers.
54. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:31 · Score: 0
  
  * that by buying DRM-ed software*
  -
  Honestly, DMR software gradually disapearing, and prices are dropping fast
  There are not many DMR games anymore
  and Blizzard shot itself in the foot with Diablo III and the lattest Starcraft
  Err, Europa Universalis has zero DMR and makes money like they're milking a cow
  Skyrim had no DMR either and no requirement to be online either
  -
  On the modeling and texturing software
  There are now agressively cheap alternative to 3DMax like Modo/Marie
  and Photoshop itself can be suscribed at a ridiculously low price
  -
  Starting one own studio, either as art designer, 3D artist or software developer has never been cheaper
  -
  Honestly, if I was those companies, I would go further
  I would charge noting upfront
  and take a small cut of the movies - games - contract
  Even a 1% cut from succesful projects would generate more revenue than they make today
  and it would increase global production and research 10 fold
  -
  We need a massive overhaul of the global economy
  It's sort of broken right now
  The leaders have not realized yet the potential of infinite loop productivity
  anything that's virtual (digital) can create such infinite loops
  leaving only food and housing as additional requirements to stay productive
  -
  It would allow anyone and everyone to turn ideas into reality
  to contribute to society
  -
55. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:38 · Score: 0
  
  I'm not pirating, I'm time shifting and my cable provider explicitly allows it.
56. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Langalf · 2015-08-23 08:07 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  In certain industries, you use what the vendors are willing to provide, or you don't stay in business. If the vendor only supports Windows, you use Windows. Period.
  
  As an example, the plant where I work relies heavily on Allen-Bradley Rockwell Software for automation and control. There is no viable alternative on a non-Windows platform, from either a practical or a regulatory perspective. Rockwell Software barely supports 64-bit Windows. They are not likely to make any effort to run on Linux, and sure as heck won't license there software for use under Wine.
57. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by JMJimmy · 2015-08-23 08:10 · Score: 1
  
  Like it or not, you pretty much have to use some version of windows. Whether it's at work or because of some windows-only software, there's really no way to avoid windows.
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  Management.
  That's not a software title as far as I'm aware. Give a specific example of software that requires windows. The closest I know of is quickbooks but even that has a mac version so you still have some choice. Anything important or popular or expensive is going to be ported to at least mac. You don't have to run windows. I don't run windows or mac and haven't for over a decade.
  TimeMatters - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
58. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by amiga3D · 2015-08-23 08:10 · Score: 1
  
  I have heard some people have problems with different flash drives but I don't know what brand they're using. The early models had a lot more compatibility problems. So far I've had no problems with saving to a USB flash drive.
59. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:11 · Score: 0
  
  So you think using someone else's hard work without compensating them is the answer? It's this sort of failed logic that got us to this point in the first place.
60. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:20 · Score: 0
  
  The grand-parent is an Apple fanboy. The software you reference is Windows-only and will not run natively under Linux or MacOS.
  Your best bet would be to find an alternative software solution, or run the software under virtualization inside a dedicated Windows-VM.
61. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by cavreader · 2015-08-23 08:29 · Score: 1
  
  "indispensible apps " How about the millions of custom internal and intranet only business applications used by companies around the world. Companies have invested too much money and time developing these applications to suddenly want to port them over to a different platform. There are also quite a lot of business critical 3rd party software purchased by companies that offer no alternative platform support. Companies also face the exorbitant costs associated with retraining or re-staffing IT departments to handle another platform so why would someone want to go through all the bother just to move off Windows?
62. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 09:09 · Score: 0
  
  Not if you use WSUS Offline Update to update your systems. As far as I know, it sticks to getting the genuine security updates and skips all of that "telemetry" garbage and Win10 nags. I don't ever trust the built in Windows Update anymore. I block Microsoft hosts on all computers except the one that downloads the updates with WSUS Offline.
  You should also disable the "Customer Experience Improvement Program" (or better yet, strip it out entirely with something like NTLite). Actually, I've found it best to just wipe all scheduled tasks in the registry after a clean install of Win7.
63. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by aliquis · 2015-08-23 09:10 · Score: 1
  
  You may wanna check your list of updates. Microsoft has already added a bunch of telemetry tools in the guise of "important updates".
  Fuck. Just yesterday I added even all the optional ones again as usual.
  MicrosoftÂs information about the upgrades are always useless. In their tool it just give a generic message and tell you to go check somewhere else. I don't understand why we can't get actual information about what the upgrade is about. Confusing for the idiots which is supposed to be able to handle Windows too?
64. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by aliquis · 2015-08-23 09:49 · Score: 1
  
  Oh wait, I can't run $program on Linux. Too bad I need it for my job. Well, run it in Win7 you say? Ok. For now. Until the next version rolls around that needs some .net rubbish only available for Win10.
  Yeah, backward support for software and forward support for the OS / support for old OSes from Microsoft has been soooo bad...
  Not.
  Mean-while in OS X-land the new version of your software may actually not run on the 2 year old OS I guess..
65. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Rob+Y. · 2015-08-23 09:52 · Score: 1
  
  And it's not that they don't want to get those apps off Windows. They do. They want them to be web apps. But that's a total rewrite. The 'brilliant' ex-CEO of a VOIP company that took over at the software shop where I used to work declared that all of our apps would be 'in the cloud' in 2 years. Moron. Now, after spending a small fortune trying to rewrite just one of them, they're on the verge of folding up shop and getting out of software altogether (there's a hardware component of the business that's still 'thriving').
  it's not that Companies won't be running web apps sooner or later - they just won't be the same apps that they're running on Windows today. Windows business-specific apps are legacy - to the point that nobody can support them, much less rewrite them. Okay, well maybe they can support them - if any of the original staff that designed and wrote them hasn't been outsourced to India yet... ;-)
  
  --
  Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
66. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 09:54 · Score: 1
  
  Did I? If I own both, I've not done anything untoward, I might even have "installed" windows on a VM with a direct access file system and merely linked appropriately. Done properly, windows will never even need be run on the current system in question.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
67. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 09:58 · Score: 1
  
  Those are all reasons to switch to something else.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
68. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 10:00 · Score: 1
  
  To save millions over the next decade?
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
69. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 10:01 · Score: 1
  
  If you knew what they're installing you would never install any updates.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
70. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 10:08 · Score: 0
  
  Except for other software that is Windows only. :|
  Unless something has changed recently, some pro level software exists only in the Windows world.
  In fact, the ONLY reason I still have and use Windows is some of the software I run. We're talking about software that is dongle locked and is easily in the mid four digit range.
  Ultimately, when it finally comes down to it, I'll upgrade to current flavors of Windows then just use it as a workstation. It will only see the internet one time when it first authenticates, then never again.
71. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 10:08 · Score: 1
  
  I have managed to rip most CDs after a thorough dawn / towel polishing (data side only) followed by a rinse. There was one case where I needed an optically identical agent to fill a couple of deeper scratches on a used CD I bought, but that was a long time ago and I don't recall the brand I used. Using cdparanoia, it is relatively painless as long as you took even moderate care of your CDs.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
72. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-23 10:13 · Score: 1
  
  I don't buy DRM'd software unless it's for work. I also don't run DRM'd software. I don't need to, there's a large enough catalog of non DRM software out there to keep you busy for longer than you probably have. The AAA titles keep being released in a deeper and deeper pool, as older games are staying more than playable for far longer than in the past. That's probably the largest hit to their revenue, not piracy.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
73. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 10:22 · Score: 0
  
  You expect to get paid for your job though, right?
74. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Nyder · 2015-08-23 10:25 · Score: 1
  
  Like it or not, you pretty much have to use some version of windows. Whether it's at work or because of some windows-only software, there's really no way to avoid windows.
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  Games.
  You might not thing they are indispensable, but they are. I am a PC gamer and enjoy playing computer games. Enjoy playing MMORPG's, enjoy many different games. Has Linux done what it's can for gaming? No. Very slowly recently peeps are trying to do something, but much like most of Linux, you got too many people trying to go different directions, and of course, we have the drivers issue.
  PC Gamers have to use Windows to game. You want Linux to be mainstream? Then not only do you need to make 1 Desktop UI that people like, you also need to make sure people can game on Linux. While there has been some direction in that area, it's a small gesture and not enough to get anyone to switch.
  If Linux wants to be the OS, then it needs to be a better gaming OS then windows. Then you'll find users wanting to switch.
  
  --
  Be seeing you...
75. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Nyder · 2015-08-23 10:34 · Score: 1
  
  No, you pirate because you want something for nothing. That's the start, and the end of it. If it really were about the DRM you'd buy the software, then pirate a DRM free version. You don't do that, because you're a hypocritical bottom feeder.
  You can call me a bottom feeder. I don't mind. I refuse to support the various copyright cartels though. They are a problem and I will not give them money continue. They don't like pirating and I don't like them, so I have no problem pirating their works. Just like they are walking on the public domain, I am walking on them.
  Just because something is against the law, doesn't make the law just or right.
  For example, I live in Washington State. I have been smoking weed most my life, since the 80's. Recently it's become legal. So what does that make me? Scum of the earth because I choose to use an illegal drug for years before it became legal, or was it me ignoring unjust laws because they weren't made to help people, but to put money in the pockets of only a few people?
  No law says companies have to make profit, but the various copyright cartels think they deserve to make profit on everything they make, and if they don't, they blame it on pirating and try to use the laws to make even more money (in damages) on people who might have downloaded the movie for free.
  I will always stand up against unjust laws. It's my duty as an American Citizen. And the copyright laws are unjust, because they unfairly keep money in the hands of the few while forcing more laws on the many to make sure they pay for it.
  
  --
  Be seeing you...
76. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Wycliffe · 2015-08-23 11:13 · Score: 0
  
  MS Office 2013 requires Win8.1 or 10 and doesn't work on WINE.
  I converted our entire office to openoffice about 5 years ago and no one even noticed. They still run windows (mostly for quickbooks) but there is no longer a single copy of microsoft office in our office.
77. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 11:36 · Score: 0
  
  My company hasn't an issue with PCB layouting on Linux. We do everything on Linux. Your just lazy. The idea that you never have to learn new stuff is nonsense. From Windows 9x or XP to Linux was easer than moving to Windows Vista or 8/8.1.
78. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 11:56 · Score: 0
  
  Your just stupid and lying.
79. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:17 · Score: 0
  
  So you're cool if I download Linux, then do whatever including renaming, updating, redistributing, and not providing source anymore?
80. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:24 · Score: 0
  
  There you go thinking it's only about money again.
  When in every single case it's about getting a better product than you can get for ANY money.
  THAT is why your industry is dead.
  How does it feel to know that your entire career is pointless and creates nothing good?
81. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:26 · Score: 1
  
  you're both wrong, it's "you're", not your...
82. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:28 · Score: 0
  
  I don't understand why we can't get actual information about what the upgrade is about
  Each Windows update is listed with a knowledge base (KB) number. The idea is that if you want to know what an update contains, Google the KB number. In practice though people never do this because it's tedious to do it for every single update, when it should be easier to just skim the summaries in the Windows Update window. Or at least that would be the case if they actually had something useful to say.
83. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:35 · Score: 0
  
  These companies keep giving us reasons to pirate. Like DRM, embedded spyware, crippled features, forced internet connection to even use it, and so on. And they expect us to pay money for their crap when a free version without these limitations exists? How stupid do they think we are?
  Fuck Microsoft, fuck Windows 10. Pirate it and spread the torrent to all your friends. Let's bring down the evil empire!
  Why would anybody pirate a single fucking Windows software? There is nothing you can pirate on Windows that you can't already do free and legally with Linux.
  Microsoft has fully sold-out. Fuck 'em. Let them live in their cars with cats.
  distrowatch.com
  This AC is retarded as fuck and got modded +1. Pirate their spyware OS to take down the evil empire you say. Yeah, OK dickhead. Need a bridge?
84. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by SeaFox · 2015-08-23 13:01 · Score: 1
  
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  Management.
  They only like to think they are indispensable.
  Frankly, only the layer directly above the employees and the layer at the top are really needed.
85. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by thegarbz · 2015-08-23 13:31 · Score: 2
  
  The only modern EDA software packages for Linux are the very basic Kicad and Eagle, neither of which can be remotely compared to the likes of Altium.
  But why go so complicated? Why go so special purpose?
  What's the alternative to Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or the rest of the creative suite applications? Instant loss of all points for anyone who compares GIMP to photoshop as if they are remotely similar. From a creativity point of view Linux colour management is even worse than Windows and that speaks volumes. And lets not even get into the sorry state that is video editing or even playback under Linux. The suggestions for playing Blurays under Linux is to use a VM, buy a bluray player and a TV, or if you're desperate for a Linux based solution join makemkv with some decoding software and live stream it into VLC which is about as user friendly as bathing a psychotic cat.
  This is basic bloody functionality.
86. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by hairyfeet · 2015-08-23 13:42 · Score: 1
  
  Audacity is a joke compared to Sonor, I've yet to see anything for video on Linux that compares to Vegas,Gimp is a bad joke compared to Corel much less Photoshop, LO may be fine for basic tasks but once it gets complex LO puts out word salad, thousands of dollars in games don't work, not to mention Linux drivers for graphics are still deep fried shit, hell I could go on all day.
  Linux fans has this kind of OS blindness, its like the FOSS advocate says "I have a browser and LO and Gimp therefor that is all everyone else needs" when in reality there is nothing an average Linux desktop distro does that can't be done on a phone or tablet thus making your OS...really kinda irrelevant which the flatline desktop numbers show. If all you need is a browser, LO, and Gimp? Get a tablet, you are just wasting power on a PC that you frankly do not need, for everybody else? We have thousands invested in software your OS does not run, so it might as well not even exist.
  
  --
  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
87. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by hairyfeet · 2015-08-23 14:03 · Score: 1
  
  Don't worry they'll tell you to "run it in a VM" thus proving its not about providing a functional equivalent but pushing an agenda because if you have to 1.- Buy the OS, 2.- Buy the software, just to 3.- Set up an entire host OS just so you can run the software you need in the first fucking place? Well then UR DOIN IT WRONG as your OS is offering the user absolutely nothing.
  Why the fuck would they deal with all those extra layers of crap just to run the Windows in a VM when they could just skip the VM and run the damned software natively? Linux isn't saving you a cent (in fact unless you pirate you'll spend more as OEM Windows cannot be legally used in a VM, so you'll need full retail) and it certainly isn't saving you time and effort, so WTF is the point of throwing Linux in there? Sadly you talk to them the answer usually ends up "but but...you'll be running Linux!" which just shows they are just wanting to wave their flag and what is best for the user? Really does not matter as long as the answer ends up Linux.
  
  --
  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
88. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 14:05 · Score: 0
  
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  It is not necessarily indispensable apps. I CREATE content so I CAN'T AFFORD to use Windows 10. The windows 10 EULA states "... Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders) ..." I can't afford to have Microsoft going into my private folders looking for stuff they think they can "disclose" to a competitor of mine for profit. Yes, I realize I am a VERY small time operation and the odds that they would actually do this are tiny. But as a content producer I just can't afford to take the chance.
89. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by CanadianMacFan · 2015-08-23 14:06 · Score: 1
  
  How about running Unity 3d on the Mac and the others in VirtualBox on the Mac too? It's not really getting rid of Windows since you are just running it inside an app but if you wanted to move from Windows as your primary OS this might be an option.
90. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by CanadianMacFan · 2015-08-23 14:13 · Score: 1
  
  I have my Synology NAS running the torrent client but also have it set up so it's connected to my VPN. Then I started up the proxy server and have all my browsers connect to the NAS which routes everything through the VPN.
91. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 14:43 · Score: 0
  
  Don't worry. SystemD is the linux version. it has almost caught up. :P
92. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by beanpoppa · 2015-08-23 14:54 · Score: 1
  
  I do just this. I would often rip my kids' DVD's and reburn them without the annoying forced previews and anti-piracy nag screens. After a while, I figured out that it was much easier to just download the torrent in about 15 minutes, than it was to go through the hassle of figuring out what ripping software could get around the DRM and copy protection, and ripping it. There are probably a couple of DVD's still in the original shrink-wrap that I haven't actually touched the DVD.
93. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 15:15 · Score: 0
  
  please tell us all what indispensible apps run on windows that have no equivalents on any other operating system
  When is the last time someone you know saved a dying SD card or USB drive without windows trialware?
  Data recovery and forensic software is near nonexistent and in the FOSS world nobody has picked up the ball
  Also, whatever your job neds will be demanded as "MatLab", "Illustrator", "Filemaker", "Maya", "AutoCAD" and "Office" without much compassion for lesser alternatives --compatibility is not worth data corruption risks so they do not want to let you bring your own software anyway. To use the alternatives you pretty much need to have the job under your own control and have taken care of your own training in those products. And it is not obvious what the alternatives are without some research. It is no random chance that Windows cannot be displaced from the desktop by MacOS or anybody else despite frequent blunders like ME, Vista, Windows 8 and Windows 10
94. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by cavreader · 2015-08-23 15:52 · Score: 1
  
  The costs associated with purchasing Windows licenses is cheaper than moving to another platform. You will need to come up with one hell of a sales pitch to get a company to move off a platform they have sunk millions of dollars into for some possible costs savings 10 years into the future. And complaining about the "evils" of MS is really not a persuasive argument.
95. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 16:10 · Score: 0
  
  The Synology NASes phone home quite a lot too...
96. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by cyberjock1980 · 2015-08-23 16:33 · Score: 2
  
  Care to elaborate on which ones, a link to this info, etc? I've never heard of this and interested in reading more... yet Google searching is turning up very vague information on this topic...
97. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by aliquis · 2015-08-23 17:11 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, the updater kinda make the claim about itself (by user-interface design) that it will provide information but it's never useful.
  It's just the same block of text over and over again making the same generic claim which tell you ~nothing.
  Could just as well had said "*gem* I want to mess with your copy of Windows, forcing you to reboot - again! [Shit! Fucking do that.] [Fuck! Don't do that shit!]"
98. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by msoftsucks · 2015-08-23 17:12 · Score: 1
  
  Anything in healthcare. Many insurance portals for doctors require IE. They will not work with Firefox or Chrome. Also, 99% of all medical instruments, use some version of Windows. In both cases, vendors are EXTREMELY anti Linux.
  
  --
  Quit playing Monopoly with Bill.
  Linux - of the people, by the people, and for the people.
99. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by rtb61 · 2015-08-23 17:25 · Score: 1
  
  Lets be blunt, even better feed, the fear, uncertainty and doubt, and force change. Why accept M$'s offering and intent to steal copyrighted data from your computer, individuals and business. Your secret recipe, you patented ideas, your copyrighted content, everything they can access before you can publish and claim ownership, too late they already own it, they own everything on your computer created by their software as far as they are concerned. Windows 10 does not belong in any business environment, not on any computer where tenders are produced, where products are designed, where inventions are crafted, anything that in any way shape or form compete with M$. As for Windows 8, the damage done by windows 10 will be felt most acutely on phone sales, people will remember.
  I wonder what the uninstall counts are going like on windows 10, bet that's something M$ will never speak of, hey if it is good for them to do to us, why isn't it good for us to do to them?
  
  --
  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
100. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Jack+Griffin · 2015-08-23 17:57 · Score: 1
  
  Office, AD, Group Policy, Exchange, SQL, Server and Desktop integration.
  Sure it is possible that these categories exist on other OSes, but none match the full feature offering you get with the MS suite overall. Most people who use MS don't like it, they use it because they've looked for alternatives and always come up short. Like it or not MS is the best of breed in this particular space.
101. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Bert64 · 2015-08-23 18:12 · Score: 1
  
  The only reason blurays are difficult to play is DRM...
  Raw video files in the same format are perfectly easy to play on linux, or at least in a country which doesn't have software patents.
  These problems are not technical, and aren't the fault of linux.
  
  --
  http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
102. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 18:44 · Score: 0
  
  kinda like kb3035583, which was just presented in a new win8.1 install's windows update as an update which 'fixes problems in windows'........
  is actually, the 'important' (read: auto installed) update and incessant nagware that offers windows 10...
  absolutely no clue in its windows update description of what it actually does. if i hadn't known exactly what kb number i was looking for, it would've got installed... and installed against my wishes... as it was a horribly botched ''upgrade'' of windows 10 that prompted the win8.1 reinstall in the first place.
  dear microsoft.... in your world, what 'problem' does windows 10 fix?
  or is just another.. one 'fix' breaks a thousand other things?
  either way, fuck off and fix windows, pl0x. tyvm.
103. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by andymadigan · 2015-08-23 19:00 · Score: 1
  
  I use my own Mac at work, if I didn't I'd be using a company provided Mac. I use a Windows (8.1 Pro) PC at home, but I'm planning to replace it with an iMac in the next year or two.
  
  Nobody forces me to use Windows. If you do have to use a Windows machine at work... well, then it should only be the company's data that's getting spied on. If you put your own data on that machine, chances are your company IT department can spy on that already (if they're the kind of company that forces you to use Windows).
  
  All that said, all of this sounds like an overreaction. I seriously doubt MS is going to send data about files stored on your HD back to its servers. The backlash would be immense.
  
  --
  The right to protest the State is more sacred than the State.
104. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 19:12 · Score: 0
  
  Deluge will also stop a seed as soon as the DL finishes or whenever you decide (ratio is 2 or more, after x amount of minutes etc.) Also, a raspberry Pi is closer to $50 with power unit and case so it's half the price of the Synology. Also, it has linux on it. The maximum download speed is limited by the USB2.0 internal bus speed, but that shouldn't be a problem as it's always on and costs peanuts to operate in terms of electrical power.
  Sure, you can spend more money and get something that's more suited to the task, but you can do really well with a PI as well.
105. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by thegarbz · 2015-08-23 20:05 · Score: 2
  
  No one cares what the problem is. The only thing they care about is if it's not working.
  Making excuses like the ones you make is the reason Linux has such low acceptance on the desktop. People care about a seamless experience, anything that ruins that experience, regardless of who's at fault is a black mark against the name of the software.
106. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by SuperDre · 2015-08-23 20:06 · Score: 1
  
  Just like there are enough applications that only work on linux, or Mac OSX or on Android or on iOS..
107. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 20:35 · Score: 0
  
  Windows XP plays all of the games I'm interested in.
  And Microsoft refuese to update it; Bill has fought the NSA
  to keep this product pure and unblemished. Yeah, Bill!
108. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 20:58 · Score: 0
  
  I have several games that I have bought AND pirated. Though I tend to do it the other way around, pirate first and buy it when I can - retail stores don't carry a lot of games around here, and buying online often involves something like Steam, that requires you to install the DRM software before being allowed to pay.
  Now, before you say that "several" is not much, I wasn't much of a gamer at the time. The games I did play were mostly open source games or Playstation games (bought, none of my Playstations can run pirated games). That only changed when I finally decided to make an exception for Steam - now I tend to buy two games on Steam for every game I play.
109. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 21:03 · Score: 0
  
  Your just lazy.
  Careful with the accusations there.
  It's "You're". You've been a bit lazy with learning proper grammar, haven't you?
110. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 21:31 · Score: 0
  
  You must have some numbnuts working there if they can not read/understand the splash screens after 5 years and they still think they are running Word/Excel LOL
111. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 21:56 · Score: 0
  
  He's a pirate. He hasn't heard of Linux.
  This whole idea that "slashdotters" is a homogeneous group that all think the same needs to stop. The people arguing for GPL are not the same people arguing for piracy.
112. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by war4peace · 2015-08-23 23:01 · Score: 1
  
  Hundreds of games.
  
  --
  ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
113. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by AC-x · 2015-08-24 00:16 · Score: 1
  
  Torrent link ;)
114. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 00:49 · Score: 0
  
  Not sure if stupid or stupid. Probably both.
115. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 01:59 · Score: 0
  
  Just about every ERP/MRP system on the planet. Albeit, there are some cloud ones now if you trust your data to someone that can delete it, change their price, break things, have to rely on an Internet circuit, etc.
116. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-24 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  Every 3-5 years, you need to upgrade, releases are done such that the window for upgrading is actually smaller, for at least part of the stack you use. So the costs are not only sunk costs, but a continual drain. You also have a continuing and increasing cost for maintaining your systems, especially given the new Win10 push cycles. Lastly, I'm assuming those existing custom applications are going to require significant updates when migrating to the latest windows versions, which will be required across the board in the next 3-4 years. So you can either sink a bunch of money into upgrading those apps, or migrate to something from at least this decade and more friendly to all.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
117. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 04:50 · Score: 0
  
  I have over $10,000 worth of National Intruments software on my system that has no Windows equivalent. Sure they have LabVIEW for other OSes, but not all of the add on modules are available on any thing other than Windows.
  So, yes, there are people out there using tools that prevent people from dropping Windows.
118. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by pagebt · 2015-08-24 05:57 · Score: 1
  
  This. Especially for children's titles. I have 2 viewing options available for my kids, Plex and the DVD changer in the minivan. When buying titles, I Torrent for Plex and the un-opened disc goes onto the shelf. If it is a frequent re-watcher, My oldest son burns a DVD for the Van with windows movie maker so that it just plays instead of having to navigate the menus while driving. (who ever thought that would be safe?)
119. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by ilsaloving · 2015-08-24 07:39 · Score: 1
  
  I first heard about it here:
  http://www.infoworld.com/artic...
  If you google with keywords like windows 7 and telemetry, you should find everything you need. There is also a list somewhere of all the various microsoft servers you need to block access to from your router. (Windows Firewall ain't good enough cause these tools *bypass* Windows Firewall) I can't remember where I saw that list... only that it was shockingly large.
120. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 08:54 · Score: 0
  
  Fun Fact: A retail copy of Windows can not even play DVD's
121. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 09:27 · Score: 0
  
  Or I could just use the fucking OS I already have rather than a whole different piece of hardware?
122. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 10:03 · Score: 0
  
  KB:3021917
  KB:3050265
  KB:3035583
  KB:2952664
  KB:2976978
  KB:2990214
  KB:3068708
  KB:3022345
  KB:2952664
  KB:3075851
  KB:3045999
  KB:2919355
  KB:3065987
  KB:3075851
  KB:2977759
  worst thing is at least one of those have a valid security fix in for a local priviledge escalation exploit. so you have to choose between being spied on and potentially compromised....those used to be the same thing...
123. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 10:31 · Score: 0
  
  Then it is not a killer app.
  Derp
124. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by david_thornley · 2015-08-24 10:42 · Score: 1
  
  Every three years, my company buys a new computer for me. Considering the quality of the machine, the cost of Windows is relatively minor. Considering the cost of keeping me as an employee, it's completely trivial.
  You're speculating on the cost of Windows 10 upgrades over time. Bear in mind that Windows 7 doesn't leave support for another five years, and very likely will get another few like XP did. I'm willing to bet that, over the next five years, Microsoft will figure out how to keep businesses happy. You're also underestimating how dedicated Microsoft is to backward compatibility.
  My company has a large amount of extremely valuable software, both internally and externally developed. Lots of the external stuff comes in Linux-friendly form, but rewriting our software base to run on some version of Linux would be tremendous.
  
  --
  "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
125. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by h00manist · 2015-08-24 10:52 · Score: 1
  
  Microsoft depends on piracy. They always favor piracy of Microsoft products, even said so a few times.
  http://slashdot.org/story/07/0...
  "ArsTechnica is running a story regarding comments by Microsoft Business Group President Jeff Raikes, who had a pithy comment on the subject of software piracy. His view is that, should software piracy occur, Microsoft's desire is that the pirated software should be theirs. Potentially, in the future, they could then convert the illegal users from the 'dark side' into legit users who obtain licenses. 'We understand that in the long run the fundamental asset is the installed base of people who are using our products. What you hope to do over time is convert them to licensing the software.' Obviously Microsoft prefers the market to use their software even if it's pirated, rather than the alternative: the use of free software."
  
  --
  Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
126. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 10:55 · Score: 0
  
  Congratulations, dude.
  You just reinforced all the negative stereotypes that might have been lurking in anyone's minds about GPL /FSF / Linux etc.
  There are plenty of cases in the real world for wanting Windows or OsX implementations. Usually there is a free GPL version, but it may not be have in the expected fashion to someone who's got years of experience using the application, and that really gets in the way of usability. UI can be variable too. Add a cherry in that requests for help generally turn up a chump with an attitude like yours and it can be a turnoff.
  I have Windows, *nix and OsX boxes that get used when appropriate. The convergence idea of everything on one platform is dumb. Just look at Metro for an advanced example of this.
127. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 11:10 · Score: 0
  
  Yes, and last time I tried booting Windows, Windows Explorer started crashing repeatedly.
128. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 11:57 · Score: 0
  
  SystemD will be bigger and better.
  They should also consider sending vital data for the smooth working of the operating system back to red hat.
129. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 12:08 · Score: 0
  
  KB numbers are not unique either.
  I recently did a search for a new update and there was information on that number from several years earlier about a different patch.
130. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by cavreader · 2015-08-24 12:24 · Score: 1
  
  "existing custom applications are going to require significant updates when migrating to the latest windows versions" If it is one thing MS does well it is backwards capability. The vast majority of existing custom applications developed under XP will run under Vista, Win7, Win8, and even Win10. Hell I still have a VB application developed on Win2000 that installs and runs on Win7.
131. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 17:28 · Score: 0
  
  Here are two that I skipped from the most recent patch set: (windows 7)
  kb3075249: Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7
  kb3080149: Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
  also: since there's a full write up for each patch on MicroSoft's website, why the f**k isn't that info available in windows update?
132. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by __aabppq7737 · 2015-08-24 21:35 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know if Office 2013 was a software-as-a-service kind of deal, but two years ago it was running just fine on a windows 7 machine of mine.
133. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-25 06:23 · Score: 0
  
  Management has locked the company to MS Outlook.
134. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-25 07:12 · Score: 1
  
  My point isn't to immediately rewrite everything, etc, but to point out that migrating to Win10 with it's most likely highly unstable core by business standards will be the tipping point. You'll have 5 years to migrate, I'd suggest starting to look at that now, or be prepared to run Win7 past EOL, with whatever costs and risks that may entail. Given what's come out about Windows Business Update, and Enterprise updates, I know that I, as a business, would never sign off on allowing that into my shop. A core that I don't control I can't trust, and it's certainly not going into production.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
135. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-25 07:24 · Score: 1
  
  If it is one thing MS does well it is backwards capability.
  
  I pretty much laughed at this. I can tell you that the backwards compatibility statement from MS about 4.5 is patently false. Just try doing an elevation of privileges on an unprivileged process (ie, actually elevate the process above its base privilege). Works on .NET4, not on .NET 4.5, or, more accurately, not on .NET 4.5 on 2008SR2. It might work on .NET 4.5 2008... I didn't check. But, more telling is the last clause, which says well, maybe we aren't backwards compatible, but we allow you to run the previous versions of .NET in those cases, except for .NET4, which we completely nerfed. You also get stories like driver complaints or office issues or even with the new xbox.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
136. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-25 08:45 · Score: 0
  
  Windows 10 is unusable under pretty much any regulated system.
  Too much built in spyware.
137. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by cavreader · 2015-08-25 13:58 · Score: 1
  
  Dude I was generalizing over the past 15+ years of MS operating system releases and upgrades. Yes, there were numerous changes in the .NET framework between 4.0 and 4.5 and if you were not smart enough to realize that before updating to 4.5 any problems you encountered in your applications were all on you. And why did you need to upgrade from 4.0 to 4.5 in the first place? Was there some functionality you needed that only 4.5 could provide or did you see a new shiny and just updated .NET? And anecdotal references to driver complaints, office issues, or Xbox are usually from people who say "Look there is a new update I best install it immediately!".
138. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by mooterSkooter · 2015-08-25 21:43 · Score: 1
  
  >When is the last time someone you know saved a dying SD card or USB drive without windows trialware?
  You are joking right?
  Last week, my brother presented me with a SATA drive and a USB drive. Both 'broken' under windows. I used testdisk under linux to fix the SATA drive (then copied all over to a brand new drive). The USB drive wasn't fixable but still used testdisk to copy 95% of the files over to another fresh drive. All done easily and simply under linux for free...and my brother was very happy...and he's now learned of the importance of backups.
  Windows can go suck a fuck for all I care...I'm just unhappy that I have to work with it daily.
139. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-26 00:07 · Score: 1
  
  You didn't read the various links. MS has explicitly and purposefully not been backwards compatible in numerous areas over its history. There are more I can name off the top of my head, but I deemed those sufficient to counter your assertion.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
140. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by david_thornley · 2015-08-26 10:52 · Score: 1
  
  The core is stable, it's the stuff that runs on the core that's a problem. It isn't going to be that difficult for Microsoft to change it. In any case, Microsoft has plenty of time to come up with business versions that businesses will accept.
  
  --
  "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
141. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by metrix007 · 2015-08-27 02:12 · Score: 1
  
  It really isn't a killer app. Some people like it, no one needs it.
  
  --
  If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
142. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by metrix007 · 2015-08-27 02:13 · Score: 1
  
  You don't need a special license to run software under Wine.
  
  --
  If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
143. Re: These companies keep giving us reasons by Gr8Apes · 2015-08-27 04:25 · Score: 1
  
  A core that is changeable by an outside entity at that entity's will is not what I'd call stable and certainly not one I control. Currently, that's exactly what all flavors of Win10 have in common. I can't think of a single thing I'd use it for, much like I have no use for XBox games because I don't own an xbox, I'll have no use for Windows software as I won't own a windows box. Being personally MS free for the last 5 years has left me with no desire to dive back into that mess for any reason. Linux, OSX and BSD have served any need I have. Corporations aren't as tied to MS as they may think they are, if they'd just stop to think about it for a few minutes. IBM appears to be wholesale dumping MS. I wonder if it's a coincidence that the announcement came right before the revelations of Win10s forced update mechanism. There's also the Lenovo stupid pet tricks with BIOS etc.
  
  --
  The cesspool just got a check and balance.
144. Re:These companies keep giving us reasons by Baki · 2015-08-28 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  No, I pirate because of:
  - convencience
  - I refuse to give one cent to companies that use my money to bribe politicians into unreasonable laws.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:12 · Score: 0

Indeed. Personally, I was looking forward to Win10. My Win7 box is getting old, and I was going to build a new box for Win10. I was also going to see if new phones with Win10 were acceptable. I was going to go all in.
Now, I'm all out. I'm looking at getting a Macbook or Macbook Air, to see about switching everything over to Apple. (Yes, I know Macs have their own privacy concerns, but at least from everything I've read thus far, once you dig into the settings to turn those things off, Apple doesn't come along later and turn them back on. If I'm wrong, please correct me.) I've also got an old Win7 laptop that I might try Linux on.
Hell, there's even that AmigaONE X1000 I've been telling myself there's no reasonable justification for me to purchase. Perhaps now there is.
Dissidents.... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:17 · Score: 0

Microsoft will strike deals in each country to spy on the citizens of that country for the government (and any other government that pays).
Just skip it period.
There's no reason Microsoft wouldn't rat out Chinese dissidents for money.
Firewalls? by Mister+Transistor · 2015-08-23 01:18 · Score: 5, Interesting

I predict a strong market for a nice little generic Microsoft-filtering hardware firewall devices. Maybe even an intelligent one that will allow incoming updates and scrub or anonymize outgoing requests.
Kickstarter, anyone?

--
-- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --
1. Re:Firewalls? by Midnight+Thunder · 2015-08-23 01:35 · Score: 1
  
  You could do a kickstarter or just start preparing an open firewall rules list, that could be used by one of the open source routers or possibly by Windows itself?
  We could ask Microsoft to be transparent about what the OS phones home for and what else is shared beyond the network.
  
  --
  Jumpstart the tartan drive.
2. Re:Firewalls? by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 01:43 · Score: 1
  
  You could do a kickstarter or just start preparing an open firewall rules list, that could be used by one of the open source routers or possibly by Windows itself?
  We could ask Microsoft to be transparent about what the OS phones home for and what else is shared beyond the network.
  you can ask
  microsoft will say no and laugh
3. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:16 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The telemetry in Windows 10 bypasses the hosts file. You'd need an external firewall. The problem with that is that Windows (reportedly) throws a fit and stops working if you block off certain addresses.
4. Re:Firewalls? by houghi · 2015-08-23 02:18 · Score: 1
  
  I wanted to start a project, but the domain linux.org was already taken.
  Also I predict that the majority of people will not give a shit and as long as they make money, it dosn't matter who says no.
  
  --
  Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
5. Re:Firewalls? by 0100010001010011 · 2015-08-23 03:02 · Score: 1
  
  pfSense or OpenWRT + OpenVPN. You can set them up to route all of your traffic automatically.
6. Re:Firewalls? by currently_awake · 2015-08-23 03:06 · Score: 1
  
  Interesting idea. And you could add an inline crypto system that automatically encrypts everything when you send packets to someone else who has one (including servers). Of course you'd need to bring one with you when you travel, to stay safe when using public wifi.
7. Re:Firewalls? by pslytely+psycho · 2015-08-23 03:55 · Score: 1
  
  "The telemetry in Windows 10 bypasses the hosts file."
  
  APK is gonna have an aneurysm!
  
  --
  Donald Trump, on a crusade to make Nixon look respectable
8. Re:Firewalls? by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:52 · Score: 1
  
  So at least SOMETHING good will come out of Win10?
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
9. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:57 · Score: 0
  
  I predict a strong market for a nice little generic Microsoft-filtering hardware firewall devices.
  Hardware is fine, but it would be nice to have the choice of doing this in software as well.
  I run Windows as a VMware guest -- so I would appreciate an easy way to do one of the following:
  1: apply a Microsoft-filtering software firewall at the bridged VMware network adaptor level, or
  2: apply a Microsoft-filtering software firewall at the Linux network interface level (or lower).
  Alternatively, I would also be interested in a Microsoft-filtering software firewall that's installed directly in Windows 10 itself. That would be a very convenient solution for everyone, although I know it's less robust because Microsoft could detect it and therefore attack it.
  Does anyone know of any software solutions yet?
10. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:58 · Score: 0
  
  Microsoft won't even say no.
11. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:00 · Score: 0
  
  APK is gonna have an aneurysm!
  We can but hope.
12. Re:Firewalls? by St.Creed · 2015-08-23 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  Is it possible to get an Arduino or Raspberry Pi that just acts as a nice little firewall, and that I can modify with pre-set profiles?
  Would it be powerful enough?
  
  --
  Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
13. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:19 · Score: 0
  
  No, Win10 doesn't ignore or bypass the hosts file. I'm one of the few that actually looked at the traffic with tcpdump and investigated what needs blocking and don't just spread unfounded rumours.
14. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:26 · Score: 0
  
  I was actually thinking about this today. The EULA says it collects some information and sends it to Microsoft, and for further details see their privacy policy. But their privacy policy is very vague about what it sends. I was wondering as IANAL, but if you were to simply request full details of the contract, would they be required to give them to you? Is a contract valid if one side refuses to disclose all portions of said contract?
  I know I was in a binding arbitration clause style contract with a home builder, and while building my home they filed for bankruptcy, and said I wanted my money back and to cancel the contract, they pulled the binding arbitration clause, but a quick chat with a lawyer said they had already violated contract law by filing for bankruptcy and were now no longer going to be the group building it and the arbitration clause was null and void because they were trying to transfer the contract to another group without my prior knowledge or consent. Apparently their lawyers heard I'd talked to a lawyer and I had my money back and was out of the contract in less than a week. Point of that being, when you deal with contracts, there's a lot of things you have to do to keep the contract valid. But again, IANAL.
  This is where I wish I had a lawyer friend.
15. Re: Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:32 · Score: 0
  
  Why don't you be helpful and post the ips or domains that we should block.
16. Re:Firewalls? by Midnight+Thunder · 2015-08-23 09:22 · Score: 1
  
  Just curious how you setup your home network to protect yourself
  I am wondering whether a combination of http proxy & firewall rules is the way to go, and then tally the logs for suspicious activity?
  
  --
  Jumpstart the tartan drive.
17. Re:Firewalls? by CanadianMacFan · 2015-08-23 14:21 · Score: 1
  
  That will take care of you at home but it won't help you when you take your laptop to work or the coffee shop. Or it won't stop you phone or tablet from sending info when your away from home either. I'm assuming that they are sending information back too since it's all one OS now.
18. Re:Firewalls? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 15:55 · Score: 0
  
  BULLSHIT and BULLSHIT. we run windows 10 on an isolated network. it CAN'T call home and it definitely doesn't throw fits. secondly no it DOESN'T bypass hosts files. seriously how the fuck did you get marked insightful. you can easily verify this for yourself by just adding some entries instead of believing the first idiotic rant you see against win 10.
19. Re:Firewalls? by Agripa · 2015-08-27 22:41 · Score: 1
  
  Is it possible to get an Arduino or Raspberry Pi that just acts as a nice little firewall, and that I can modify with pre-set profiles?
  Would it be powerful enough?
  Sure, the firewall part has been done using a Raspberry Pi. Because of the limitations of using one or more additional USB to ethernet converters, the speed and perhaps reliability is not anything to write home about but it is fast enough for most US internet connections.
  Better I think would be to use embedded x86 hardware like from Netgate to run pfsense. Maybe a pfsense plug-in will be produced to handle the Microsoft security violations.
What a brilliant way..... by Drakonblayde · 2015-08-23 01:26 · Score: 3, Interesting

.... to get people to stop pirating Windows. Make it spy on the pirates!
1. Re:What a brilliant way..... by GuB-42 · 2015-08-23 04:40 · Score: 1
  
  They don't really want to make people stop pirating Windows. Especially now that there are free, non-geek alternatives like ChromeOS.
  They are, however interested it tracking pirates. Many pirates are simply people unsatisfied with the legal offering and potential customers.
2. Re:What a brilliant way..... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 15:24 · Score: 0
  
  Telemetry is in hindsight the next logical step in MS's attempts to curb piracy.
  Windows XP brought us forced activation 15 years ago. I would not put it past them if pull the ground from under us and stop new activations on unsuspecting users with ancient versions first, and then with Vista and newer progressively (ie: reinstall as a spring cleaning effort on your backup XP box)
  For everyone who thinks they are "safe" in the post Windows 2000 world, they're in for a rude awakening when the plan to move to a subscription model is on full-throttle later down the road.
3. Re:What a brilliant way..... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-25 02:06 · Score: 0
  
  Poisoning the well is a time honored tradition of big people crushing the little just to weed out the one or two they didn't like.
Just do it by Guy+From+V · 2015-08-23 01:32 · Score: 1

It took me a few years and getting over being annoyed by people who say what I'm about to say all the time, but fuck it...just switch to Linux...Mint or something. I like Xfce. That is all.
1. Re:Just do it by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 03:00 · Score: 1
  
  BSD runs everything linux does, and then some. You have a choice of GUI. You can use X windows or the Mac OS GUI.
2. Re:Just do it by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:52 · Score: 0
  
  BSD runs everything linux does, and then some. You have a choice of GUI. You can use X windows or the Mac OS GUI.
  You are the "GarageBand" guy on the thread above (who runs that Apple proprietary product) -- yes, we know that MacOS uses BSD under-the-covers, but once you start using applications that are _only_ available on MacOS (and not BSD), you are going to start feeling 'locked-in' just as bad as the Windows people.
  Basically, my point is: do not pretend that MacOS is equivalent to BSD, when there are applications that you run that only support MacOS and not a vanilla BSD.
3. Re:Just do it by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:10 · Score: 0
  
  I love BSD, but this is simply not true. Mac OS X is not BSD. It contains BSD code.
  Here are just some of the things you can't run on BSD:
  * Wayland (well it's been ported but there is no working compositor)
  * Chrome (Chromium works on freebsd kind of)
  * Oracle Java (well old versions run unreliably with linux emulation and openjdk kind of works)
  * Adobe products (this is a feature)
  * Steam (for gaming, an old version works to run counter strike servers on freebsd)
  * AMD graphics drivers (ATI binary blobs do not exist)
  * Many games (unless you count the PS4 as it does run a modified FreeBSD)
  Here's what you can run on BSD:
  * Intellij Idea
  * OpenJDK
  * WINE
  * NVIDIA graphics drivers (freebsd only)
  * Firefox (native, unbranded on non FreeBSD/OpenBSD platforms due to lame licensing rules and hoops)
  * LibreOffice (most BSD have this)
  * quake 1/2/3/4
  * enemy territory
  * Doom
  * tux racer
  * KDE
  * GNOME
  * XFCE
  * GNUStep
  * windowmaker
4. Re:Just do it by Anonanonaon · 2015-08-23 04:13 · Score: 2
  
  Sorry to burst your bubble, but...
  Linux can't control https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik... or https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...
  Intel has been setting aside secondary CPU power for invisible applications since forever. Linux ain't keeping your stuff safe except from the lowest level of Big Brother types; the Small-to-Medium Brothers, I suppose.
  Intel also does fabrication in Israel. That's where the Mossad live.
  How tough is it to capture your keyboard strokes through System Management hardware? Not at all. -You gotta type in that encryption key at some point along the chain.
5. Re:Just do it by Air-conditioned+cowh · 2015-08-23 04:40 · Score: 1
  
  Or at the very least run Linux in a VM and encrypt everything that goes in or out of the VM by using a good proxy service. Probably QEMU is the safest type of VM, followed by the Open Source version of Virtual Box (without the closed-source extensions). Anything closed source such as VMWare may have it's own spy payload for all we know.
  
  Personally I use Linux anyway but I can't imagine using Linux in a VM to be any more complicated than the confusing Torrent sites with their phoney links that drive users to useless spam pages. The real link being the smallest and least noticeable link on the page.
6. Re:Just do it by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:48 · Score: 0
  
  Nah, I like myself. I wouldn't want to inflict the illness that is Linux onto myself.
7. Re:Just do it by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:03 · Score: 1
  
  I thought the Linux BIOS did that.
8. Re:Just do it by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:21 · Score: 0
  
  Ssh... Linux die hards like to believe that BSD is dead. Netcraft confirmed it...
  Yeah, OK, I am one of the miscreants that use BSD, Linux and Windows - Oh, the horror...
9. Re:Just do it by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:44 · Score: 0
  
  I did the same. I played around with Win10 when it was in preview mode and thought it was OK, but the new TOS and the default spying was more than I was prepared to accept. Now running Mint 17.2 w/xfce. I was initially afraid that some of my devices wouldn't be compatible, but even my all-in-one Canon injket seems to work just fine.
  Buh bye M$....after being a (paying) customer for 25 years.
Microsoft will be stopped by aaaaaaargh! · 2015-08-23 01:35 · Score: 4, Interesting

At least in the EU I see no long future for Windows 10's illegal built-in surveillance tools. The EULA violates local laws in many EU countries and probably also EU law, and it is only a matter of time until some EU commission will put an end to it.
Or, at least I hope so, because at one point or another I'll be forced to upgrade to this pile of shit. :/
1. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 01:41 · Score: 0
  
  because at one point or another I'll be forced to upgrade to this pile of shit. :/
  wow I thought slavery was illegal in the EU
2. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by lesincompetent · 2015-08-23 02:27 · Score: 1
  
  And then came the TTIP!
3. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  Well, in my EU local, the integrated web search and Cortana are not supported. M$ apparently already knows which functionality causes problems. There are numerous settings which I did disable to minimize the network noise, though.
  EULAs can't subvert the local law, which is part of the reason why they are so complicated and large, "most parts don't apply to you" style of documents. Wait, was there a section concerting a human centipede? I have to check again!
4. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:59 · Score: 0
  
  The EU cannot do shit. They're practically dying to sign TTIP without ever allowing the European Parliament or individual states' parliaments (let alone the populace) to see it. They're desperate, they know the economy is about to collapse and the only way out is to become the US thralls forever. They just don't want people to see it that way after all the blustering and posturing.
5. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:31 · Score: 0
  
  I'm sure they'd rip that POS up if it touches enough nerves, even after the fact. I'm damn sure treaties ain't immune although it may trigger trade sanctions later if they suddenly stop being adhered to, not that the EU would notice US sanctions much anyway.
6. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Intrepid+imaginaut · 2015-08-23 04:22 · Score: 1
  
  That's a good point. If there's one thing I take very seriously it's privacy, so I won't be upgrading to windows 10. I'm not paranoid or whatever but I'm really starting to feel very uncomfortable with mass corporate data-harvesting, which becomes mass government data harvesting very easily. I guess I'll have to run programs without an adequate open source alternative such as photoshop in an emulator or something. However in the unlikely event that the EU raps their knuckles I might consider hanging in there a bit longer, purely for the sake of convenience.
7. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:13 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  The EULA violates local laws in many EU countries and probably also EU law, and it is only a matter of time until some EU commission will put an end to it.
  The situation is much more dramatic than that.
  There is no feasible way that a Windows 10 system can be used on a machine that collects or processes credit-card data (think: PCI DSS security standards), stores medical data (think: HIPAA security requirements), holds confidential legal documents (think: any lawyer's office anywhere), contains NDA-protected or trade-secret documents, or holds documents that contain "insider information" as defined by the SEC.
  Remember that it's Microsoft itself that gets to decide what user information it collects from your Win10 PC, and, most crucially: Microsoft can force a silent system update that changes what user information is collected. This puts business users who run Win10 at significant legal risk, given that they knew (or should have known) that every Win10 machine contains a general-purpose mechanism pre-installed that allows a third-party attacker (Microsoft) to silently collect any information at will.
  Also remember that Microsoft is competing against Google, and one of Google's huge advantages is that it actually stores the documents, which gives Google the opportunity to scan those documents looking for consumer behavior and identity. In Microsoft's zeal to compete, it's easy to imagine them scanning all your documents in order to "improve the user's experience and offer more relevant services".
  This is a massive security hole embedded, by design, within the OS itself. Using a third-party app to close that security hole would not likely be an acceptable solution, because, again, Microsoft controls the OS, can silently update it on the fly, and thus can attack or circumvent any third-party security app of their choosing -- or else -- Microsoft may attack the effectiveness of any third-party security app by secretly funding the makers of that app, or by purchasing it outright.
  It looks like Microsoft is betting so much on the value of collecting user data for marketing purposes, that they're willing to lose a significant chunk of their business users who can't legally risk being the target of all that data mining.
8. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by AmiMoJo · 2015-08-23 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  The EULA doesn't violate the law, it's just invalid as contract law doesn't allow EU citizens to agree to some of the terms even if they click "I accept".
  It will only be illegal if Microsoft decides to actually abuse this stuff. The clause about checking for pirated games is most likely referring to just stuff from the Windows Store, and they might be able to get away with checking for known cracked exe signatures and deleting them as "malware", but any actual spying will fall foul of data protection laws.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
9. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by bmo · 2015-08-23 08:16 · Score: 1
  
  "and they might be able to get away with checking for known cracked exe signatures and deleting them as "malware", but any actual spying will fall foul of data protection laws."
  This actually happens if you have Windows Defender set to delete malware automagically. I'm not sure if it's set that way by default in 10, but I've seen at least one person lose hard-to-find 10 year old cracks that Defender labeled as "malware" after an install of 10.
  The more I look at this stuff from the relative safety of the Linux universe, the more I want to stay the fuck away.
  --
  BMO
10. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:39 · Score: 0
  
  I'm pretty sure the EULA will have a "separability" clause, which says that if any part of it is struck down by law, the rest is not affected. So the EULA itself will remain valid, minus whichever clauses are specifically ruled out of bounds.
11. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 17:40 · Score: 0
  
  At least in the EU I see no long future for Windows 10's illegal built-in surveillance tools. The EULA violates local laws in many EU countries and probably also EU law, and it is only a matter of time until some EU commission will put an end to it.
  Or, at least I hope so, because at one point or another I'll be forced to upgrade to this pile of shit. :/
  You won't. That's the beauty of modern computing in the second decade of the third millennium. Generally, Microsoft can fuck itself, along with all the douchbag fuckfaces that run and work for that soon-to-be-dead shitcompany. There's GNU/Linux now, we don't NEED them anymore. A full-featured Linux distro comes with everything you need, or you can get anything it doesn't generally for free, often using the OS' built-in tools. It's becoming user-friendly enough that if you're capable of keeping up with all the bullshit changes they keep making to FUCKDOWS X.XX, you can learn GNU/Linux, and most of what you learn will be applicable to all the *NIX OS's, including OS X that Apple/Mac computers run on.
  After all those years of robbing the people of Earth of trillions of dollars, Microsoft will finally DIE when Windows 10 fucking fails as it's a disaster, and WILL fail, and the abomination that is MS Office will die off in favor of such BETTER programs as LibreOffice, and we'll all dance with flowers in our hair and wine on our breath on the graves of Microsoft, and laugh and be happy and free because, for the 10 millionth time, FUCK MICROSOFT.
  I personally can't wait for the day the New York Times' headline reads: Microsoft Bankrupt! Or M$ out of $$$. Or Microsoft is FUCKED. If only we could send all those miscreants to jail. What a wonderful world it could be!
12. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 22:10 · Score: 0
  
  The EULA doesn't violate the law, it's just invalid as contract law doesn't allow EU citizens to agree to some of the terms even if they click "I accept".
  Make that "all of the terms", unless you download the software. Additional restrictions after the sale are illegal, and the EULA screen on install is very much after the sale both for preinstalled and retail copies. Only when you download the software do you need to agree to the EULA beforehand.
13. Re:Microsoft will be stopped by Agripa · 2015-08-27 22:44 · Score: 1
  
  This puts business users who run Win10 at significant legal risk, given that they knew (or should have known) that every Win10 machine contains a general-purpose mechanism pre-installed that allows a third-party attacker (Microsoft) to silently collect any information at will.
  I have to assume third-party attackers here include Microsoft at the behest of the NSA and FBI which are at best one court order away.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:38 · Score: 0

Yes, I know Macs have their own privacy concerns
What kind of? I'm not terribly familiar with Macs so I don't know what kind of datamining Apple does.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:42 · Score: 0

We WILL rise up and make Windows as worthless as fly shit. We all rag on MS about security and what not, but we continue to use the OS because it is convenient. It was a cute little game we all played because it was mostly innocent fun. But this spying shit that Google, Apple, Canonical, and now Microsoft is engaging in is too fucking much. This SHIT has to stop NOW. Either fix your spying ass ways or I will wipe every NTFS partition and remove EasyBCD so my rigs are all semi-untainted. I have NO problem staying with Linux and BSD.
Not sure why you are modded down. If played well, the current situation with Windows 10 will be a golden opportunity for RMS, FSF and Linux...
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:43 · Score: 1

Not too much. Their biggest big data $thing requiring their infrastructure is Siri which isn't -truly- on OS X. (There's iCloud, but that isn't as based and they don't sell the data inside it.) The newest version of OS X has some web integration in the Safari omnibox and in Spotlight. But the first few times you use either it gives you a disclaimer you can't miss that tells you what's happening and how to turn it off.
Apple provided data mining can be turned off in iOS Settings or OS X System Preferences and it's easy to find.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:49 · Score: 0

Welcome new Linux User! May I suggest Linux Mint w/ the cinnamon interface?
Here's the link for you to download this 100% free (gratis and libre) operating system:
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
Download the ISO, burn to DVD, test drive it without installing anything (it's a "live" OS so will run just fine without a hard-drive), and when you are ready to switch: install on a hard drive.
Note: it will feel slow while it runs from the DVD. Linux is far superior to Windows when it comes to performance. It is excellent on older hardware.
And? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 01:50 · Score: 1, Interesting

So run a Linux VM on your win10 PC. Log the vm in to vpn, do all torrenting from there.
1. Re:And? by snadrus · 2015-08-24 08:16 · Score: 1
  
  It's no different. They're aware of the traffic, the ports, & the TCP connections just as before & you're still identified with it.
  However, Linux as the foundation layer and Windows in a VM would accomplish what you're looking for.
  
  --
  Science & open-source build trust from peer review. Learn systems you can trust.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 01:56 · Score: 1

burn to DVD
What's a DVD? Is that one of those ancient 20th century artifacts?
Old 'news' by nospam007 · 2015-08-23 02:02 · Score: 1

Markmonitor complaints date from over 10 years.
'News' would have been to show us a method on how to block them or prevent Windows 10 do do so.
Seedhosts by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:08 · Score: 0

If you're going to torrent something you don't own the copyright for, please use an off-shore seedbox. There are predators who make a living policing copyright, who think nothing of destroying your life. Don't give them the opportunity to ruin you for sharing your own culture.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:12 · Score: 0

Nobody cares about you and the couple of socially inept geeks who share in your mindset. The rest of us doesn't live for a machine, computers are a means and not an end. I feel sorry for you and for the small clique of losers whose lives revolve around unfeeling pieces of plastic and silicon. Keep to yourselves, never get out of your little room, keep rocking back and forth all alone thinking you're so smart while the world goes ahead without you.
Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:15 · Score: 0

And while you waste your time trying stick it to Microsoft, I'll be enjoying my time sticking my rock hard cock in your sister.
what are you doing with that urn of ashes?
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:15 · Score: 0

If your computer supports booting from USB, then use a flash drive instead. Beware that depending on how new your computer is, you may have to change BIOS/UEFI settings to allow the machine to boot from either USB or DVD (or to allow it to boot a non-Microsoft OS).
If having trouble: find your nearest computer geek to help out: just say "I want to try out Linux". You will receive tremendous respect.
If you are the computer geek: please help your friends and family make the switch -- you too were once a newbie, pay it forward.
Not just Windows 10 by ilsaloving · 2015-08-23 02:16 · Score: 5, Informative

http://arstechnica.com/informa...
The thing is, it's not just Windows 10. If you regularly update your machines, Microsoft has already added additional telemetry tools to Windows 7 and 8.
http://www.infoworld.com/artic...
What really sucks for me is that I *like* Windows 10. I run it in a VM on my Mac, and I've noticed an immediate performance improvement, especially with boot ups.
But from all the media reports, it looks like Windows 10 is turning into a conspiracy theorists bukake dream. And unless there is very little backlash to this, I can see Microsoft easily porting the rest of their privacy invading tools to their previous OSes.
1. Re:Not just Windows 10 by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:20 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I've noticed an immediate performance improvement, especially with boot ups.
  This is great, I have to boot up my laptop about once a month, what an awesome time saver.
2. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:09 · Score: 0
  
  It's Windows 10, you'll be booting a lot more frequently than that.
  Man I wish that was just a dumb joke. But thanks to the "faster" update stream and some out-right buggy Nvidia drivers, my Windows 10 laptop reboots at least once a day, I'd swear.
  Then there's this neat thing where under Windows 10 plugging my Razer wireless mouse into the charger requires a reboot, but I'm pretty sure that's another driver bug and not Microsoft's fault. At least, I sure hope so. (Unplugging it to return to wireless operation ALSO requires a reboot. The mouse just stops working until Windows 10 has rebooted. I'm not joking!)
3. Re:Not just Windows 10 by aNonnyMouseCowered · 2015-08-23 03:19 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  "But from all the media reports, it looks like Windows 10 is turning into a conspiracy theorists bukake dream."
  Damn it. Now I had to look up the word in Wiki: "The word bukkake is often used in Japanese to describe pouring out water with sufficient momentum to cause splashing or spilling. Indeed, bukkake is used in Japan to describe a type of dish where hot broth is poured over noodles, as in bukkake udon and bukkake soba."
4. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:23 · Score: 0
  
  You must have a really lousy laptop or are just that incompetent. I reboot just for the patches and no other reason. Maybe you need to learn how to use a computer first.
5. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:28 · Score: 0
  
  Just have to look around at what the average user does on the internet. Everybody I see wastes shitloads of time on Facebook and Amazon. Hell, even I use google mail.
  So long as there isn't any day to day impact on users because of all the monitoring there won't be any significant outcry. Nobody wants their data out there... but at this point it's too late.
  Really. Smartphones opened the gates of zero privacy with applications farming every ounce of data possible. Facebook and associates know every single piece of data from every single person with a facebook app installed and that is far from new.
6. Re:Not just Windows 10 by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 03:56 · Score: 1
  
  my Windows 10 laptop reboots at least once a day, I'd swear.
  Then there's this neat thing where under Windows 10 plugging my Razer wireless mouse into the charger requires a reboot, but I'm pretty sure that's another driver bug and not Microsoft's fault. At least, I sure hope so. (Unplugging it to return to wireless operation ALSO requires a reboot. The mouse just stops working until Windows 10 has rebooted. I'm not joking!)
  at one point they called computers "labor saving devices" but I think it was just a cruel joke
7. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:48 · Score: 1
  
  "But from all the media reports, it looks like Windows 10 is turning into a conspiracy theorists bukake dream."
  Damn it. Now I had to look up the word in Wiki: "The word bukkake is often used in Japanese to describe pouring out water with sufficient momentum to cause splashing or spilling. Indeed, bukkake is used in Japan to describe a type of dish where hot broth is poured over noodles, as in bukkake udon and bukkake soba."
  It's also slang for group sex in which multiple men ejaculate all over a single person, typically a woman but not always. I'm talking, drenched and soaked with it.
8. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:14 · Score: 0
  
  Yes, "Windows 10 is turning into a conspiracy theorist's bukkake dream" refers to Windows spilling the beans on its users.
9. Re:Not just Windows 10 by CmdrTamale · 2015-08-23 05:22 · Score: 1
  
  Let me guess - second Tuesday?
  --
  I used to be a kid before I failed the age requirement
10. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:34 · Score: 1
  
  I'm forced to use Windows 10 at my company. But it is far from a performance improvement. In fact the first 25 minutes after logging in the system is unusable. I tend to just click on the icons that I need to have opened and go to my 'boss' who has ordered us to use Windows 10, to say that I'm going to do the dishes and clean the coffee machine (a clean coffee machine makes better coffee!) because it is better to do some household work than it is to stare at a non responding Windows. He grumbles a bit and keeps staring at his unusable Windows after which he follows me to get a fresh (clean!) coffee.
  When the system and programs have finally started it takes another 30-60 minutes of high disk operations from some obscure MS processes before my laptop stops acting slow. I don't know what this Windows 10 is doing, but I don't like it. I've found some clues on the Internet why I could be so slow (some services installed with Visual Studio or an incompatibility issue with a source control service), but I refuse to fix Microsoft's and my marketing run company problems. It is never a good idea to run any new Microsoft operating system and I'm still mad with the fact that I had to downgrade my Ubuntu desktop to Windows 8.1 earlier this year... Hopefully my next job interview will release me from this Microsoft kool aid drinking marketing team, but the economy in my region is still not on rails and I still should be careful to not lose my job. Microsoft has way too much power, including power over what companies should run on their computers (no Ubuntu for example).
11. Re: Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:39 · Score: 0
  
  Wow, you were forced by your employer to switch from Ubuntu to Windows? I hope you can get out of that company at your earliest.
  My employer is actively switching users from Windows to either RHEL or Debian (I've been solely on Linux at work for nearly 8 years now). The performance problems you speak of with Windows is nothing new, that OS is really a piss-poor performing operating system (it's core function to deal with the hardware and run applications).
12. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 11:49 · Score: 0
  
  That word literally means "splashed". To fully mimic the vulgar internet usage of the term, you can add the words "with cum" to that, because Rule 34 applies even to individual words.
13. Re:Not just Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 10:44 · Score: 0
  
  you have permanently corrupted my dreams of noodles.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:17 · Score: 1

this is great, how does my wife get all of her garage band files to play on linux?
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:37 · Score: 0

They will play just fine -- not sure what your point is? Seriously, just download and test drive Linux Mint -- have the wife play her music, see if the OS will work for you or not.
BTW: I would suggest the Mint edition that includes non-free proprietary codecs (like MP3) if that is a concern for you. Also, VLC is an extremely capable media player/viewer that supports virtually every digital media format (for audio and video) known to man.
GIMP is included if you like doing amature photo editing (think Adobe Photoshop). LibreOffice is included (supports MS Office file formats).
The area where Linux is lacking is gaming, though Steam is working hard to get more Linux support for popular video games.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:40 · Score: 1

computers are a means and not an end.
Very true. However, I want my computer to work for MY means, not some company's.
Besides, all this spying can have consequences far into the future. Brendan Eich was fired for making a donation to a voting campaign that won; in other words, he lost his job for being in the majority at the time. He was fired six years after making the donation. Paula Deen lost millions because she said a bad word about someone who had held a gun to her head, twenty years after it happened.
What are you doing right now, that is perfectly legal and socially acceptable... that a few years down the road will have become regarded as the depths of human depravity? What will it cost you when it comes out -- and it can come out, because you're letting them record you doing it.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:41 · Score: 1

They will play just fine

what linux application loads garage band files?
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:44 · Score: 0

I guess she will have to be fine with the creepy guy from Microsoft following her around when she does her shopping then. That you're fine with it is already apparent.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:47 · Score: 0

Not sure why you are modded down. If played well, the current situation with Windows 10 will be a golden opportunity for RMS, FSF and Linux...
The MS fanboys (and possibly astroturfers) are out in force these days. Most well-known tech sites are infested with them lately, always there to rise up and defend Win10 in anyway possible.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 02:47 · Score: 0, Insightful

Didn't all you neckbeards say that when 8 came out? Also Vista.
There will never be a year of the Linux desktop. People (except nerds) just don't give a shit. Their computers are just appliances to help them get done what they need to do, and while you nerds are tinkering with them, common folks are out living life, having fun, or advancing their lives or helping the world in some way.
Sometimes the truth is harsh.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:49 · Score: 1

Paula Deen lost millions because she said a bad word about someone who had held a gun to her head, twenty years after it happened.
It was more than one bad word, and HOW THE FUCK do you "lose" money that you never actually had in the first place?
"On June 21, 2013, due to a controversy regarding Deen's admission, during a deposition for a lawsuit, that she had used racial slurs, The Food Network announced they will not renew her contract."
Oh and how SAD IT ALL IS:
"It was announced that on September 24, 2014 Paula will unveil her very own network. "
GOSH it's SO SAD that she ONLY has enough money to start ONE network.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 02:53 · Score: 1

I guess she will have to be fine with the creepy guy from Microsoft following her around when she does her shopping then. That you're fine with it is already apparent.
what microsoft guy? garage band runs on BSD, the OSX flavor.
Indispensable app on Windows? by FlaSheridn · 2015-08-23 03:03 · Score: 1

Real Quicken.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:07 · Score: 0

You're confusing people. We're all thinking you mean stuff recorded in someone's garage, but what you're talking about is a proprietary commercial product called "GarageBand". Which, incidentally, supports many file formats that Linux has not trouble with at all.
And is different from using GarageBand as a recording and editor tool. but Linux has some pretty nice tools for those uses as well.
Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:20 · Score: 0

Ignore my brother-in-law, he posts drunk a lot.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:21 · Score: 0

Oh, you are talking about the "GarageBand" product from Apple? You should ask them to port their proprietary application over to Linux. Anyhow, I must retort: How does your wife play her "GarageBand" music on Windows or any other non-Apple OS?
In the meantime, you can export GarageBand into a non-proprietary format that would be compatible with Linux (and Windows, portable players, and various automobile-audio systems): for example: AIFF, MP3, MP4 -- you know, something standard.
Also, consider using Audacity as an open-source alternative to GarageBand: http://audacityteam.org/
For sure, if you are dead-set on using proprietary software that is not available on Linux (or at least on Windows), then you may be blocked. However, if there is a port of the application to at least Windows, you can run that application on Linux using PlayOnLinux/WINE. For example, you can run iTunes on Linux via this method, and I assume that iTunes can play here GarageBand files? See instructions here: http://www.ossdoc.com/2013/01/how-to-install-itune-on-linux-mint-and.html
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:34 · Score: 0

Where did you quote that from? Is it permissible in your country's legal system to make use of someone else's quote like that? Will it be permissible in five years from now? Will the source of that quote, probably a news source, do a search six years from now when it's no longer possible to freely quote without payment, find out that you quoted them, and charge you with "theft of source" (or whatever the newcrime will be called).
Because, you know, that sort of thing was what the poster you replied to was talking about... but you wanted to go all nutso over one example that was referred to, to support his point, that was not 100% spelled out to your liking. Or to put it in terms you're far more likely to understand: Way to miss the point, you ignorant fucking moron.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:45 · Score: 0

1. You're being an ass to someone who was trying to be helpful. :P
2. LMMS might meet your needs if you're honestly considering switching. It supports several standard formats. I suspect that Apple probably has a proprietary format for GarageBand, though, and I'm pretty sure you're just fucking with him and aren't considering switching.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 03:53 · Score: 0

Give it up, you are only making yourself look more and more retarded every second. Now OSX is BSD, too. lol, GTFO.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by FranTaylor · 2015-08-23 03:57 · Score: 0

so again I ask how my wife can play her garage band files on linux?
people keep saying that linux can do anything other operating systems can do
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:01 · Score: 0

Export as OMF and open with Ardour or Harrison Mixbus.
If you have trouble with that the newer versions of Logic will open Garageband files perfectly and export OMF for you,
You'll get a much better mixing experience as a result - especially with Mixbus, that thing is amazing. I have the LinuxDSP plugin pack made by ex SSL engineers and a few of Harrison's own addons.
As a bonus. Mixbus runs on Mac, WIndows and Linux.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:22 · Score: 0

Are you garbage band trolling or what?
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by chipschap · 2015-08-23 04:26 · Score: 1

>For sure, if you are dead-set on using proprietary software that is not available on Linux (or at least on Windows), then you may be blocked. However, if there is a port of the application to at least Windows, you can run that application on Linux using PlayOnLinux/WINE.
Full disclosure: I am a Linux bigot. As to the first statement, yes, I do have to say, sometimes someone is genuinely 'blocked' as you put it --- stuck with Windows for some essential proprietary application. This is however, in my observation at least, much less often than people think, the primary driver being as someone mentioned in a post above, a management mandate to use Windows where you work. Other than that, the cases seem to be very specific and limited--- a hospital's MRI software or something like that.
As to the second statement, Wine/PlayOnLinux is viable for some things, but very definitely not all. Even a VM is not a solution for every application or game, so I don't go too far down that road when I recommend Linux. The real answer is finding Linux applications that do what you need to do, and I've been able to do that almost all the time.
Heck, my wife runs Linux and doesn't even know it, nor does she care. She does everything she needs and wants to do and I don't have to worry quite so much about malware.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by LVSlushdat · 2015-08-23 04:36 · Score: 3, Interesting

I have a sneaking hunch that my small business I have upgrading systems still running XP, mostly older retired folks (like me) to Linux may get a BIG shot in the arm soon, once joe-six-pack finds out just how pervasive the spying is on Microsoft's new OS.. Expert opinion is that not only keylogging, but streaming both any microphone or webcam data goes out to Microsoft servers.. I guess they figure its all good because they couch it in oh-so-mealy terms in their massive EULA, but once Joe-six-pack catches on and has this blatant spying thrown in his face, I predict you're gonna see a MASSIVE increase in Linux's adoption rate... Just sayin..

--
THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:37 · Score: 3, Insightful

Sorry, no. If FB et al proved one thing, then that people don't give half a shit about their privacy as long as you give them the noose for their neck for free.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
*start donating more to free software projects* by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:47 · Score: 0

Both hardware vendors (Intel, AMD, Microsoft, and Apple) and software vendors alike are implementing privacy invasive code. ThinkPenguin's decided not to move to Skylake (Intel's next generation tech) over it and there are serious concerns about what is already in modern X86 hardware. Intel's got this thing called a firmware management engine of which it is not releasing code and *is* capable of doing all sorts of nefarious spying stuff. It can't be replaced because 1. its propritary 2. reverse engineered firmware to replace it won't run because of signature checks, and its core is actually licensed by Intel from a third party. Manufacturers can't opt out of any of this either, not that many would anyway, but there are at least two or three companies which have tried. The big one was Google. ThinkPenguin and minifree (Gluglug) also tried. There was a third company fraudulently *trying* (ie saying one thing and knowing it to be false/impossible).
I don't have a suggestion on which projects to fund, except one or two, Trisquel, a 100% free distribution which has always been underfunded. The other would be the Free Software Foundation. Which while they're not exactly in the black there never will really be enough money to do everything that is needed. The EFF has a better chance at resolving some of these problems, but I'm uncertain they're in a position to do so. The one hardware project they attempted was largely a failure. I think the FSF is in a better position to actually inch things forward here. Add EFF promotion and it'll probably be all the better off.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by fahrbot-bot · 2015-08-23 04:50 · Score: 1

HOW THE FUCK do you "lose" money that you never actually had in the first place?
Based on an estimate of how much money you expect you could/would have earned otherwise.
The pharmaceutical industry does this when determining how much to charge for a drug. It's not actually (or solely) based on actual development costs, but also - and mainly (from the articles I've read) - based on how much the company would have earned by simply investing that money instead doing development. For example, from: The Make-Believe Billion

The statistic Big Pharma typically cites ... is that the cost of bringing a new drug to market is about $1 billion. Now a new study indicates the cost is more like, um, $55 million.
I'm not saying this is morally/ethically right, just answering your question.

--
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Windows 10? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 04:56 · Score: 0

Who wants to use Windows anyway?
Re:Piracy is for suckers by Opportunist · 2015-08-23 04:59 · Score: 1

Yeah, this certainly is the problem here. Screw these people and their privacy, there's profit on the line!

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Just do it: by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:00 · Score: 0

:-) yes... except it doesn't run on as many platforms...
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:04 · Score: 0

Us "nerds" are converting people over to the Linux in droves. Just this week I have two more coworkers on Linux now, who were originally on Windows.
I've also converted some of my neighbors to Linux -- the most recent was a family whose PC was hijacked and they paid the ransom to the hackers (they paid before they told me their problem).
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by spire3661 · 2015-08-23 05:09 · Score: 1

One MINOR caveat. Optical discs are generally READ ONLY, this is an important attribute that gets lost in the discussion about USB flash drives. Optical OS install still has its place, if for no other reason than you know you are installing an untainted copy. I really hate optical drives, but they are still necessary.

--
Good-bye
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by jazzis · 2015-08-23 05:31 · Score: 1

rhythmbox with "bad" (codec) gstreamer plugins http://crunchbang.org/forums/v...
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:41 · Score: 0

My experience is actually that "common foks" are spending a lot of time complaining that their computers don't do what they want, now that they use them all the time.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:44 · Score: 0

If you are not even going to post what codecs it uses.
Then big surprise nobody is going to bother to tell you how to play it.
Much less even the file extension.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:56 · Score: 0

You've been proven a troll and Apple fanboy. You've had multiple responses from myself and others about your proprietary Apple-only "GarageBand" software, and how you could move over to FOSS.
Please do not move to Linux, we do not want you in our community.
Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 05:57 · Score: 0

Yeah, all the sailors enjoyed her too, just last week. She spreads joy pretty much wherever she goes... along with all those spirochaetes. Be sure to pay up front, though; Daddy gets angry when guys try to stiff her in that particular fashion.
Far from it & it's been there before by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:13 · Score: 0

Windows bypasses hosts for Windows update too. I wouldn't want that blocked.
BESIDES: Hosts DO block things like malware + botnets communication to their C&C Servers, ads, & other threats online too (trackers, spam/phish, etc. - et al) & still work on ALL versions of Windows.
(Win8 onward needs to have antivirus rules setups for exclusions, namely WINDOWS DEFENDER only afaik, for hosts to work right there, AND, firewall rules to let my program run on it... only problem, unlike Win7 on down to earlier models? Disabling the slow usermode clientside dnscache service is needed to be done on them also... this doesn't WORK on Win8 onward!
Mr. Ballmer saw to that! He's a fool...
E.G. - he spent MILLIONS on a losing proposition in ad networks MS lost out on bigtime due to that FOOL'S stupidity trying to make MS into GOOGLE, failing that too, (& messing up a MS OS!).
MS circa Sept/Oct 2009 Windows update also f'd up hosts by making it LESS efficient, removing 0 as a VALID blocking address (which MS' own VP of Client performance even AGREED with me on here on /. no less -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )
I wrote them on it @ Sinofsky's blog "Building Windows" & was it fixed? No.
This proves my point they're attempting to be an "Advertising power" like Apple/Google & failing, but also failing Windows' users too.
APK
P.S.=> Hosts are just the BEST all-around "shotgun approach". doing FAR more for FAR LESS (especially vs. inferior browser addons) vs. many things other than ad blocking only as noted above!
Hosts, combined with firewalls (another something you already have natively built-in like hosts - albeit firewalls are used vs. IP address based threats (the by FAR lesser threat vs. host-domain based ones which hosts cover as PART OF THE IP STACK ITSELF, not a layered-on FILTERING DRIVER, like firewalls ARE, mind you)) you have ALL you need pretty much, natively, & NO NEED to "bolt on 'MOAR'" stupidly, inefficiently, + wastefully... apk
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Use by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:17 · Score: 0

Yeah, sure... (snicker)
Nothing good's ever come out of you by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:19 · Score: 0

Prove otherwise. It has from ME though by comparison -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...
* :)
(That's only scratching the surface of what I could put out on TOP of that too... including commercially sold code that bears my name to this day for decades now too, from a certified MS partner that bought it out from me, which reviewed excellently in Windows NT magazine as far back as 1996, & was a FINALIST 2 yrs. in a ROW @ MS Tech-Ed 2000-2002 in its HARDEST CATEGORY: SQLServer Performance Enhancement... how about you? ZERO I wager...)
APK
P.S.=> You all make me laugh... apk
1. Re:Nothing good's ever come out of you by Khyber · 2015-08-23 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  "was a FINALIST 2 yrs. in a ROW @ MS Tech-Ed 2000-2002 in its HARDEST CATEGORY: SQLServer Performance Enhancement"
  That isn't saying much considering how much of a POS SQLServer happens to be.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:23 · Score: 0

Joe-six-pack would have to get out of his chair though. I hear it's real comfy. :\
They're weak jackasses man... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:25 · Score: 0

See subject: REAL nerds that act like women spreading falsehoods vs. truths I put out vs. their crap, like here now http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... regarding their utter bullshit.
APK
P.S.=> Try & UNDERSTAND - these are the guys who watched you get a blowjob from their girl, while you MADE THEM WATCH, since they have no balls & act worse than gossipy old women since they never have ONCE even validly technically ever disproven a thing I've written on hosts files - not once!
(Heck - they haven't managed to create anything they can show they've done in computing too that did well (I have MANY times as noted here to Opportunist here in this exchange -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... ) Thus - They're not even GOOD @ BEING NERDS & are just "ne'er-do-wells" in this life)... apk
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:36 · Score: 0

Not sure why you are modded down. If played well, the current situation with Windows 10 will be a golden opportunity for RMS, FSF and Linux...
orly? In case you haven't heard, systemd does the same centralized spying that win10 does. So, no thanks to the so-called freedom loving OS RMS is peddling.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Insanity+Defense · 2015-08-23 06:41 · Score: 1

Paula Deen lost millions because she said a bad word about someone who had held a gun to her head, twenty years after it happened.
You know I'd never heard of this woman so I looked it up. You are in fact totally wrong.
She in fact did not have her show renewed when a court case was started against her, her brother and her company alleging "several instances of sexual and racial workplace discrimination." The gun incident was one she admitted (during the case as testimony) to using the word Nigger about and the show was already canceled by then, it didn't cause the cancellation.
Here... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:42 · Score: 0

http://localghost.org/posts/a-...
(If you need IP addresses? Ping those host-domain names there...)
* Lastly - DO TEST THAT ARTICLE'S PREMISE & DATA YOURSELF!
(Easy to do using wireshark or tools like NirSoft's many networking tools)
APK
P.S.=> Enjoy... apk
1. Re:Here... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 11:31 · Score: 0
  
  FTL:
  
  All text typed on the keyboard is stored in temporary files, and sent (once per 30 mins) to:
  oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
  pre.footprintpredict.com
  reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
  LOLOL, is this real? If it is, it's downright criminal.
Anyone know what to block? by Bomarc · 2015-08-23 06:48 · Score: 1

Has anyone looked into blocking unwanted communication with mother Microsoft? Using host file, or other techniques (example: router) to keep the system from communicating with servers...
1. Re:Anyone know what to block? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:04 · Score: 0
  
  Netlimiter
2. Re:Anyone know what to block? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 13:42 · Score: 0
  
  Other commenters have said that some processes ignore the host file and if you block the traffic using a firewall that the OS will complain and refuse to work. I assume that's just components and not the whole OS.
  From what I've seen of Windows 10 it doesn't look as bad as Windows 8 so it may catch on. From everything I've read the only sane thing is to steer clear. Apparently there are telemetry patches for Windows 7 also so if you stay patched there MS is already being more intrusive.
  I'd say isolate any Windows installs as best as you can. Give up on Windows gaming. Either do linux or buy a PS4 or play Android/iOS games... Any but give Microsoft another single $0.01 USD... The sad thing is I know they have some talented and smart people working for them. I fear the only way to truly save them is to cut off all the heads of the beast. Thankfully their strangle hold on software is already significantly weakened and there's a lot of alternate options for many work flows. I think inertia is keeping them going for a lot of folks.
3. Re:Anyone know what to block? by bloodhawk · 2015-08-23 16:01 · Score: 1
  
  some commenters believe Obama is an alien, the moon landings were faked and that the government is personally out to get them. seriously thousands of organisations run the OS where the desktop can't even access the internet at all, they work fine, including the ones where I work. conspiracy theorists are amazing in the shit they will make up, isn't there already enough REAL issues where we don't have to make up shit like that and look like tinfoil hat wearers.
Good idea by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 06:59 · Score: 0

This is the right way to do thing.
Microsoft, Apple, Google and a number of other companies use every dirty trick in the book to gain CONTROL over your data, and be a monopoly, so turn about is fair play. Use the same tricks they do to block them from accessing your web site.
CNN thinks they get to apply a EULA to anybody simply visiting the site, so apply your own EULA to your data, your likeness, your name and any other personal information. By attempting to collect any such information they re agreeing to your terms and conditions.
Court's be damned, Laws be damned. They play their games, we play ours.
NSA backdoor by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:19 · Score: 0

MS pretty much says Windows10 is back-doored for NSA, etc.
I'm wondering how much of this was quietly forced on them.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:26 · Score: 0

What the fuck are you talking about? Pray tell what spying is systemD doing? Back your shit up with citation from a security researcher, you fucking troll!
There is plenty of security research available online of the privacy invading "features" of Windows-10. Hell, just peruse Slashdot's history over the past few months to see the articles and discussions.
Gotta love the FUD. by mindmaster064 · 2015-08-23 07:40 · Score: 1

Yes, and the same people freaking out about the data Microsoft collects are the same ones using Google Chrome which reports even more useful information than anything Microsoft collects. So much FUD here. Anyway, running Tails through a VM + VPN is probably enough.
1. Re:Gotta love the FUD. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 17:44 · Score: 0
  
  The difference is that most of us trust Google. I wouldnt trust Microsoft to take out my trash.
2. Re:Gotta love the FUD. by ilsaloving · 2015-08-24 07:56 · Score: 1
  
  Your example is a bad one for one very important reason: Google Chrome doesn't have a monopoly. Microsoft does. You *have* to play Microsoft's game because computers around the world rely on their stuff.
  There may be the few outliers that manage to be able to use Linux or Apple for the majority of their work, but the fact remains that ~80% of the world uses Windows, and the Windows tail wags the dog. Need to buy a new machine? Well, you get Windows 10 now.
  Now maybe people will start to understand why monopolies are dangerous things. I'm sure Richard Stallman is having a grand old case of the I-told-you-so's right now.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:50 · Score: 0

What does this have to do with anything? Garageband doesn't even run under Windows. It's a MacOS/IOS program. If you want a unix machine that can run garageband, buy a Mac. **shrug**
So what? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:58 · Score: 1

I don't want Microsoft spying on my shit, but everything I do still goes through my ISP -- so it's pretty irrelevant unless you think you can magically trust - say - Comcast as much or more than you can trust Microsoft... which you can't.
1. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 16:23 · Score: 0
  
  TORbrowser
Let's Not Forget by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 07:59 · Score: 0

Ubuntu opened these floodgates.
It's more than you've done Khyber by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 08:58 · Score: 0

All YOU do vs. myself is FAIL! Witness it again here http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
Khyber can't identify malware properly... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 09:05 · Score: 0

See my subject & Khyber's FAIL on that note here http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
APK
P.S.=> You're such a stooge Khyber - now, everyone gets to see HOW MUCH of an incompetent ignoramus you are in every post you make... thanks! apk
VMs? by FrozenGeek · 2015-08-23 09:26 · Score: 2

Question: Does Windows 10 spy on what you do using a VM? If not, run your preferred *NIX variant in a VM under Windows 10 and do whatever you like.
If it does spy on your activities within a VM, consider flipping things around: *NIX running a VM that contains Windows 10.
I do understand that there is value to MS in sending data home and, yes, there is some value to us in having data sent home to MS. That said, if it is out of my control, the cost is far greater than any value I receive, so it ain't gonna happen. I was intending to upgrade one of my computers to Windows 10 Enterprise, but until I can confirm that no data get phoned home outside my control, not a chance. And in case Satya is listening, yes, I've managed to discourage my employer from upgrading to Windows 10 (given that security is a major consideration for us, data being phoned home outside of our control is a non-starter).

--
linquendum tondere
1. Re:VMs? by yuhong · 2015-08-24 04:20 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Win10 enterprise has the no telemetry option for a reason.
Can't wait for 10 years from now. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 09:28 · Score: 0

The lot of you will finally be adults. Get over yourselves.
You've written a better database engine? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 09:46 · Score: 0

See subject: Where is it? It's not. You're a blowhard fail -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
* Truer words were NEVER spoken on /. ...
APK
P.S.=> Tell us - how's it taste, "eating your words" in that link above, Khyber? LMAO... apk
1. Re:You've written a better database engine? by Khyber · 2015-08-23 19:19 · Score: 1
  
  You have yet to prove SQLServer isn't shit.
  So, no, you fail.
  Try again when you've got a 30kB database that can parse billions of rows a second and a website that can render those results in microseconds (and show you all the associated porn with it, too!)
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
2. Re:You've written a better database engine? by Khyber · 2015-08-23 21:28 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, and so you know - said database is part of my GAME.
  A literal 2D Second Life where you can do ANYTHING.
  Try again when you understand that SQL Server is shit and better databases have existed well before SQLS ever did.
  SQL Server does not support MINUS, nor INTERSECT - what a shitty database.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Lots of people have been pushing gaming on linux.. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 11:04 · Score: 0

Dating back to the 90s.
Crack.com (Makers of Abuse) who had a linux demo version included with Slackware 3.0, id Software after the wolf/doom leaks (While there is debate about this, I distinctly remember them not going 'all open sourcey' until after those had been leaked.)
Loki Software, sans Draekar. Which was the catalyst for both SDL and linux OpenAL.
tuxgames
happypenguin
linuxgames
Tons of mesa developers who wrote drivers FROM SCRATCH, often with incomplete or no docs. Hell Mesa itself was written like that as an OGL implementation.
3dfx (My first well supported linux OGL card)
Utah-GLX, responsible for early Nvidia 3d acceleration.
It's pretty bad... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 12:23 · Score: 0

See subject - & there's a LOT more of them shown there, & again: Test it yourself...
* It's even recommended to do so yourself...
Lastly - that article, & things like it I'd seen on VISTA, Win8x onwards too? Sealed the deal for me - no Windows 10 for me @ least... as I think that MS has lost its collective mind once Ballmer got hold of things to ruin it (to try to turn MS into "an advertising power", & to be GOOGLE - big fail there, buying up an advertising network that cost MS many million$, only to fail!)
APK
P.S.=> Very easy to do, GUI easy in fact, using these tools from Nirsoft -> http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/i... (I'd recommend using Network Latency View in fact - I use it quite a lot for determining what is connecting to me that I CAN'T see easily, like trackers & especially those served by IP Address (goes into a firewall rules table then, vs. hosts files))... apk
Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by emil · 2015-08-23 12:44 · Score: 5, Informative

It appears these updates are usage trackers:
KB 2952664
KB 3022345
This is the core Windows 10 update nagware:
KB 3035583
These updates should be permanently removed and ignored on well-run systems.
What other updates should be removed and banned from Windows 7/8 in the interest of privacy?
1. Re:Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by Jiro · 2015-08-23 13:54 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  3021917 (update for Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program
  3068708 (update for CEIP and telemetry)
  3080149 (update for CEIP and telemetry)
  3075249 (telemetry)
  2990214 (Windows 10 upgrade) (I suppose this isn't technically privacy. And Microsoft claims you actually need it; your choice whether to believe them. Also, 3044374 for Windows 8.1.
2. Re:Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 14:38 · Score: 0
  
  This needs a wiki page where more can be added as they come up. Anyone care to host/manage?
  I'm not updating Win7 anymore, moving to ManjaroLinux full-time, Win7 is now gaming only. My partner doesn't have that option though...
3. Re:Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by emil · 2015-08-23 16:09 · Score: 2
  
  Where should we put this?
  What would happen if we put this on the main wiki for Windows 7?
  KB 2952664 (telemetry)
  KB 2990114 (telemetry)
  KB 3021917 (Customer Experience Improvement Program)
  KB 3022345 (telemetry)
  KB 3035583 (nagware for Windows 10)
  KB 3068708 (telemetry)
  KB 3075249 (telemetry)
  KB 3080149 (CEIP and telemetry)
4. Re:Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 17:47 · Score: 0
  
  It appears these updates are usage trackers:
  What other updates should be removed and banned from Windows 7/8 in the interest of privacy?
  Um, the one that installed the shitware OS? How about that one?
  Saw a .sig that read, "the software said it required Windows 98 or better," so I said, "great," as I've installed GNU/Linux!
  Things better than Windows 10: being stabbed in the eye with a rusty dagger, being kicked in the balls by an enraged steer, having your intestines ripped out and the bottom end of your colon sewn directly to your lips, turning you into an alimentary Klein bottle, getting gored on an elephant tusk while being waterboarded using a skunk's diarrhea, watching a family of rabid, carnivorous sloths slowly eat your children alive while you're tied up and unable to help them, the list goes on and on.
5. Re:Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 06:51 · Score: 0
  
  Also KB 3068708
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3068708
6. Re: Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by Fish+(David+Trout) · 2015-08-24 18:53 · Score: 1
  It appears these updates are usage trackers:
  
  KB 2952664
  KB 3022345
  
  No. KB 2952664 is a Compatibility update for upgrading Windows 7. It has nothing to do with telemetry.
  And KB 3022345 -- which does have to do with telemetry -- has been superseded by KB 3068708.
  Other telemetry updates are:
  
  KB 3075249 "Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7"
  
  KB 3080149 "Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry"
  
  .
  Then there is KB 3021917 ("Update to Windows 7 SP1 for performance improvements") which is sort of a telemetry update insomuch as it does indeed send back telemetry data to Microsoft, but supposedly only data related to performance issues and not actual usage.
  That's all I know about.
  --
  "Fish" (David B. Trout)
7. Re:Remove KB 2952664 and what else? by drinkypoo · 2015-08-24 23:51 · Score: 1
  
  What would happen if we put this on the main wiki for Windows 7?
  I don't know, but I know what happens when I share your comment to G+. Even Slashdot haters reshare it, and use it.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by CODiNE · 2015-08-23 12:49 · Score: 1

Yeah, just like that massive reaction to NSA spying that rocked the nation. Oh wait.... Nobody cares.

--
Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by thegarbz · 2015-08-23 13:33 · Score: 1

but once Joe-six-pack catches on and has this blatant spying thrown in his face, I predict you're gonna see a MASSIVE increase in Linux's adoption rate... Just sayin..
What world do you live in where Joe-six-pack cares about his privacy?
People can't even give up Facebook let alone something far more subtle and discrete like the Windows 10 fiasco.
Yes, Joe Sixpack will install Linux, ... and then reinstall Windows when he realises that he can't run MS Office, or Photoshop Elements under Linux.
Simple fix by p51d007 · 2015-08-23 15:25 · Score: 1

Run a VM, and install and older OS...
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 15:38 · Score: 0

I have a sneaking hunch that my small business I have upgrading systems still running XP, mostly older retired folks (like me) to Linux may get a BIG shot in the arm soon, once joe-six-pack finds out just how pervasive the spying is on Microsoft's new OS.. Expert opinion is that not only keylogging, but streaming both any microphone or webcam data goes out to Microsoft servers.. I guess they figure its all good because they couch it in oh-so-mealy terms in their massive EULA, but once Joe-six-pack catches on and has this blatant spying thrown in his face, I predict you're gonna see a MASSIVE increase in Linux's adoption rate... Just sayin..
This will happen right after they realize their smartphone has been doing as far back as the first version of their iPhone and Android. The second Blackberry's foothold as a business smartphone wavered, no new consumer smartphone has been made with business-tennets such as (corporate) privacy and security. I still see BYOB alive and kicking even in the government world. The war is over, and near everybody is too distracted by their shinies to have bothered noticing the big stab wound the device blew our of our chests.
Microsoft just waited until there was nowhere else for the mainstream to run to. Who is REALLY going to switch their multi-national enterprise workstations to linux over privacy concerns, when training is so expensive and the risks are so hard to trace because they are so poorly understood?
Block at firewall by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 16:39 · Score: 0

Could we just block outgoing connections to anything Microsoft? Anyone have a range of addresses that Win10 (or 7 & 8 too according to the one article) that we can just plain block at the router/firewall level? Temporarily unblock for any required updates.
Re:Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users. by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-23 17:53 · Score: 0

Sorry, no. If FB et al proved one thing, then that people don't give half a shit about their privacy as long as you give them the noose for their neck for free.
You're high, dude. FB didn't prove that, as many people have privacy settings enabled that prevent strangers from viewing their shit, many people don't give FB real personal information, (I never did, they think my name is Smo King Moe, born July 4th, 1976,) and a lot of us use FB with adblockers so it doesn't matter WHAT ads they try to serve. Not viewing them, bitches!
But, but, you might say, THAT cuts into their ad revenue...
So? Zuck Fuckerberg!
You're not answering the question by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 00:15 · Score: 0

See subject, quit running from it here -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
APK
P.S.=> What's the matter? Scared of showing you ARE a blowhard?? Yes... apk
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by psyclone · 2015-08-24 05:58 · Score: 1

If the .band files are audio-only, such as .aiff, then Audacity can play them. If they have MIDI files, you'll need to first export to wav/mp3/aiff/m4a/etc, then play them on anything.
Here is a list of alternatives for composing on Linux.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 06:01 · Score: 0

And at half-way through the six-pack, Joe will continue not giving any shits about privacy.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-24 13:42 · Score: 0

Are you a moron? Joe six pack doesn't give a fuck about Microsoft "spying" on them. Zero fucks given. All joe six pack cares about is getting to facebook and porn.
I have bad news for you by goombah99 · 2015-08-25 02:29 · Score: 1

Long time windows hater here , use Macs and Linux, but I accidentally ended up with a windows PC a month ago. My first impression of it, with windows 8 installed, was oh my god, I heard that windows 8 was ten steps back, but I had no idea everyone was right. It was far less intuitive and usable than XP for example. But I decided to upgrade to windows 10 because I had read some good reviews but diehard mac users. From an out of the box factory recovery of windows 8 to an installed windows 10 was an 8 hour ordeal with a few cryptic steps one had to google along the way. It's truly mind boggling that that Microsoft can't figure out how it install a new OS in less than 8 hours. I was going as fast as one could go, the problem was not the dowload speed, that was instant comparitaively on my fast connection. It was that it had to do about 250 incremental and 2 major system updates before it would let you even request windows 10.
Anyhow once I got windows 10 installed. I was expecting to hate it. I'm sort of upset that it's so good. It basically is very close to a well configured linux mint in look and feel. The start menus is back and those crazy pants tiles with tonnes of crap you never asked for are wrangled into a small corner of the start menu and trimmed down to just the things you use a lot. The best description of the OS is that it no longer gets in your way so it's more like every other OS now.
It's still baffling in the directory layout and the mysteries of the registry. And since I have no idea how to use power shell I feel completely helpless; unistalls are inscrutable. And there's still the problem of crapware that burdens this. After you install Norton Utilities tries to trick you into installing it before revealing that it is payware. Within 2 weeks I got the entrire system trojaned with mal ware. I wasn't trying to do anything bad at all. I was trying to install an editor for minecraft mods and it came wrapped in something called openDownloader which just hosed my system. I told the windows 10 to revert it self, so I lost all my installs but at least got my computer back from the grave. What's meaningful about that ordeal is that it was the first time in my entire life that I got hit with malware. Iv'e certainly managed to download accidental malware on linux and mac, but it's always been possible for me to either inspect it enough to figure it out beofre the install or to install it under conditions (like not root or with a sandbox) that it was neutered or at the very least find every file that got touched. So malware has never been a problem for me before ever before I used a modern windows machine.
So between the 8 hour ordrdeal and the instant rooting I'm not a fan on Microsoft design. But if you are a savy windows user, have an already updated computer (not a factor reinstall) then installation will be a snap, and you will love this operating system. It's so mac and linux mint like.

--
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by david_thornley · 2015-08-25 03:41 · Score: 1

I think Facebook and Windows 10 are different things here.
I know what information I put on Facebook, so combine that with what people can get from my web searches and such and I can have some idea what privacy I'm getting up. Also, I get benefits from using Facebook, so it's a matter of balancing what level of privacy I want against how much I want to stay connected to certain friends and family. (For simplicity's sake, I assume that Facebook has no privacy settings, so anything I put on Facebook can be seen by anybody. I know it's not quite true, but it's close enough.)
W10, as far as I know, has a EULA that says Microsoft can snoop on everything I do, and there's no reason to do that. Windows 7 does pretty much what I want in a Microsoft operating system, and doesn't do that snooping.

--
"When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
I proved YOU're shit... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-25 06:24 · Score: 0

"NOD32 detects a trojan in APK's HOSTS bullshit." - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)
VirusTotal & NOD32 SHOW IT COMPLETELY CLEAN IN ITS EXES
https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
AND
https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
There's only 2 exe's & 5 text files in it - The exe's are proven clean as shown above in the 2 links from VirusTotal, the installer's a SFX rar (keeps it 2mb smaller on download) - that's NO virus!
(Unless YOU know of a way that .txt files are "viruses")
---

"he's tying to get your fucking information." - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)
My program doesn't transmit outward ONLY intake of data from 10 reputable sources in the security community!
---

"APK is apparently too fucking stupid to do this at the ROUTER level where it's most effective" - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)
You believe in "eggshell security" which fails per -> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2...
A TRULY COMPETENT NETWORK ADMIN WOULD DO FAR MORE THAN MERE PERIMETER LEVEL SECURITY @ ROUTER LEVEL!
(Right down to the endpoints/network nodes level in PC workstations also using tools you already have in hosts + firewalls (vs. "piling on 'MOAR'" that's inefficient & not nearly as effective in slower usermode browser addons)).
---

"Windows 10 has hardcoded IPs and bypasses HOSTs." - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)
Windows ONLY bypasses hosts files for Windows update (Win8 & below) & for the tracking "telemetry" in Windows 10 (this is going to KILL Windows 10, mark my words - nobody likes tracking -> http://localghost.org/posts/a-... - test it yourself.
---

"Browsers can bypass HOSTs as well." - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)
WTF? They'd be bypassing the IP stack itself, hosts are part of it - since that's impossible? You've proven yourself a moron, again.
APK
P.S.=> See subject & "EAT YOUR WORDS"... apk
1. Re:I proved YOU're shit... apk by Khyber · 2015-08-29 01:49 · Score: 1
  
  https://www.google.com/search?...
  Son you can't even keep track of what's happening NOW. Take your Windows 98 technology and go the fuck home.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
2. Re:I proved YOU're shit... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-29 07:18 · Score: 0
  
  PROVE THIS, KHYBER:
  you claim you were cleared of a Felony conviction? Prove it!
  "Research Director"? Prove it!
  "Global Traveler"? Prove it!
  Dropped out of High School- we believe that!
  College course? Finally put your Crayons & Coloring Books to good use, right!
  A remote controlled Lab in Sealand? Prove it?
  LED consultant? Prove it?
  You can't prove shit, because that's all you are! SHIT! Your Momma should of wiped and flushed
3. Re:I proved YOU're shit... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-29 07:37 · Score: 0
  
  Khyber:
  Your life is Screwed! you did it to yourself!
  Welcome to Riverside, California
  Good chance you're on your way to Prison
4. Re:I proved YOU're shit... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-29 07:42 · Score: 0
  
  ... A very good chance!
  Bring the Vasoline, you're gonna need it!
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On User by lott11 · 2015-08-25 09:18 · Score: 1

There is no since in bothering with most of the people, they are locked in there ways. It is senseless and futile trying to making then change, they will defend to the bitter end there point of view. Most of us that have seen the light will never make then change there ways, so do not bother. But for those that are tire of loosing there rights of freedom, I will give you some tools for audio & video production. This are few simple distributions that will cover audio and video production and all frequently needed software. My kids are studying audio&video production and graphics design. They use MS & OSX at the university, but they use live sticks when they are not at home. And I tell then the same thing, use Musix, KXStudio, AVLinux, this have all the tools that you are most likely to use & need. From editing audio tracks to music production and music scores, and as to VST plugins you can get everything that you would ever need. And as far of it being out dated software Ardour will keep update in audio plugins for a modest fee. And when I say modest fee I do not mean $200 it $5.00 a month, but it best explain other read some forums you will see. https://community.ardour.org/n... Granted Linux is not all in one fix for all that is wrong in this world, but one step at a time we will get there. And as for the privacy with MS & OSX that will never simply go a way, they will be forced to comply with big brother more and more. So it is you choice. All that most of us are saying is that you are making choices that will make a difference in the future. If you give all your rights now, you will not have any in the future. You will be the same slave that so call are fighting for in other countries. Freedom is a very lucid and limited thing, and I called a thing because it is almost none existent today. Every day you have given your right under the pretext of security. Well security was defined in the middle ages. I will protect you, so I will own you. So how well did that turn out, is that what you want for your future.
Re: Dear MS. You Really Don't Want To Spy On Users by thegarbz · 2015-08-25 12:56 · Score: 1

Three things:
1) To my original point most people don't give a crap what they put on Facebook. Controlling the flow of information is something the general public do quite poorly. You may control it, but then you are also advocating not using Windows 10. This is quite a different mindset from the common person.
2) The snooping in Windows 10 are sold as perceived features with perceived real benefits. e.g. sending your contact list to aid in voice recognition is something that people with smartphones have shown to be quite happy with, likewise sharing their location with a company so that search results include the location in the search context is also widely practiced. Reading through the setup on Windows 10 MS have justified every bit of data they collect in terms of features and customer experience.
3) I hope you have been manually screening each and every update in Windows 7 otherwise you're no better off then firing up Windows 10 with every privacy invading feature enabled. Do a quick search and you'll find MS have rolled out about 10 updates to Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and even Server 2008 R2 and Server 2012.
Undetectable by using steganography by Baki · 2015-08-28 06:13 · Score: 1

They don't need to send that many data to identify you. It will be easy to pack with steganography into harmless looking logs etc.
Even by variations in the contained timestamps they could encode information.
If you don't have the source code, you'll never ever be able to detect this.
"Windows 98 technology"? Wrong... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-30 00:43 · Score: 0

Hosts aren't from Windows stupid. They're from UNIX originally dumbass.
APK
P.S.=> The day a dimwit like you can manage to actually produce a useful ware (as I have MANY times since 1994) will be "the 12th of never", lol... apk
Learn to read your links "google junkie"... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2015-08-30 00:58 · Score: 0

Opera's antiphishing filter != "ignores hosts" dimwit http://forums.opera.com/discus... & that's easily corrected and not a default. I use Opera 12.17 & know it.
FireFox bug caused 1 of the results-> https://support.mozilla.org/en...
Chrome = you're wrong YET AGAIN: Caching @ OS level has to be turned off with large hosts anyhow (with large hosts like my program makes you disable that cache since that dnscache breaks down with large hosts, & you save CPU cycles, RAM, & other i/o it was wasting thus by turning it off) http://superuser.com/questions...
* :)
LMAO!
So you're WRONG as usual, dimwit, again, just like here too (hosts != Windows 98 technology you utter moron) -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
APK
P.S.=> So much for DESPERATE little technical incompetents like "Khyber" (complete with his delusional online fantasy name, lol)... apk