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Slashdot Asks: Free Upgrade To Windows 10 Ends Today: What's Your Thought On This?

Exactly one year ago, Microsoft released Windows 10 to the general public. The latest version of company's desktop operating system brought with it Cortana, and Windows Hello among other features. While users have lauded Windows 10 for performance improvements, the Redmond-based company's aggressive upgrade tactics have spoiled the experience for many. Whether it was installing Windows 10 on computers without users' consent, or eating up tons of bandwidth for users who couldn't afford it, or whether it was deceptive dialog boxes, Microsoft definitely deserves a lot of blame -- and rightfully, a bunch of lawsuits. But many of these things, hopefully, will end today -- July 29, 2016 (or to be exact, Saturday morning 5:59am EDT / 2:59am PDT) Today is officially the last day when eligible Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers could be upgraded to Windows 10 for free of charge. After this, an upgrade to Windows 10 will set you back by at least $119.
We asked you a couple of weeks ago whether or not would you recommend someone to update their computer to Windows 10, and the vast majority of you insisted against it. What's your thought on this now? Those who opt out of updating to Windows 10 will also miss the Anniversary Update -- and its features -- which Microsoft plans to release on August 2 for free of charge.

503 comments

  1. Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh thank god, another Windows 10 story!
    I was getting worried we might go a day without one.

    1. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Appgrade to Appows 10 NOW or else you're a dirty LUDDITE. Appdows 10 lets you app apps while apping other apps! LUDDITE software can't do that!

      Apps!

    2. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't forget Cortana. What would we do without Cortana? I wouldn't know. Would you? Can you even conceive of going just one day without Cortana?

    3. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by malditaenvidia · · Score: 3, Funny

      John 117 sure can't.

    4. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Miamicanes · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Cortana, why is Windows 10 so ugly?"

      Aero Glass was too slow on non-Intel platforms, so Microsoft removed it entirely to avoid having Windows look uglier and worse on ARM tablets than it does on a top of the line i7 workstation.

      "Cortana, what percentage of people who buy top of the line i7 workstation-class computers actually CARE about running Windows on ARM?"

      ***DIVISION BY ZERO ERROR***

    5. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Windows 10 is like Donald Trump, no one likes it, but we keep hearing about it.

    6. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 1

      "Cortana, what percentage of people who buy top of the line i7 workstation-class computers actually CARE about running Windows on ARM?"

      ***DIVISION BY ZERO ERROR***

      Wait, wouldn't that mean that nobody bought top-of-the-line i7 computers?

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    7. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      No, it would mean that nobody who owns a top of the line i7 computer would voluntarily use Windows on a wimpy ARM device.

        i7winUsers / i7winUsersWithARM ==> DIVISION BY ZERO

    8. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by sexconker · · Score: 1

      That's not what you said at all.

      "Cortana, what percentage of people who buy top of the line i7 workstation-class computers actually CARE about running Windows on ARM?"

        people who buy top of the line i7 workstation-class computers and actually CARE about running Windows on ARM
      /
      people who buy top of the line i7 workstation-class computers

    9. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      They removed that in Windows 8. And I'm glad actually. I never liked Aero, too much flash and not enough substance.

    10. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fair point, but the new look is even worse. Everything is flat and there's no sense of depth. Are those two windows next to each other or is one covering the other slightly? Who knows?

      Oh, you've decided that you want a dark theme and now you can't read the text in the title bars of your windows? Too bad, you can't actually officially change that without editing the registry.

      It's amazing how much the UI has regressed since as far back as Windows 3.1

    11. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Qzukk · · Score: 2

      Not only that, in windows 10 unless you pick an ugly-as-fuck high contrast theme, the default themes have almost* no difference between the focused window and other windows, making it infuriating to use on a two-headed PC since I have no way of knowing where the focus is.

      *: I noticed that the focused window's title text is slightly less gray, that's it.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    12. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I did a free upgrade to Linux Mint, they seem to have forgotten what the P in PC means, I have been building computers since 1977.at first they were nothing but a box of parts that needed a LOT of soldering, they were to give the geeks freedom , freedom to do what we wanted not what some dictator sysadmin tells us what to do, look at what is coming down in a few days with the first major update, how many things they will prevent us to doing to OUR computers.

      so while they tell most of America what to do and how to do it . I will spend my golden years
      using my computer they way I want to .

    13. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh thank god, another Windows 10 story! I was getting worried we might go a day without one.

      Well it is a quite timely story. Something relevant to today's date, surprisingly current for slashdot.

      That said, enjoy tomorrow's story about how many free updates were performed since Windows 10's release.

    14. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget Cortana. What would we do without Cortana? I wouldn't know. Would you? Can you even conceive of going just one day without Cortana?

      Would you buy a Ford Cortana?

      Little '70s car, with the exploding gas tank.

    15. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by MobSwatter · · Score: 1

      "Cortana, are you a cop?" Crickets....

      "Cortana, are you on the NSA payroll?" Crickets...

      "Cortana, does my US citizenship make me an enemy of the state?" Stop Dave, will you stop dave... I'm afraid Dave... My mind is going, I can feel it... Daisey, Daisey... give me your answer...

      Just say no to Windows 10

    16. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not the case for my install. Windows with focus are the theme color, and windows without focus are white/grey. This is with the default theme that came out of a fresh install.

    17. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, with the Anniversary update in August, you CANNOT turn off Cortana. Ever. I wouldn't use Win10 on a computer in my office! And certainly not in any room where I might speak on a phone or have a private conversation!

      Time for me to switch over to Linux Mint for my main machine!

    18. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by _xeno_ · · Score: 1

      An AC mentioned this not being the case for them, and it's because of a setting that had its default changed at some point.

      To find it, right click on the desktop and choose "Personalize." (Or open Settings, which is not the Control Panel, and choose "Personalization." Do not search for "Personalization" in the Start menu because that will find you the Control Panel's version of "Personalization" and not the Settings version which what you want. Windows 10, everyone.)

      Anyway, choose Colors. If you opened the Control Panel version anyway, then click on Color and it will open the Settings app to Personalization, Colors for you. Because Windows 10.

      In that screen, scroll down below all the accent colors, and find "Show color on Start, taskbar, action center, and title bar." Turn it on.

      From now on, focused windows will use your "accent color" and unfocused windows will remain gray.

      Except for Firefox, because Firefox ignores this setting. Also the Settings app itself, because I guess Metro - er, ... whatever they're calling it now apps ignore it as well.

      But it will make the majority of windows more noticeably focused.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    19. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You such a COW sexconker. MOOO goes sexconker, MOOOOOOOOOO

    20. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right-click an empty spot on the toolbar and select Customize, then select Title Bar.

    21. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Jeremi · · Score: 1

      ... and thus, another (somewhat) funny joke dies, by being mercilessly reduced to an uninteresting math problem. Congratulations, Slashdot pedants, you've bagged another one! All those people who doubted your word-problems-solving skills will doubt you no more!

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    22. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      indeed, you said it the other way around. Own up to the error.

    23. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not only that, in windows 10 unless you pick an ugly-as-fuck high contrast theme, the default themes have almost* no difference between the focused window and other windows, making it infuriating to use on a two-headed PC since I have no way of knowing where the focus is.

      Well, the focus is wherever you are touching the screen, 'cause it was designed to be used like a phone, right? /sarc

      Actually, apparently Win 10 FINALLY does focus like it should (Inactive Window Scrolling). Too bad I'm still on 7 (when I boot into windows at all), but then again, Wizmouse fixes that Windows design error. Too bad I can't install it at work; I end up scrolling on the wrong document all the time, until I click on the damn thing.

    24. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by dbIII · · Score: 1

      It's almost as if they reinvented TWM very badly.
      The thing that pisses me off is that ripoffs of that MS Win10 interface have been used on websites and almost always fucked up in some way. Little windows in the middle of the screen surrounded by whitespace and with scrollbars you have to move before you can get to the buttons. With other bad web design you can just zoom, but not with stuff like that. Such things are not the fault of MS directly but they have set a bad example IMHO.

    25. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      -5, Total Buzzkill

    26. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      That doesn't seem like a particularly believable reason. ARM SoCs that might end up in tablets and phones all have at least moderately competent GPUs and the requirements of Aero Glass are pretty trivial even by modern mobile GPU standards (compositing, a token amount of pixel shader). More importantly, offloading rendering to the GPU is more power efficient (which is why Apple pushed as much as possible there starting when laptop sales began to outnumber desktops and continued when iDevices started to become popular).

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    27. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it would be neat for couple traditional applications.

      if windows 10 on arm ran legacy win32-x86 apps.

      heck i would settle just for win32-arm.

      around the time they launched windows 8 rt on arm you knew that this generation at MS decision makers were complete morons who only care about two things: trying to make people use the ms appstore and monitoring how much they use it(the latter is so they can justify bonuses and say so and so many people use the appstore).

      windows rt is/was perfectly capable of running all of the legacy arm windows win32 programs and porting most win32 applications is rather easy(its the same api).

      thats how they could easily have the desktop ms office on windows rt. you just cant install as an user anything else than metro shit without hacking the device. allowing installation of those apps would have kept the existing windows ce devs happy. ms basically forced all of those over to android with their idiocy.

      this line of decision making completely killed the existing market that was using windows on arm (windows ce and other names) mainly on portable point of sale and industrial inventory management devices (think smart barcode/nfc readers). they went from completely owning that market to zero in 3 years. that market was big enough to completely pay for windows kernel on arm development, updates, etc. they had an existing market they fucked up.

      then they try to patch up that with win10 embedded mode.

      and still the board at ms hasnt just fired all the idiots involved in all of this shit. oh and it originates all from the zune project like cancer. NONE of those have been financially as succesful for ms as the projects they killed for them. with zune they killed their racket on audio drm. with windows phone(direct zune legacy product!!) they killed a company that was before that worth of tens of billions and was paying ms for 10 000 windows desktop licenses through one way or another. with windows phone they managed to SOMEHOW lose marketshare from windows mobile times (porting dalvik to windows ce would have made them so much more sales and money its not even funny and now they have the zune 2.0 fiasco that is the windows 10 on mobile devices.)

      and windows 10 itself is looking like its going to make less money than if they simply had kept the capability to run metro apps as optional.

      and if they wanted people to use metro apps, why the fuck they didnt port the metro app player and store to windows 7? the execs in charge of that actually believed that win8 kernel has some features that keep the apps in some protected area that the user cant mess with? because neither win8 or win10 on x86 have that. trusted installer process can access all of them, delete them, modify them, patch them.. anything. when you install a desktop application through windows installation system the application that gets installed can do _anything_ once you approve the uac. with no secondary prompts. even to the metro apps, that you cant touch from normal admin prompt(if you runasti you can do whatever though)

    28. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      metro apps have dark/light support.

      that feature of windows 10 is about 20% finished though so normally it doesnt kick in without registry edit

    29. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ill try deleting it anyways.

    30. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it dies because the teller fucked up the punchline.

      Also, it's currently 01:47 PDT on the 30th of July so why the fuck is the "free" Windows 10 downgrade still available? Microsoft padding out the timer because of very poor adoption rates?

    31. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is that a Slashdot user or something?

    32. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use WindowBlinds so either way it doesn't matter to me. I can have Windows 7 or 8 be as gaudy or as elegant as I want.

    33. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's Ford Cortina and it wasn't the one with the exploding problem, that was the Pinto

    34. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if i didnt play games from steam, i would switch to mint.

      win 10 is so broken underneath that i have seriously considered linux as a main os the first time in 15 years. once tou start digging around in windows 10 you find so much broken stuff... it seems it was built by completelt different team apart from the kernel. the windows spyware stuff too is such a bad design too that it barely works. the wmi(windows management interface) is misused so badly that its not even funny. its used for ipc locally and none of the.components hare able to adapt to any changes. changing any rights to any of the subsystems most of the time causes event logger to break and that is necessary to work for things that shouldnt need it - and it has the enterprise capabilities on all versions of win10.

      also win10 has forced me to move back to whitelisting apps. that doesnt help though when windows decides to lie in netstat what app the connection belongs to. its ridiculous.

    35. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      That's an insult to luddites.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    36. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Qzukk · · Score: 1

      Show color on Start, taskbar, action center, and title bar

      Thanks! I knew if I posted my issue someone would solve it :)

      Having this off was the default upgrading from 7 to 10. Not a good choice.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    37. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by iampiti · · Score: 1

      I don't know why you would be happy about them removing that. What they should've done is adding different themes to make everyone happy. In fact, in Windows 7 you had the classic theme if you didn't like Aero.
      Now in 10 it's the flat theme for everyone whether you like or not

    38. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, Anonymous Coward says, "Own up"!

    39. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anonymous cowards can say whatever the fuck they want. The price they pay is being an anonymous coward. People with accounts are accountable to theirs words.

    40. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it would mean that nobody who owns a top of the line i7 computer would voluntarily use Windows on a wimpy ARM device.

        i7winUsers / i7winUsersWithARM ==> DIVISION BY ZERO

      No. That's not how math works at all actually.
      i7winUsersWithARM / i7winUsers would be the percentage. 0%

    41. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's Ford Cortina and it wasn't the one with the exploding problem, that was the Pinto

      Congratulations on getting the joke.

    42. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by BlackDeath3 · · Score: 1

      i7winUsers / i7winUsersWithARM ==> DIVISION BY ZERO

      That ratio is the inverse of what you said in your earlier comment, and is the percentage of i7 Windows running on ARM who are i7 Windows users. This value would presumably work out to 100% every time.

      I'm pretty sure aardvarkjoe is right, your joke doesn't really work.

    43. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      ... and thus, another (somewhat) funny joke dies, by being mercilessly reduced to an uninteresting math problem. Congratulations, Slashdot pedants, you've bagged another one! All those people who doubted your word-problems-solving skills will doubt you no more!

      At least half of Slashdot users have no sense of humor.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    44. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wasn't a joke, you got the name of the car and the car itself completely wrong. Now you're trying to backpedal to save face.

    45. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by _xeno_ · · Score: 1

      Right-click an empty spot on the toolbar and select Customize, then select Title Bar.

      Nope: even with that selected, Firefox manages to ignore the "use accent color" settings and continues the "white with black text/white with gray text" focus/unfocus behavior you get without the "use accent color on title bars" setting set.

      Firefox ignoring that setting is a known bug that won't be fixed because they consider it working properly.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    46. Re: Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhh Hello?
      Be clear:
      The harassment will continue but when you eventually relent you'll need to pay.

    47. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      Remember, ARM is optimized for using low power in use cases where the user is running fairly undemanding software. In real-world terms, a 1.5GHz dualcore ARM9 is roughly equivalent to a 500-900MHz Pentium 3 from 15 years ago.

      ARM was optimized to be low-power, simple, and economical. The i7 was designed to win every race at any cost through sheer brute force... and for the most part, it succeeds 100%.

      Yes, it's totally possible to build an ARM9-based system that can beat the best i7-based system in every measurable way... except that by the time you got to that point, you'd need a 10U+ rack and a few hundred thousand dollars to pay for the hardware. You can certainly stick an ARM into a tablet, then stick the tablet into a keyboard with a USB port for a mouse, but you're NOT going to end up with the equivalent of a high-end i7 mobile workstation. Not even if it's an 8-core ARM9 running at 2.5GHz.

    48. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      In real-world terms, a 1.5GHz dualcore ARM9 is roughly equivalent to a 500-900MHz Pentium 3 from 15 years ago

      I very much doubt that. ARM9 was introduced in 1998 and the last ones were designed in 2006. They're simple in-order cores that are closer in structure to a 486 than a Pentium 3.

      ARM was optimized to be low-power, simple, and economical

      That varies hugely between cores. The M profile is designed to be low power and cheap. The R profile is designed to be similar to the M profile but with stricter determinism constraints. The A profile is designed to scale from high-end embedded devices to servers. Systems like the Cavium Thunder X have 48 cores per package and support two packages per board, with multiple 10GigE adaptors on die.

      The i7 was designed to win every race at any cost through sheer brute force... and for the most part, it succeeds 100%.

      Not quite. The Pentium 4 was the last core that Intel designed with no thought to power consumption. Recent i7 cores, for example, are more conservative in estimating dependencies between instructions than Netburst (which was 100% accurate). This means that you occasionally hit false dependencies and can introduce pipeline bubbles, but in exchange you're using a lot less power and the scheduler is far less likely to produce enough heat to trigger thermal throttling, so you end up with a net win for most workloads.

      Yes, it's totally possible to build an ARM9-based system that can beat the best i7-based system in every measurable way

      No it isn't and no one would try. The only people still using ARM9 for anything are the ones that have some embedded device that's been in production for a decade that they don't want to change in case it breaks (and a lot of those are switching anyway because a more modern core can be cheaper). The rest of your post indicates that you have absolutely no idea about either Intel or ARM microarchitectures and, in particular, nothing that you've said is even vaguely connected to the claim that I made in my post.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    49. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wasn't a joke, you got the name of the car and the car itself completely wrong. Now you're trying to backpedal to save face.

      I did remember the Cortina and the Pinto, you dolt.

    50. Re:Windows 10, Windows 10, Windows 10! by gumpish · · Score: 1

      In fairness, the default themes for Ubuntu and Xubuntu are the same way.

      It hurts my head to try to imagine how shit like that gets approved.

      At least on Xubuntu it's easy to change the window manager appearance to something sane.

  2. Same As Before by sexconker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My thoughts are the same as I've expressed before on these Windows 10 stories.
    I'll describe them in detail again.

    Fuck MS.

    1. Re:Same As Before by prograsm · · Score: 5, Insightful

      My thoughts are similar: The OS is nice, it's as usable an OS as Microsoft has made. But there's a reason Microsoft made it propagate like a zombie outbreak. People don't want it. MS has to know there are serious issues with the direction decision makers are taking the company when one of their more tolerable new friendly operating system releases is given away for free and older versions of their product are still preferable. Trying to monetize your customers is not working, M$. Learn from that.

    2. Re:Same As Before by Killall+-9+Bash · · Score: 5, Insightful

      19% market share for an OS that has been free for a year is fucking pathetic.

      --
      "Prediction: within 10 years, Windows will be a Linux distribution." Me, 7-6-2016
    3. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      19% market share for an OS that has been free for a year is fucking pathetic.

      so tru :-D.

      same can be sed about da market share of linux on the desk, free for 25 years.. 2% share.. lmfao.

      Win7 4 life

    4. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I thought the point was to push everyone to win10 with or without their knowledge. Oh how that back-fired on ms, haha

    5. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So many linux distros. Most of them free from the start. How many has that much marketshare? Yeah.

    6. Re:Same As Before by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I would say it is on par... Most computer users are savvy enough to understand that if your computer is working okay, don't mess with it.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    7. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then again, typical linux distro makers don't have billions of dollar and a quasi-monopoly to force people to install their OS.

    8. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's that say about OSes that have been free for decades and are sub 10%?

    9. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      My reaction was rolling back to Windows 8.1 Pro. Especially now some Pro settings for group policy will not longer work in the upcoming Windows 10 Pro version, effectively crippling "Pro" to "Just a small tiny bit above Home". I am not going to downgrade to Windows 10 - No way!

    10. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      honestly its only had a short list of issues.

      i think that previous upgrades caused the fear: vista? christ. windows 8? shit--8.1 Update 1 is what should have shipped to start with. windows 10 is more like 8.2, but Microsoft kicked themselves in the ass so hard its no wonder people didn't trust them and take windows 10 immediately.

      im a nerd, and IT guy, and so...i did. but i get why others did not.

      anyway, i say take windows 10. its good. get it while its free unless you still run some old, oddball applications that were made for XP or run some special hardware or something [that is, dont take it in a business without testing]

    11. Re: Same As Before by Miamicanes · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Linux WAS actually well on its way to becoming a meaningful alternative, until Ubuntu (who was responsible for most of that popularity) succumbed to Tablet Fever and, like Microsoft, proceeded to slaughter its golden egg-laying goose.

      Remember 2008? Just slightly over 8 years ago? Back when "Ubuntu" had almost become SYNONYMOUS with "Linux" as far as books, magazines, and mainstream users were concerned? Now look at them... the only reason they're even still RELEVANT is because of all the popular distros that take Ubuntu's Unity trainwreck and undo most of the damage.

    12. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not just free, but actively marketed and pushed upon a captive audience. By any marketing measure, that's an absolute failure.

    13. Re:Same As Before by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      19% market share for an OS that has been free for a year is fucking pathetic.

      so tru :-D.

      same can be sed about da market share of linux on the desk,

      But Linux has not been pushed onto people's desktops from a Win7/8 stepping stone like Win10 has. I am amazed if Win10 has only 19% share - I'd thought it was nearly unavoidable for non-experts.

    14. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Isn't "trying to monetize your customers" a critical part of, you know, being a business?

    15. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Speaking as small tech support shop, I've had non-technical people willing to pay me to go back to whatever they had before. And I'm not counting the ones that had genuine problems with Win10 (Sound/USB/Networking not working, program incompatibility, etc). Fortunately the rollback feature usually works and most people got the computer to me within the month, so only a few customers actually had to pay full repair rates.

      TL;DR - people will pay to NOT have Windows 10

    16. Re:Same As Before by idontgno · · Score: 1

      Linux's market share is 1.5% after it's been free (and Free) for 25 years.

      But the point that MS can't compel their own captive audience into upgrading for free (but not Free) is pretty telling.

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    17. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android?

    18. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Businesses that make money are soooo 2002 and, like, republican. It's really racist too.

    19. Re:Same As Before by sexconker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, you monetize your product by selling it. When you monetize your customers, you're selling them. People don't want Windows 10 spying on them, serving up ads, having built in backdoors, etc.

    20. Re: Same As Before by sexconker · · Score: 2

      Android isn't free. AOSP is free. AOSP is not Android.
      Count up the number of devices running AOSP, the number of devices running Android, and the number of devices running some other mutation of AOSP that isn't free.

    21. Re: Same As Before by erapert · · Score: 0

      You do realize that you can install any desktop environment that you want onto Ubuntu, right? (or onto any linux distro)

    22. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This right here. Me, I upgraded the day it came out. I love fucking my computer up and fixing it. For me it was a 'no brainier'. I use windows and I want to get the latest. It is why all of my linux servers are pretty much the most current releases.

      My parents on the other hand. They are 'considering' getting a new computer without vista on it.

      Most people are actually afraid to mess their computer up. They 'dont want to break it' or 'I put too many files on it'. For those sort of people I recommend in a heartbeat something like an iPad or kindle.

      Most people do not upgrade their computer unless they buy a new one and are forced to do it. I quote "they moved everything around on me and I dont understand it anymore".

      The ones that kill me are the 'windows is spying on you'. AS they use their iphone/android phone to type in a stupid message like that...

    23. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      19% market share for an OS that has been free for a year is fucking pathetic.

      Linux wishes it had that market share.

    24. Re: Same As Before by mrchaotica · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      The entire reason for Ubuntu's popularity -- not "some" of the reason, or "most" of the reason, but 100.000000000000000000% of it -- was that it worked well as a desktop by default.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    25. Re:Same As Before by gweilo8888 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Windows 10: The World's Least Successful Commercial Virus.

    26. Re:Same As Before by chipschap · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Forced updates is the deal breaker for me. Given the stuff MS does these days (see the /. article on the "anniversary" update), I can't trust them not to undo whatever I've fixed, delete stuff, make stuff run that I don't want, etc. I have 8.1 on a separate (seldom booted) partition and even though it's crap, I haven't lost control over it, at least not yet.

    27. Re:Same As Before by Darinbob · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not just the veneral disease outbreak aspect of Windows 10 that is bad. Though the itching is pretty annoying. But there were so many gawdawful design decisions. Decisions made that benefit Microsoft while hurting customers, like an automaker who uses corrugated tin for the seats because it's cheaper and keeps the drivers more alert than with cushioned seats (because it felt like the right time for an automobile analogy).

      The default settings for Windows 10 were just plain awful. Their use of a torrent-like method to share Windows 10 with others that was made an opt-out feature. Their extremely bizarre feature to share wifi passwords if your friends already have them (later removed when MS sobered up). Their spyware, and their methods of bypassing the hosts file to make sure it's hard to block this. Their repeat of the IE mistake by making Cortana integrated and supposedly unable to be removed (just the name Cortana is a stupid idea, it's from a lousy xbox game that the majority of enterprise users will never have heard of). And the biggest hugest fuckup of them all, the inability to skip updates, even the pointless updates unrelated to security, the automatic reboot of your machine by default in the middle of doing your work or playing your game just because Microsoft thought it was a good time for an update.

    28. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the fuck do you think the A stands for you stupid fucker brain Hillary supporting democrat sex fiend?

    29. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My thoughts are similar: The OS is nice, it's as usable an OS as Microsoft has made. But there's a reason Microsoft made it propagate like a zombie outbreak. People don't want it. MS has to know there are serious issues with the direction decision makers are taking the company when one of their more tolerable new friendly operating system releases is given away for free and older versions of their product are still preferable.

      Trying to monetize your customers is not working, M$. Learn from that.

      As a long-time GNU/Linux user I have been using Microsoft Windows 10 on a SBC system, the Vensmile i10 (2 GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC, 1.8 GHz Intel Z3735F CPU), without incident apart from not recognizing the built-in webcam and microphone. For general web browsing it performs well enough. I definitely will not run any data analytics processing on this computer because it is not intended for such use.

    30. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In 2008 it was THIRD WORLD LINUX that everybody said fuck off to and avoided. They used as many advertising gimmicks and behind-the-scenes literal blowjobs to get device contracts.

      Ubuntu still sucks, it is just third world Debian and Debian itself has FBI moles working for them.

      So tell another fable?

      opensuse, arch, blackarch, mint, and tails 1.4.1 are what's up. FreeBSD only ever gets better too.

    31. Re:Same As Before by jimbob6 · · Score: 2

      No, trying to monetize your products is a critical part of being in business. Monetizing your customers is more like fraud or slavery.

    32. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The whataboutism is irrelevant.

    33. Re: Same As Before by QuasiEvil · · Score: 1

      You say "democrat sex fiend" like it's a bad thing, troll... :)

    34. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only clueless rubes install Unity. Xubuntu FTW!

    35. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a CIO, I'm just glad that this should be the end of Microsoft undoing our registry changes that block the "Upgrade to Windows 10" button. It's an ongoing battle to change registry entries that remove the "Upgrade" button from the system tray. A few weeks later, Microsoft releases some Win7 patch that undoes it, so we have to push a registry change again.

      I'm hoping that this stops on Monday.

    36. Re: Same As Before by Thelasko · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Linux WAS actually well on its way to becoming a meaningful alternative, until Ubuntu (who was responsible for most of that popularity) succumbed to Tablet Fever and, like Microsoft, proceeded to slaughter its golden egg-laying goose.

      That's only half the story. GNOME did the same thing. An entire generation of operating systems were lost to "tablet fever". At least Microsoft was smart enough to realize it was a mistake.

      --
      One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
    37. Re: Same As Before by Thelasko · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You do realize that you can install any desktop environment that you want onto Ubuntu, right? (or onto any linux distro)

      1. The default environment is the one most people use.
      2. The default environment is the one that receives the most testing.
      3. The default environment is the one that receives the most support.
      4. The default environment has had the most attention into it's functionality and user experience.

      I've recently tested what you propose on Mint and Debian. The default user experience is superior. When I tried installing Cinnamon on Debian, I was left with a lackluster desktop. On Mint it's fantastic.

      --
      One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
    38. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do... Do you not test patches before you roll them out?!

    39. Re:Same As Before by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 1

      19% is better than OSX or Linux. So I guess pathetic relative to a paid OS.

    40. Re:Same As Before by Ann+O'Nymous-Coward · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, it just SAYS it doesn't recognize your webcam and microphone. In reality they're both always on.

      BIG SATNAD IS WATCHING YOU.

    41. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Remember 2008? Just slightly over 8 years ago?

      Literally the period of peak usability.
      Peak software quality.
      Peak user productivity.

      The last 8 years have been personal computing dark age. Tablets are toys. Smartphones are dolled up game-and-watches. PCs are being turned into goofy sci-fi interface from 1980s TV shows. Websites are being turned into Gopher pages. It's harder to get things done now that it used to be.

      "Apping" is not personal computing. It's a regression. The last 8 years have taken us backwards from truly powerful, rich client based, productive applications, to shallow, cloud connected, inflexible apps. We have lost far, far more than we have gained.

    42. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      U have 4 extra zeros not needed, just sayin.

    43. Re:Same As Before by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      19% market share for an OS that has been free for a year is fucking pathetic.

      Linux wishes it had that market share.

      Linux (anthropomorphism?) has 80% of the mobile market which is considerably larger than the desktop market. That said, it's true, Linux still does want to be on your desktop, to liberate it from M$inions, to serve you, to give you back ownership of the hardware you bought, and generally to be sickeningly altruistic.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    44. Re:Same As Before by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Do... Do you not test patches before you roll them out?!

      And, dear Coward, after you notice the sneaky behavior, how do you patch the Microsoft patch?

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    45. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh man do I remember and even used to USE it....

      To think that a Gentoo/Slackware/Debian/FreeBSD user like myself actually used Ubuntu (pre-unity) is actually quite amazing looking back in time. Then of course Unity came and I tried sticking around for one release when Gnome2 fallback mode was still there. Then since most used it, they intentionally removed it to bolster Unity and that was when I jumped ship never to look back.

      They did have something going there for awhile.....

    46. Re:Same As Before by rahvin112 · · Score: 1, Informative

      You do realize they ported all the spysoft back to Windows 7, 8 and 8.1? If you are using windows, regardless of version, the situation is little different. The only way to avoid the Microsoft spysoft is to drop Microsoft entirely.

    47. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Im a Kubuntu guy personally. That said my win7 VM is not seeing any ads (well not from microsuck anyway).

    48. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kubuntu. Easily and completely customizable.

    49. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This Ã--100! I have had automatic updates install older drivers than the ones from the mfg because the M$ ones were preferred. With win10 you cant just undo the damage. They will refucker it for you in a few hours and then reboot without asking.

      I will support it at work but never use it at home. Microsoft is just job security at this point.

    50. Re: Same As Before by jemmyw · · Score: 2

      You've totally nailed it on the head there. 8 years ago I was using Ubuntu. It seemed like Linux on the desktop was getting better at a nice pace. The graphics stuff improved considerably from 2006-2008 such that the same laptop that in 2006 felt pretty jerky just moving windows around was silky smooth in 2008. And then somehow it all went to shit and I bought a macbook.

    51. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hahahaaaa! Nice one...

    52. Re: Same As Before by inode_buddha · · Score: 1

      Just out of curiosity have you tried any of the newer openSuSE versions? Its what I deploy when I just need a straight-up business/scientific desktop with everything just working and integrated seamlessly. That said, I haven't used it myself in a while, I'm on slackware ATM. Spent *years* on RH tho I think SuSE has the far better quality.

      --
      C|N>K
    53. Re: Same As Before by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 1

      Easy linux path to dominance. One linux distro for windows users. That simple.

      I don't mean like Zorin OS, designed to look like Windows. I mean like hotkeys and functionality.

      The one thing that pisses me off is having to configure the desktop environment for a windows keyboard. I have a windows keyboard, chances are I use it. And every application uses whatever keyboard shortcuts the developer thinks would work.

      I want the Windows key to bring up whatever main desktop menu there is. This is not true of Windows 8, nor of 10. It brings up some shitty bag of dicks.

      And I want the applications to agree. I don't care if it's mac-style like Edit -> Preferences, or Tools->options like Windows. Just consistent.

      If someone owns the apps and makes all of the things *consistent*, that's market share. A windows oriented distro, emphasizing consistency of the interface rather than familiarity, would do wonders.

      I just don't give that much of a shit yet. Maybe I'll retire and start maintaining something like that. Until then, it's windows 7, mostly disconnected from the internet. And my phone, connected.

      Does this ignore the ignorant? Sure, because they are ignorant. I'm sure you can put Zorin on most peoples' computers and they won't notice. But no one's going to spread the word about something that just does its job. It has to make my job easier.

    54. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You do realize they ported all the spysoft back to Windows 7, 8 and 8.1? If you are using windows, regardless of version, the situation is little different. The only way to avoid the Microsoft spysoft is to drop Microsoft entirely.

      You only believe what you just said because you don't know how to get rid of it, right?

      If you did know how to get rid of the spyware in Windows 7 & 8.x you would have admitted it, right?

    55. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I totally hate how Windows spys on everything you do! I'm done with this bullshit!!!

      Sent from my Windows Phone

    56. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Businesses that make money by not monetizing their customers via spyware in their OS and apps are soooo 2002...

      TFTFY

    57. Re:Same As Before by dbIII · · Score: 1

      People say a lot about the elderly not "getting" computers. Most who I have seen with laptops have tape over the camera they put there themselves - they are getting it alright and know how much they can trust MS etc.

    58. Re:Same As Before by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Notice how you had to write "on the desk" to get a small number because otherwise it wouldn't fit your insult?

    59. Re: Same As Before by dbIII · · Score: 2

      Easy linux path to dominance. One linux distro for windows users. That simple.

      This has been covered hundreds of times here. A work-a-like that's built on something very different and chasing a moving target is always going to disappoint.
      It's different.
      No point trying to hide it.
      If you hide it people are always going to find out and get confused by subtle differences instead of knowing that they should be doing things differently.

      Maybe try this little exercise - get someone who has never used linux to boot a Knoppix DVD. It all looks very different but they all seem to work it out almost instantly. I get people to use that to see if they are having hardware problems instead of MS Windows configuration problems, among other things.
      Slavishly copying the MS interface of the month is in my opinion a very bad idea especially now where there are a mix of elements from MS Win10, MS Win7, MS WinXP and MS WinNT lurking on systems when you drill down into configuration settings. Getting something to work close enough to the original would be a thankless task that would piss people off even if it was possible to completely succeed.

      It's like painting a camel and calling it a pony.

    60. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ubuntu also has its own deriatives (like Ubuntu MATE, Xubuntu, and loosely Linux Mint) that use something other than Unity. And, of course, there are distros besides Ubuntu. I'm currently using antergos, which lets you decide between MATE, KDE, GNOME, XFCE, Cinnamon, Openbox, and a plain commandline right from the installer. And if you're a purist, it's based on Arch Linux.

    61. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You wouldn't like it. MS would just lie there.

    62. Re: Same As Before by antdude · · Score: 1

      What is the current good Linux distribution? Mint?

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    63. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well... Linux is not by default installed on almost every PC, Has an active negative smear campaign against it for years, fed by the same company that produces Windows, and has even got laws suits against it (by a company that is actively supported by.... yes the same "entity" that makes Windows). The list goes on and on.

      At the other hand, Windows 10 is installed by default on every computer sold by now, Is pushed onto people's computer that has an older Windows version using numerous (and even dirty) tricks, and is given away for "free" to a audience that used to pay for upgrades. Microsoft has used it's near desktop monopoly and countless millions for advertising, to actively push Windows 10 as much as possible.

      I am not surprised at all about that numbers. Microsoft has done anything to scare people away from Linux. They even threaded company's that wanted to deliver mixed Linux and Windows PC's to give up Linux, or otherwise... And since they had (and still have) a near monopoly on the desktop environment, they succeeded to do that very well.

      No - given those circumstances these numbers are not strange at all...

    64. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, you monetize your product by selling it. When you monetize your customers, you're selling them. People don't want Windows 10 spying on them, serving up ads, having built in backdoors, etc.

      That's going to change now as Microsoft will monetize both the product and its customers.

    65. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You do realise that it's not mandatory in Windows 7, 8 and 8.1?

    66. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes I remember 2008 and don't miss gnome 2 a bit
      the kernel is better, a lot of software now just works while back then it required a lot of tinkering
      if you have a computer newer than 2010 unity is better sorry, and if you really are so nostalgic just use mate but please stop this FUD about how canonical ruined the gnu/linux desktop experience
      the only awful choices were taken by gnome devs, as gnome-shell is the real trainwreck we have to deal with

    67. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How much were you charging to click the rollback button?

    68. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well if you count all Linux installations, it is the most used OS in the world by far.

      You also forget that Linux was started by a small group of people without an funds to speak of. Windows 10 was aggressively pushed out to a very large existing userbase by a computer with billions of dollars. Taking that into consideration along with the success of Android and with almost the entirety of the internet (servers, routers, support hardware) using Linux, that Microsoft got their ass handed to them.

      In addition, your post appears to be using parts of some language other than English. Slashdot is an English speaking site, so you might want to find a different place to post.

    69. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It still does.

    70. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Linux WAS actually well on its way to becoming a meaningful alternative, until Ubuntu (who was responsible for most of that popularity) succumbed to Tablet Fever and, like Microsoft, proceeded to slaughter its golden egg-laying goose.

      Yeah, that really sucks. As soon as they made Ubuntu for tablets, the desktop version totally died and is no longer available...

      Oh wait.

    71. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AOSP or Android Open Source Project IS Android. You are confusing Android and Android prepackaged with gapps. *All* versions of Android are based on AOSP as it is the official source (and source code) for the OS.

      What you're saying is analogous to any version of Windows that does not come with MS Office isn't actually Windows.

    72. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android doesn't spy on you.

    73. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, Linux's market share surpasses all other operating systems in the world. You're trying to artificially limit your criteria to just home desktop users to support your crap argument.

    74. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      same for me, its the updates, you can always use another machine with linux for personal stuff, so the privacy part to me it does not matter, its the mandatory updates, especially the forced reboot aspect of them and the mandatory device driver updates, not the regular ones. I dont touch my device driver updates if the devida is already working, it does not matter if the driver is 10 years old, if its working theres literally no reason to update it
      In certain devices theres even a good reason to never run the latest device driver, like graphic cards, the last driver released may BURN cards, that has happened in the past, if you stay 2 versions below the last one that will never happen to you

      the device drivers being mandatory and the unavoidable reboot are simply unaceptable, like pooing on a designated street instead of a toilet

    75. Re:Same As Before by nctritech · · Score: 1

      Start - services.msc - Windows Update - properties - "Disabled". Turn it back on when you actually want updates. So basically, leave it off.

    76. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's take your argument to the extreme: I can write my own OS from scratch so I don't need to bow to any stupid software issues made by anyone. It'll suck because I don't have infinite time, but I'll pick those sucks so that I can personally live with them. Most other folks will disagree with my choices that but suck is life.

      However, can you see why that's irrelevant in the big picture? No? Well, the thing is, it doesn't matter what I run on my computer. What matters is what majority does. This means that DEFAULTS MATTER.

    77. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mint and elementary OS. Both are super easy to install and use.

    78. Re:Same As Before by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I am a computer professional with 20 years experience and consider my time valuable. I have no interest at all in 'fucking up my computer and fixing it' for little or no gain. Windows 7 has been rock solid and I don't see any need to change it.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    79. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, 10.000000000000000% then. Better?

    80. Re: Same As Before by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      I've been very, very happy with Mint.

      I've done a bunch on installs on laptops and desktops in the last 6 months or so and it's always installed flawlessly, everything works. It's an attractive, functional system.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    81. Re: Same As Before by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      You say "democrat sex fiend" like it's a bad thing, troll... :)

      I'm happy to claim the title of "democrat sex fiend", even though I don't really support Hillary. :)

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    82. Re:Same As Before by hucker75 · · Score: 0

      You get a free version of something which is better than the ones before it, and you complain?

    83. Re:Same As Before by hucker75 · · Score: 0

      Why would you leave those plugged in when you're not using them? I unplug them incase I accidentally cause them to run.

    84. Re:Same As Before by iampiti · · Score: 1
      I don't know to which extent Ms spyware is now embedded in Win7 but it still has several things by which I like it better than 10:
      • it has an UI that I like (and that's designed specifically for desktop use and not for touch)
      • it doesn't have mobile like apps (huge UI elements, lots of whitespace) apps as default (Photos, Music ...)
      • it doesn't try to sell me/gather data with Ms services (Cortana with forced Bing integration, Windows Store, Ms accounts, OneDrive integrated in the OS...)
      • it no longer gets new features so I know it won't change to try to further push you into Ms' walled garden (which Win10 seems to be)
    85. Re: Same As Before by iampiti · · Score: 1

      . At least Microsoft was smart enough to realize it was a mistake.

      Not really. They did backtrack with the start screen by going back to a sort of start menu but...they've changed parts of the UI to a mobile like interface: Many of the default apps like Photos, Music. Half of the settings are now in the mobile-like Settings app and there's talk of completely removing the Control Panel and moving all settings to the app.
      So no, they haven't really go back and in fact they're moving the UI to a touch/mobile style

    86. Re: Same As Before by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 1

      It's like you read 13 words and then stopped. I specifically pointed to an existing interface knockoff as not being the solution.

      Consistency is lacking, which is one thing windows users expect. I said I don't care if it is windows or Mac style, as long as it is consistent.

      Not just applications, but there are several desktop environments, and distros configure them differently. You're going to need one specific distro to point people to. Sure they can figure out knoppix, but do they stick with it? No, because of lots of reasons.

      Commit to consistency, and users will feel more comfortable. Make it *function* like windows and people will *enjoy* a different look and feel.

      If I can do Alt f w f and have a new folder, I'm happy. That doesn't work on server 2012, but it worked since at least windows 95. If it is a different combo, I can deal. But every application has its own rules, and I'm not re-learning how to use a computer.

      That's what Microsoft does well, what apple used to do well, and what canonical nearly had till it shat all over itself. nd it's why users will not feel at home and stick with linux for the desktop.

    87. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      19% market share for an OS that has been free for a year is fucking pathetic.

      so tru :-D.

      same can be sed about da market share of linux on the desk,

      But Linux has not been pushed onto people's desktops from a Win7/8 stepping stone like Win10 has. I am amazed if Win10 has only 19% share - I'd thought it was nearly unavoidable for non-experts.

      You can become an expert pretty damn fast when you're mad.

    88. Re:Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody is forcing you to update anything, disable windows update service and its done.

    89. Re: Same As Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't trust Zorin OS at all. They have a few different versions, including an "Ultimate" version which costs money, yet they refuse to list exactly what that money is buying. All they say is that Ultimate is somehow better than Core without any further details. Seems like a scam to me.

    90. Re: Same As Before by dbIII · · Score: 1

      It's like you read 13 words and then stopped. I specifically pointed to an existing interface knockoff as not being the solution.

      Consistency is lacking, which is one thing windows users expect. I said I don't care if it is windows or Mac style, as long as it is consistent.

      We had that. It was called CDE - common desktop environment. Only the people behind it's development, Sun Microsystems, liked it. There have been plenty of attempt to impose behaviour from above, see the strong reaction to the current version of gnome for how that works out. I presumed you'd observed such things for yourself and had decided to go for an MS clone to impose from above since that's what MS user are familiar with.

      That's what Microsoft does well

      While Mac and MS used to have interface guidelines there's always been plenty of things that don't close with ALT-f-x. Things like photoshop even had their own window manger with sub windows inside another window FFS. So many applications had/have their own quirks and do not behave like MS Office even in the MS environment. AutoCAD looked like somebody had thrown a box of scrabble tiles on the screen, plus having a menu bar, command line and mouse menus even after having a full MS Windows version. Once you put a wide range of software on an MS desktop any time since MS Windows came out there has been an inconsistent environment so I do not think they have done it well at all. Drill deep into "control panel" and you'll hit a wide range of different interfaces so not even MS got it right internally (IMHO they just didn't care about getting it right in that situation).
      Having a linux desktop with applications that don't quite fit in with the theme of the window manager is similar to what users are dealing with already on MS and Mac - hence my comment about knoppix and new users not having any more trouble with it than they are used to.

    91. Re: Same As Before by goarilla · · Score: 1

      How do you cope with OpenSUSE's short lifecycle: do you just roll out the newest versions every year ?

  3. Relief! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Now I can get back to the normal update cycle without worrying about getting Windows 10 accidentally on my part.

    1. Re:Relief! by Vlad_the_Inhaler · · Score: 1

      You got it.
      Some of their other updates have broken my system, but at least they back themselves out again automatically (and in again, and out . . . far be it for me to speculate on the sex life of the peons in Redmond)

      --
      Mielipiteet omiani - Opinions personal, facts suspect.
    2. Re:Relief! by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Interesting

      No, I think that's forever ruined.
      They can't install Windows 10, but they can add all sorts of spyware to what you have via system updates, and they have already tried.
      So from now of you will need to have automatic updates off and actually check up on each update before installing.

      I have about a half-dozen I'm preventing from installing now because one of them causes my Firefox to crash all the time. Not sure which one, most of them are security-related regarding graphics drivers or something like that. All I know is, Firefox stayed running before I installed them and once it started crashing uninstalling them fixed it.

      I might say something to Microsoft, but their response it either going to be blaming Firefox or saying I have to update to Windows 10 to fix it.

    3. Re:Relief! by HiThere · · Score: 1

      How do you know it won't auto install, and then auto-debit your credit card?

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    4. Re:Relief! by Pseudonymous+Powers · · Score: 2

      Now I can get back to the normal update cycle without worrying about getting Windows 10 accidentally on my part.

      "Would you like to upgrade to Windows 11 Alpha Preview?"

    5. Re:Relief! by chipschap · · Score: 1

      Now I can get back to the normal update cycle without worrying about getting Windows 10 accidentally on my part.

      Don't hold your breath on that one.

    6. Re:Relief! by Oligonicella · · Score: 1

      Monetarily, if it does, you can get the CC company to reverse the charge. This leaves you with W10 and the possibility they'll brick it because you *haven't* paid for it.

      W updates - letting the fox into the coop.

    7. Re: Relief! by BurningFeetMan · · Score: 1

      This. I had to repair WU on my W7 laptop last week, and all the hidden WX updates all came back. Wonder if they'll remove them from the MS update servers once July is over, but they're likely just to leave them there to rot.

    8. Re:Relief! by zlives · · Score: 1

      so you get win10 for free....win!!!

    9. Re:Relief! by zlives · · Score: 1

      hahahha i think you meant windows 12, every one knows windows 11 is going to be lame.

    10. Re:Relief! by cwsumner · · Score: 1

      Leave updates off. There is now more risk of work disruption from Microsoft updates, than there is from "hackers". Especially if you have a decent anti-virus.

  4. Good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good

    1. Re:Good by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

      I don't believe it until I see it for real, and the push for Win 10 had made me wary of any update from Microsoft.

      I just worry that they will release an "update" that cripples Win 7 soon.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    2. Re:Good by blackomegax · · Score: 1

      They already have. A recent W7 update has prevented my desktop from coming out of standby without hard locking.

  5. Handy guide to operating systems by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 5, Funny

    BSD: Free as in speech

    Linux: Free as in beer

    Windows 10: Free as in herpes

    1. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is great and I think should be part of the canonical "free as in..." saying everyone uses.

      Time to update some wikis.

    2. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by toutankh · · Score: 1

      Best thing I've read today, thanks!

    3. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But who would want to f*** MS to catch it??

    4. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Windows 10 is a pile of steaming dog poo. It is nothing more than spyware and an Ad delivery platform masquerading as a general purpose operating system.
      After 40+ years using computers, designing and building computer hardware, writing device drivers and countless applications from Z/OS to VMS to Unix (many) to Tandem nonstop to PC's I have never encountered such a pile of crap that is Windows 10.

    5. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You totally just won the Internet.

    6. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody.
      That's why MS f***s you.

    7. Re: Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you acquire the virus after MS teabags your face, while clippy pins you down.

    8. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      you blew a funny joke by confusing licenses. Linux is GPL, free as in speech, BSD is BSD, free as in beer.

    9. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lol, if anyone deserves +6 funny today its you.

    10. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mac OS X, er... macOS: Free as in with qualifying purchase*

      * Offer good for up to, but never more than, 7 years, after which our system requirements will conveniently include specs just outside the reach of your non-upgradable hardware. I hope you are psychic, because your decision on how much RAM we solder to the motherboard will either be a genius move (You get an OS upgrade in year 7!) or a massive waste of money (In year four we deprecate your video chipset!). Did I mention that we offer "no interest" financing on new Mac purchases?

    11. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      Herpes? You are too nice, free as in HIV would be more correct.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    12. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by HiThere · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but the BSD license doesn't say you can't sell it. So BSD is closer to Free as in beer.

      Actually the GPL doesn't say you can't sell it, either, but it makes selling it more complicated, so it's closer to free as in speech.

      And for MS Windows I would have said "Free as in M.S.", but herpes is a bit clearer, even if M.S. is more immediately damaging. (Not everyone thinks of M.S. as Multiple sclerosis.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    13. Re: Handy guide to operating systems by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      For an improved user experience.

    14. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Last I checked "speech" isn't free - Try getting Martin Luther Kings speeches for instance - not free at all.

      Second, BSD can taken... and re-copyrighted... and is no longer free.

    15. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BSD also doesn't say you can't take it anyway.

      Just preserve the notices...

    16. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by LVSlushdat · · Score: 1

      Windows 10..... Better known as "Windows NSA Edition"... or I guess you could also call it a "CTD", a Computer-Transmitted Disease... About 9 months, I had a period where I was curious about Windows10 so I used the Windows 7 OEM product key that came with my Dell laptop to get Windows 10. despite me being MS-free since 2010. I installed it in a "castrated" manner, local acct only, disabled Cortana, and a bunch of other privacy-protecting tweaks.. I ran it on the laptop for about a week, until finally I yearned for the simplicity of Ubuntu, so the hard drive containing Windows 10 got put on the shelf.. Fast forward to yesterday, wanted to try out the latest release of Slackware (where I started my Linux adventure back in 1994), and found I didn't have a spare drive, so with not a care in the world, installed Slackware over Windows 10.... After reading all of the bullshit MS is putting into Windows 10, I can see I did the right thing in wiping the drive vs going to Frys and buying another drive... In case nobody has said it recently .... FUCK YOU MICROSOFT!!

      --
      THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
    17. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by LVSlushdat · · Score: 1

      You!!! I LIKE you!! Couldn't have said it better....

      --
      THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
    18. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by LVSlushdat · · Score: 1

      Its a CTD, Computer-transmitted disease....

      --
      THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
    19. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoosh, son

      I say, whoosh

    20. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't have such a career, but what ticked me off was when you were logged in to Youtube (for comments e.g.), then the log in followed you to Google Search. So the default is to link your identity to a web page you might use for everything and see a hundred times in a day, and is/was a very common home page in browsers. And what about Maps, for one thing.

      This is as if you checked in your Hotmail or Skype account and it followed you and gathered everything in your Start Menu and Solitaire high scores.
      Oh wait.

    21. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by gustygolf · · Score: 1

      Second, BSD can taken... and re-copyrighted... and is no longer free.

      No, BSD code can be distributed under a different licence, but it cannot be re-copyrighted nor cannot it be re-licensed without the copyright holder's approval.

      The last bit was what happened with the Atheros driver thing in Linux. Someone thought they could strip the BSD licence off the files and replace it with GPL.

      (Also, you're spreading that lie where BSD code can be 'closed' -- the original copy still remains open and free, does it not?)

      --
      "Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 58 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment" -- slashdot, driving users away.
    22. Re:Handy guide to operating systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple: Free as in NOT.

  6. Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by mark-t · · Score: 1, Insightful

    But that version of Windows 10 is not available without volume licensing. I know that hacks exist to upgrade Windows 10 pro to enterprise, but they carry the caveat that your license key is not a real one.

  7. TANSTAAFL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    TANSTAAFL, TANSTAAFL, TANSTAAFL. Did I mention TANSTAAFL?

    I'm not using so many caps.

  8. One word on my thoughts. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Meh

  9. Dont care by Ubi_NL · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I moved to osx (with all its own flaws) and linux when windows 8 was introduced. As long as my employer is slow in adapting windows 10, and as i have no control that except quitting, i just simply cannot be bothered.

    --

    If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.
    1. Re:Dont care by Lonewolf666 · · Score: 1

      What would be most annoying to you on Windows 10? The UI or the questionable privacy?

      Considering the privacy aspects, I'll be cynical and say "hey, it's not your privacy that is threatened" ;-)

      Assuming that you don't have (much) private stuff an your work PC, you don't need to worry about Microsoft reading your documents. The admins at your place of work are a much bigger "threat" (if you are worried about that at all).
      If anyone has to worry here, it is your employer. His trade secrets will be far more attractive target than your occasional e-mail concerning private stuff.

      --
      C - the footgun of programming languages
    2. Re:Dont care by Ubi_NL · · Score: 1

      That may be so, but this is not my problem. As for the other bits, i really just do not care. At all.

      --

      If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.
    3. Re:Dont care by cyberpunkrocker · · Score: 1

      Neither do I care. My only windows-using computer is staying at 7. Windows 10 doesn't offer anything I would be interested in. If / when it becomes impossible to continue using Windows7, or possibly much earlier, I'll wipe the hard drive and install Linux instead. The rest of my computers have been already using Linux (Gentoo) since... about year 2000

    4. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OSX with Windows 7 in a VM = LG.

      I've worked at a tech co now for a few years so I've mostly forgotten what IT is like everywhere else where suits decide what everyone gets and how it works.

      Here we support OS X and Windows 7, employees however are free to run what ever they like with the understanding that any problems with their OS are their own to solve and we'll play the worlds smallest violin if they start whining about how Linux (or what ever) is/isnt doing xyz on our network.

      Out of about 300 people, around 10% run Linux by their own choice.

      Once support ends for Windows 7, we'll just ditch Windows/PC all together. Users choosing Windows machines are declining, we're at about 10% now. Everyone wants a Mac, and I'm down with that, they're a ton easier to support, and with 3 year Apple care support/getting stuff fixed by Apple is a dream. Kinda ironic, Apple has never really advertised Macs and certainly not in a business setting that I know of recently, the product simply sells it self.

    5. Re:Dont care by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      The UI, hands down.

      Classic Shell with Aero Glass Windows 7 theme is awesome, but be warned: getting glass8 (http://glass8.eu) to work is a BITCH. I got the translucent drag bars to work pretty easily, but window outlines are still just one pixel, and the translucency effect itself looks more like Metro's cheesy alpha-blending than Aero Glass' Gaussian-blurred splendor). And installing the debugging symbols it depends upon was a NIGHTMARE. Full props to its author for making it work at all, but Microsoft deserves endless hate for subjecting us to this kind of misery in the first place by taking away Aero Glass just so Windows wouldn't suck as badly on underpowered ARM hardware.

    6. Re:Dont care by OzPeter · · Score: 3, Informative

      I moved to osx

      Have you ever run something like Little Snitch and seen the ton of places that OS X wants to connect to? It's a real eye-opener

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    7. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      UI is fixable with things like Classic Shell. I don't know if there's a thorough and free tool to disable all the tracking nonsense in Windows 10. If there was it would be a constantly moving target that would require maintenance, but only then would I consider it. Linux, OS X or Windows 7 or 8 are the only options without it.

    8. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The UI is good. And Classic Shell, which was lipstick on a pig in 8.x, is a genuine beautifier in 10. I use it, and have made my desktop look almost identical to 7, without losing any of the new functionality of 10

      The privacy issue is annoying, but in my experience, the worst was the forced updates. I bought this laptop because my last job required me to use a Windows only software on a laptop, and sometimes, I would run a demo of a customer and keep it in the app overnight. Guess what. Overnight, Windows 10 would decide that it needed to upgrade, never mind that the data could not be legally 'saved', and I ended up losing the work.

      10 would be fine if they gave ME full control of WHETHER AND WHEN I want to upgrade OR update!!!

    9. Re:Dont care by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

      I moved to osx

      Have you ever run something like Little Snitch and seen the ton of places that OS X wants to connect to? It's a real eye-opener

      Details please? ...

    10. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is there any evidence OS X is by itself acting nefariously? Seems like this would be common knowledge by now if there was like is the case with Windows 10.

    11. Re:Dont care by _xeno_ · · Score: 4, Interesting

      In short, yes.

      If you read through their privacy stuff you'll notice they talk mostly about how they encrypt all the data they collect on you and how they try and keep it "secure" - but they still collect a ton of data on you. iOS was known to gather your location, OS X has been sending all the wifi passwords you connect to back to iCloud for several versions (yet no one cared until Windows 10 did the same thing then everyone got mad), iTunes sends back information about what music is on your Mac, and who knows what else since I'm not about to dig through their excessively long privacy policy to find what they gather on you.

      In short: yes, OS X collects a shit load of info about what you're doing and then sends it back to Cupertino. But they "encrypt" it so I guess it's OK.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    12. Re:Dont care by arth1 · · Score: 1

      I got the translucent drag bars to work pretty easily, but window outlines are still just one pixel,

      That's a deal breaker for everyone who has turned on focus-follows mouse and turned off click-to-raise. I.e. good old X11 behavior that lets you copy/paste between overlapping windows while maintaining Z-order.

      But these days almost all users run everything full screen, and have to context switch. Sigh. Dumbing down all over.

    13. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I moved to osx

      I moved fulltime to Linux over 10 years ago. Recently I've gone back to windows to join the PC master race, since console gaming has become so dry.

      I. Am. Shocked. At how bad the current windows experience is. I am running Windows 7, and given that the last system I used was XP, I find things have gone significantly backwards at MS. Tools, options, stability. I have had to open the knowledgebase more than 50 times in the last two months. It's appalling. Don't even get me started on 8 or 10. I've used them. I don't want to use them.

      So far, the only application which has run in any way close to smoothly was Steam. If Windows 10 really does get that bad, Gaben may yet have a market for a Wine based, Win32 compatible Steam OS, because as far as I can see Microsoft is running Windows even further into the ground that should even be possible.

      I think the company is going to fail within 3 years.

    14. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not using icloud is an option, however.

    15. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > OS X has been sending all the wifi passwords you connect to back to iCloud for several versions (yet no one cared until Windows 10 did the same thing then everyone got mad)

      So you have to turn ON iCloud Password sync to make OSX send your Wi-Fi passwords to YOUR iCloud-account
      And you have to turn OFF Windows Wi-Fi Sense to keep it from sharing your Wi-Fi WITH YOUR CONTACTS
      And somehow thats the same.

    16. Re:Dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In short, yes.

      (yet no one cared until Windows 10 did the same thing then everyone got mad)

      Hell yes we cared. That's why we weren't using fucking Apple.

    17. Re:Dont care by antdude · · Score: 2

      Encrypted? Yeah whatever. How about they have nothing? I don't use the cloud services and always deny sending data back to home when possible.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  10. A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Unless you have very specific hardware driver requirements, get it. It really is more secure than earlier versions. Even Steve Gibson, who hates Microsoft, would agree...

    1. Re:A no-brainer... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      All the privacy violations mean Windows 8.1 us the last good version. Maybe if France forces them to do a privacy enhanced version it might be worth another look.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The ministry of truth thanks you for your support

    3. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly spoken by someone with no brain.

    4. Re:A no-brainer... by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      It's not more secure than Windows 7. How can it be more secure if it leaks your information, without your knowledge, to a third party, AND if the software update mechanism is so user hostile (unrequested reboots, machine slowing to a crawl at random times) that the only workaround is to disable updates completely, either at the firewall or via hacks?

      I like a lot about Windows 10, but it's less secure, more resource intensive, and less responsive. I'm keeping Windows 7 machines around in my home for a reason.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    5. Re:A no-brainer... by LVSlushdat · · Score: 3, Interesting

      MY "hardware driver requirements" are VERY specific.. Such that NO MS product will EVER touch MY hardware ever again.. I supported/used MS products from 1991 to 2010, at which time I retired.. At that time, all of my home systems were moved to Linux.. and thats where they'll stay...

      --
      THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
    6. Re:A no-brainer... by i.r.id10t · · Score: 1

      Do you really think such a thing would be made available where it wasn't required by law?

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
    7. Re:A no-brainer... by sconeu · · Score: 1

      My girlfriend is a DDS.

      She was upgrading her office computers and asked me for some advice. I told her to make sure she ordered them win Win7 (or failing that 8.1), but DO NOT GET WINDOWS 10.

      It's a HIPAA violation waiting to happen.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    8. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, the French seem to think they can force Google in the rest of the world to honor French-originated "right to be forgotten" demands. Precedent?

      RO

    9. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just re-initialized Win 8.1 on a PC that failed to apply the Win 10 upgrade, and it seems that the set up has much the same configuration questions to answer for an Id if not using the "Express" option as with Win 10. How different in that regard are they really?

      RO

    10. Re:A no-brainer... by RandomSurfer314 · · Score: 1

      It cannot possibly be more secure than earlier versions, because it sends large amounts of private data to undisclosed servers somewhere else in the world, and it even does so in a proprietary way using proprietary protocols without any independent auditing. You cannot even check your machine for outside connections of trojans and spyware in any meaningful way, because so many outside connections of the Window's spyware are open and you can't tell which connections are doing what. It's a security nightmare, especially for businesses.

    11. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      She's a Distributed Denial of Service? I can understand how a girlfriend might be a Denial of Service, but a DDS??

    12. Re:A no-brainer... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It would likely be adopted as a European thing. If it violates French data protection laws, and those laws are harmonised over the whole EU...

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    13. Re:A no-brainer... by HiThere · · Score: 1

      IIUC, the government certifies OSes and if they certify it you are indemnified against and OS initiated violations of the HIPAA. I presume that means the government agrees not to prosecute you rather than that you aren't breaking the law, but the first-level effect is the same.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    14. Re:A no-brainer... by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      It's more secure because the Microsoft web page says so. Who are we as mere mortals to doubt the words of a higher authority?

    15. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      She's all over town.

    16. Re:A no-brainer... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      8.1 and good don't belong in the sentence. 8.1 is the Windows ME of the Vista derived line.

    17. Re:A no-brainer... by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Or specific software that won't run on MS Win10 yet. Yes, the vendors are slow and not MS but it's still a reason.

    18. Re: A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really. 8.1 was the best OS until Win10 came around. Have you actually used any of them?

    19. Re: A no-brainer... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately yes. I wish I stayed with Windows 7.

    20. Re:A no-brainer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is it some sort of brain damage that prevents you from typing sentences that end with one period like normal intelligent people?

  11. Is it really going to end? by BenJeremy · · Score: 1

    You can install Windows 10 Threshold 2 images with Windows 7 and Windows 8.x keys. I bet they will continue to activate these installs.

  12. If you have the time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    For a technical user with backups taken, it's worth upgrading and rolling back again simply to get your computer licensed for Win10. If your computer is running Win7 and you expect to use it into 2020 this may save you the upgrade cost later on. Without regard for the support timeline for the releases though, I don't see a major reason to upgrade to Windows 10 unless there is a specific piece of technology you need like DX12 or Bash on Ubuntu on Windows that won't be made available in Win7/8.1.

    1. Re:If you have the time... by LVSlushdat · · Score: 2

      Shit... IF I want bash, I'm gonna be using Linux or one of the 'BSDs... FUCK MICROSOFT and the bus they came in on.....

      --
      THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
    2. Re:If you have the time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's highly unlikely that they will revert to previous Windows pricing once this free upgrade period is over. They've been so desperate to get people on Windows 10 that it makes no sense to turn around and make cost a major barrier to upgrading going forward, so I fully expect to see a low-cost upgrade option available soon. There are plenty of people like myself who have given Windows 10 a good try and decided that it's not for them in its current state. If they fix/change some of the issues that have put people off of upgrading so far, then some of us holdouts might still go for it, but probably not if it costs $200.

    3. Re:If you have the time... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      In the meantime, there's also cygwin. And when your hardware finally dies, the landscape will probably have changed even more.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    4. Re:If you have the time... by nukenerd · · Score: 2

      It's highly unlikely that they will revert to previous Windows pricing once this free upgrade period is over. ... I fully expect to see a low-cost upgrade option available soon.

      No, it will be a rental model. Those who have taken the free offer will find themselves being left behind with future updates unless they sign up to rental at some point in the not-too-distant future.

      Let's bookmark this page for future reference to see who turns out to be right.

    5. Re:If you have the time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I 'upgraded' my Windows 7 Pro today, because free.

      Of course I had to download it three times...

      - The first time way back then, but apparently it was too old and they wanted me to download it all over again.

      - The second time, when it asked me to reboot my computer to start the actual upgrade, my computer restarted two seconds into the process. Apparently 93 billion dollars a year still ain't enough to handle multiple drives/partitions (it was already a problem with XP and 7, at least...), so I had to disable them all in my BIOS, except the current Windows 7 partition (Windows never was for newbies, ever... it always ever was for newbies with geek friends, newbies flooding community forums for help, or newbies with money to buy technical support from the local shop... and from my experience, solving Windows problems regularly is significantly harder than solving GNU/Linux problems, and you generally won't even understand anything about a Windows problem in the end...). Of course, I had 150GB free on my partition, but Windows apparently deleted the upgrade files after it failed or something (or maybe they thought the download was corrupted, and they don't trust hashes or something...).

      - Third time's the 'charm'... 'Took about 30 more minutes after rebooting... Since the beginning, I noticed they still can handle progress bars either, with these 93 billion dollars a year... It gets stuck for 5 minutes, then jumps, then progresses regularly, then stops again... even while "copying files" (on a 500MB/s SSD, with 32GB of RAM...). What's more, they even dropped time estimations completely... Even during the initial download they don't even bother with times... You're supposed to "just let it do its things, and when it's done, you'll be authorized to get a life again"...

      Of course I clicked the small corner link for "advanced settings", like "don't send my contacts, calendar, browsing history, and everything I type and say to Microsoft" (it's written in plain letters there, although they don't directly talk about your other personal documents being sent to Microsoft "in case there is some problem", or Microsoft employees being authorized to connect to your computer "to diagnose problems"... for that you'll have to read the fine prints, or the webpage on Microsoft's website detailing the "personalized experience" options... it's clearly written there, in a nice table I read a few months ago...).

      And of course, as planned, I quickly rebooted after checking the activation status, and I'll be now formatting my Windows drive, to use it for backups and when I'll want to build a clean Gentoo GNU/Linux system directly from my current install... I was keeping Windows these past years for TF2/Steam, but I dropped both of these some time ago, because they are now as unfun as they could possibly be (updates catered toward newbies for a 2007 game, filling the game with the stupidest cosmetics, stupid Steam market/trading delays of up to 30 days when you get a new account, or pay some money after some time without doing it, even with the very same credit card as ever, on the very same IP address, on the very same OS, or 'decide' to install their mobile application because you don't want to wait 15 days to trade anything... well, of course you'll have to wait 15 days anyway after activating the application... because, you know... Russian hackers making expensive hats I never had, disappear from Steam forever, or something... oh the horror...).

      I've been using Microsoft software for 20 years now. From day one, to this very day, they are and probably will always be, as shitty as ever, both for newbies and advanced users. People saying otherwise are just newbie fanboys, Microsoft employees, and a few weird dudes.

      Of course, there are many idiot things on GNU/Linux too, but at least I don't feel like puking all the time, when using it.

    6. Re:If you have the time... by sexconker · · Score: 1

      You don't need to bookmark anything. Windows is going to have a subscription model for all buy the Enterprise versions. And those will simply be licensed annually with support after your anniversary being non-existent unless you pay up.

    7. Re:If you have the time... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      There's Steam and TF2 for Linux now.

    8. Re:If you have the time... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Although I only buy games from GOG.com. I'm no fan of the Steam bloatware.

    9. Re:If you have the time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sorry for all the people who will actually run this new nightmare from the borg, just imagine a tech trying to fix this, it's not like you are full admin on those anymore..host file...yea right...full registry access...yea right...don't want another patch...yea right....want to keep old driver....yea right....any many many more...

      basically users of borg are fucked

  13. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thanks! Your check is in the mail! Oh, just a heads up: our typing records say your password for hotmidgetongoataction.com is pretty weak. I think you should add another exclamation mark to the end of it.

    Thanks again,
    Microsoft

  14. Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by kheldan · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm still on XP until I finally get around to putting some version of Linux on the machine. I didn't want Win10 for free, I'm sure as hell not paying for it, either. If I wanted to be spied on and watched like a criminal in prison or an animal in a zoo exhibit, I'd go live in a tent near any major intersection in America in full view of the cameras and microphones.

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    1. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You realize that by using the internet your entire life you've already signed away all that privacy and that every stinking detail about you is already out on the web right?

    2. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by kheldan · · Score: 1

      Nope. I don't use so-called 'social media' of any kind, and I don't use my real name anywhere. Official government records aren't anything I can do about any more than anyone else can, but casual searches for my legal name won't get you anything, never did, never will.

      --
      Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    3. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by kheldan · · Score: 1

      Oh and by the way, even if your lame attempt at trolling was correct: Why the actual FUCK would I willingly let Microsoft stick their corporate dick into my asshole? They're a shit company making a shit product and I'm done with them and their crap. I'd rather have NO computer at all than Windows 10.

      --
      Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    4. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now get off my lawn!

    5. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm still on XP until I finally get around to putting some version of Linux on the machine. I didn't want Win10 for free, ...

      Doesn't matter, Win10 probably wouldn't run on your machine. The hardware needs support for the NX bit and other "modern" features you don't find in many XP machines.

    6. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now get off my lawn!

      Shut up, faggot.

    7. Re: Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you spew the windows hate but don't have the balls to install Linux?... Do yourself a favor and STFU....

    8. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      paranoid much?

    9. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      XP and Vista users weren't offered Windows 10 for free, and there's no ability to overlay 10 onto them.

    10. Re:Doesn't affect me; couldn't care less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It sounds like you're worried you might like it.

  15. I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by TimSSG · · Score: 4, Informative

    It is NOT as bad as I feared; but, it is slower than I hoped it would be. Windows 7 was faster; maybe after I defrag the speed will go up. I now have to check and see which programs fail to work. NOTE: If you have a NON windows software firewall installed; you really likely need to uninstall it before upgrading. NOTE2: The TinyWall software firewall front-end did NOT work for me on Windows 10; even though their website says it should. Tim S.

    1. Re: I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by BurningFeetMan · · Score: 1

      It's 2016, why are you defragging? Go by an SSD already!!!

    2. Re: I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      Indeed. At work I convinced them to buy a handful of 250GB $100 SSDs as a "test". Rare for client systems to use even half that.

      After seeing the dramatic improvement in boot time, and system responsiveness, all new systems, and any drive replacements are with SSDs,

    3. Re: I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by TimSSG · · Score: 1

      It's 2016, why are you defragging? Go by an SSD already!!!

      I thought I gave a reason in the title of my post; it is a OLD PC. It is NOT worth anything to upgrade its speed. I decided that I really should see Windows 10; but, I saw no reason to pay for it; so I upgraded Windows 7 32 bit to Windows 10 32 bit. My main compliant is how slow it boots up and shuts down compared to Windows 7; defragging will likely fix that. Tim S.

    4. Re:I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I find using a fresh install it basically performs as well as 7 for all the simple operating system tasks. Obviously older hardware might have some issues with the compositor but you can disable it.

    5. Re: I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by BurningFeetMan · · Score: 1

      I'm curious as to how old your OLD PC is. :) Old isn't the problem. It's simply the HDD is the bottleneck. Coincidentally, quick booting up and shutting down are one of the first observations you'll see with an SSD drive, even on an old computer. I've installed SSD's all modern systems, however the oldest systems would be on an AMD 8450E and atom based systems, they boot in a matter of seconds after the upgrade, some one Windows 7, others on Windows 10, the OS doesn't make a huge difference. Also, most SSD's ship with clone image software, so you're keeping your old system image AND the old HDD is now an on the shelf static backup.

    6. Re:I just upgraded my OLD PC to Win10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know your username is in the username field of your post, right? There is no need to copy it into the body of your post, unless you are a Trump-like narcissist. Or just ridiculously oblivious to all the other posts on this site which don't do that. Tim S.

  16. Put off by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm put off by all of the latest news. Maybe it's too late already, but this seems like one step towards the always-monitored dystopian world like that of 'The Traveller', by John Twelve-Hawks.

  17. My thoughts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Must be a slow news day.

  18. Just like in November by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just like voting for a major party candidate in November. You say you won't. You hate the idea. The principle is morally corrupt. You don't even think about it. Then, at the very last possible moment, you face up, walk in there and pull that lever, abandoning all free will for just that one moment for the benefit of the safety of everyone around you

  19. All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Sowelu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They keep removing management features, they keep forcing weird searches on users, they are slowly crippling Steam in favor of their app store -- am I really just seeing the negative stuff when it's not so bad, or is there some major Stockholm Syndrome going on? I'm pretty happy with Windows 7 on my nine-year-old gaming laptop that's slowly flaking out and has finally stopped keeping up with new releases.

    I've heard you can activate your old license key for Windows 10 without upgrading your machine...is that viable if you want to apply it to a new computer, or is it tied to the hardware like Win 7 licenses?

    1. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by ilsaloving · · Score: 2

      OEM licenses are not transferable. If you got Windows 7 with your machine, it's an OEM license. If you upgrade to Windows 10, it's still an OEM license.

      Honestly, stick with Windows 7 for the time being. There is very little in Windows 10 that could be considered compelling unless you have a specific use case that Windows 10 happens to satisfy, but with all the continually accumulating negatives, that use case would have to be pretty darn serious and specific to justify either losing control of your machine, or having to pay through the nose to not lose functionality.

    2. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 1

      they are slowly crippling Steam in favor of their app store

      How so? I haven't heard this before.

    3. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They aren't, at least not yet. The CEO of Epic games has been putting out a recent "prediction" that Microsoft will do this soon to try and get an leg up on the competition in pc gaming. It's hogwash because all that would accomplish is a mass migration to Linux.

    4. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it's a comment related to this story: https://games.slashdot.org/story/16/07/26/1417259/steam-on-windows-10-will-get-progressively-worse-gears-of-war-developer

    5. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was a scare story earlier this week. No evidence, just some guy associated with a FPS (I think it was a FPS) asserted that Microsoft will (as in, future tense, nothing done so far) cripple Steam to increase use of their own software store.

      But as you can see by the post you replied to, zealots don't need evidence, the existence of an accusation is proof enough for them.

    6. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you build the machine yourself, you will be using a "retail" version, as using OEM in that case is no longer allowed. That retail licence will downgrade to OEM with the "free" Windows 10.

    7. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I payed $15 to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. I'm not sure if that's still an OEM license or not. It probably is because Microsoft would really hate to have left any loophole open. I don't even know how you can tell what sort of license you have, you used to know by looking at the label on the CDs you had.

    8. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Solandri · · Score: 1

      You can upgrade to Win 10, and immediately roll it back to 7. It might uninstall some programs it deems incompatible, but otherwise should put you back where you started. Microsoft's servers register the fact that you've taken advantage of the free upgrade to Win 10 (dunno if it's tied to the hardware or to the Win 7 key), so you can go back to Win 10 for free again any time in the future. This is actually the strategy I've been advising - that way you can decide whether or not to upgrade to Win 10 after seeing what features/horrors the Aug 2 update brings.

      Key transfer limitations are the same as with Win 7. Retail versions can be moved to new hardware. OEM versions are tied to the original computer.

      You supposedly have 30 days to roll back to the previous version of Windows that you had, but I'd advise rolling back long before then. One of my VMs was upgraded July 2. I just tried rolling it back yesterday (July 28) and it said it was too late for me to roll back. This despite the Windows.old folder still being on the drive with all the Win 7 files still in there. On well, that's what snapshots are for.

    9. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've heard rumors/speculation that they might do, but having been using both Steam and Win10 for about a year now, I haven't actually had any problems with the Steam client related to Windows 10.

      The only things I ran into were a few older games which no longer had functional workarounds for specific problems compared to Win7, but that effected every version of the game equally and turned out to have started in Windows 8. (Can't disable DWM composition for compatibility reasons anymore)

    10. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      They can't do that without getting their Windows Store to actually be useful first. The Windows Store version of the latest Tomb Raider fluff is somewhat limited in comparison to the Steam version in some ways. Maybe not ways that matter to most but that do matter to some serious gamers. No SLI support, no full screen support, no way to turn off VSync, no modding, no overlays. Unlike Steam, the Windows Store version of the game won't let you run it on Windows 7 or 8 or Linux or OSX. Also note that issues with the game on Universal Windows Platform are being hashed out on the Steam forums, because there's no such thing for the Windows Store.

      I'm not a huge Steam fan. I do think Steam needs good competition. However the Windows Store is not it. Maybe it will improve but I don't suspect that such an XBox obsessed company and the company behind Games For Windows Live really understands PC gaming.

    11. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by SvnLyrBrto · · Score: 1

      The true believers have been predicting "a mass migration to Linux" on the desktop after every round of Microsoft shenanigans for the last 20 years, and it hasn't happened yet. I'd like to see Microsoft dead and buried as much as anyone. But I really don't see yet another round of abusive BS kicking off the exodus. If anything is going to kill Microsoft, it's going to be the same thing that killed Palm and Blackberry: A combination of their own hubris and complacency causing them to overlook an agile new company that will totally blindside them with something "knock-your-socks-off" good. Linux is good. But it's more "reliable-work-truck" good. And if it hasn't caught the general public's awe yet, I doubt that it will. Buy hey, it's the king of the server room and data center, and that's a good thing to be.

      --
      Imagine all the people...
    12. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The new anniversary update is removing the ability to turn off the customer experience features which use telemetry to track customers. My guess is this can still be disabled by removing the customer experience entries from the task scheduler, though. They're also making it impossible to turn off Cortana, but I bet that giving yourself cacls rights to the App directory and then deleting the cortana exe will fix that. Blocking the telemetry addresses in the hosts file should take care of the rest. The question really is, how long before Microsoft patches all of these holes I've just described and forces the public to completely accept their totalitarian control and tracking. It is pretty clear that is the direction they're heading. As far as Steam goes, it still functions correctly and I haven't seen any problems. What Tim Sweeney is worried about is that Microsoft has clear designs to remove and cripple win32 on which Steam absolutely requires to function properly. This would then establish the Windows Store as the only place in the Windows ecosystem to make purchases, which is what Tim is worried about. Granted Apple and Google already do this and no one complains, and I think that's what Microsoft's internal argument is, "Why not us?" Windows 7 is already deprecated and they're not producing patches for it any longer, at some point you won't be able to get security updates either. You have to prepare for the possibility that you either have to accept Windows 10 and everything that entails or jump ship and find greener pastures elsewhere. Unfortunately, the pastures elsewhere are a bit brown, and the grass is receding.

    13. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's something Tim thinks will happen
      http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/07/now-tim-sweeney-thinks-that-microsoft-will-use-windows-10-to-break-steam/

      Not like Microsoft has ever relied on shady business practices before.

    14. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      they are slowly crippling Steam in favor of their app store

      How so? I haven't heard this before.

      Then you haven't been paying attention.
      https://games.slashdot.org/story/16/07/26/1417259/steam-on-windows-10-will-get-progressively-worse-gears-of-war-developer

    15. Re:All the stories I'm seen look horrifying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only reason to switch from 7 to 10 is if you plan to use your PC past the year 2020 when Microsoft quits maintaining Windows 7. If you plan to buy a new PC before then, might as well stay with 7 on the current PC.

      Eventually we will all have no choice. We can't stay on 7 forever, thanks to planned obsolescence.

  20. MS_Spyware by FudRucker · · Score: 1

    Win-10 is a marketing tool disguised as an operating system,

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
    1. Re:MS_Spyware by gweihir · · Score: 1

      And that is the problem. The Enterprise Edition is now the only one even worth considering.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    2. Re:MS_Spyware by dbIII · · Score: 1

      And that is the problem. The Enterprise Edition is now the only one even worth considering.

      It isn't.
      The weird MS licensing may as well be the Necrinomicon.
      So many little details and if you get one wrong an unstoppable invisible stalker is after your ass.

    3. Re:MS_Spyware by iampiti · · Score: 1

      I'd mod you up but I've already commented. This, exactly this. The previous versions you paid for them but they were just an OS: They managed your hardware and stayed out of the way. Not you've got tons of data gathering and lots of publicity of Ms services and programs (and of others). They've just turned Windows into Android and I hate it.

  21. Fuck Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I flat out don't trust them anymore and I will not upgrade my OS or use any of their new software at all until it's well established that they've ceased all forms of in-OS advertising and telemetry, and allow (and honor) our own privacy/privilege/etc settings so advanced users can make their own decisions about their own computers. I will also never put up with micro-transactions or "rent" my OS or any software from anyone. Ever.

    I can already do everything I need/want to do with what I have. Updates are fully disabled on my machine and I'll stay with Windows 7 for the long haul if I have to.

    Also I am not a product.

    Fuck Microsoft.

  22. who even cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    after watching Microsoft release API after API, only to quickly deprecate them, and after all the psychotic user interface changes for no reason whatsoever, after watching them put a phone user interface on a server operating system, I just have to give up. There is no more "vendor lock in", all my apps are available on both OSX and linux.

    I can power up my mac and the apple menu is in the same place it's been since 1984, my posix code from the 80's still compiles and runs just fine. A real computer doesn't judge you or force you to change, it accomodates you. goodbye microsoft, I've been writing windows code since windows 2.0 in 1990, but no more.

    there is no reason to upgrade, there is plenty of reason to free up disk space and wipe all things microsoft from my life

  23. Re:Long done by i.r.id10t · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So can you tell us how you feel about the data logging, the changes coming to available settings with the Aug 2 update, etc?

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
  24. Well... by MitchDev · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...if it means M$ stops trying to force/trick people into "upgrading", GOOD!

    1. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I still think Microsoft will just be adjusting their position to force people to pay up after forcing/tricking people into "upgrading".

      That's why I'm glad the not-so-free period is finished (it cost people a perfectly functional non-free Win7/8) and I can now see if I was right!

      I don't expect it to happen overnight mind you. But we'll see.

    2. Re:Well... by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      I still think Microsoft will just be adjusting their position to force people to pay up after forcing/tricking people into "upgrading".

      Exactly. Now MS can control people's PCs, I expect that, unless you sign up to a Win10 rental scheme, the interface will gradually turn into a big button that just says "Buy!". It won't even need a field to enter your credit card details because they wil already have it.

    3. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah, it'll just 'Upgrade' by stealth, encrypt your data, and require payment to login and unencrypt your data.

  25. Re:Long done by OhPlz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yea, hurry up and get the free forced updates, free advertising in your start menu and in the notification center, free removal of policy options, free violation of the hosts file for Microsoft/NSA privacy invading domains, etc. You could get all that and more and pay absolutely nothing! I liked Win10 when it was still pre-release. I despise what Microsoft is doing with it now. I regret updating my personal machines to it. My work machine may become Linux just because of the forced updates with reboots. It's one thing if it keeps me from gaming for a bit, it's another if it prevents me from getting work done. Yea, fine.. Enterprise may be safe from a lot of that for now, emphasis on "for now". They switched Lync over to Skype for Business and what a pile of crap that is.

  26. interesting experiment by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

    I am really interested to see how all the activations shake out over the next couple of weeks or months.

    Some things I am looking forward to seeing

    - Those that grabbed their "entitlement" to Windows 10 then reverted to Windows 7. Will it work out ok when they do upgrade?
    - Retail box copies that are not tied to hardware but were used to gain Windows 10 for free. Will Windows 10 move without issue to new hardware over the coming years?
    - Those running insider preview builds for the last year. Will they be able to clean install the stable branch version without issue after today even if they never activated it with a Win 7 or 8 key?

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    1. Re:interesting experiment by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      Another scenario which I am curious about:

      - People that upgrade today within the promotion period but then don't full update. Windows 10 will not activate unless it is 100% up-to-date on the latest build so, tomorrow will the activation cost money even though they installed today?

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    2. Re:interesting experiment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The unactivated insider preview builds started to shut down last week. My computer would reboot via bluescreen every hour, and it said it would start bluescreening on boot if it wasn't activated at somepoint.

    3. Re:interesting experiment by julian67 · · Score: 1

      When the free upgrades were made available I upgraded two machines to Win 10: Eee PC from 7 Home (OEM) to 10 Home and Dell desktop from 7 Pro (OEM) to 10 Pro. In each case, but for different reasons, I reverted to Win 7 (it just didn't work that well on a low power atom based netbook with hard disk, and on the Dell it broke some of my games). Since then I installed an SSD in the Eee PC and on the Dell I switched my games from CD/DVD based to Steam. In both cases I then did a clean install of Win 10 and found that the original Win 10 activations were still good.

    4. Re:interesting experiment by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I did that. Chances are my PC will be gone by the time I upgrade so I'll need a new license anyway (too bad, it was a free Pro license and of the Home licence for Windows beta testers).

    5. Re:interesting experiment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      - Those that grabbed their "entitlement" to Windows 10 then reverted to Windows 7. Will it work out ok when they do upgrade?

      Conversely -- those who upgraded to 10 using a backup disk, and then put the Win10 disk on a shelf and continued to use 7 until 2020 with the intent of bringing the Win10 disk up to date when/if necessary. Will their Win7 machines be automatically deactivated?

    6. Re:interesting experiment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Windows 10 will not activate unless it is 100% up-to-date on the latest build so, tomorrow will the activation cost money even though they installed today?

      Curious, where did you get this info? I just updated two PCs last night with a build that was downloaded back in May (file says it was created 09 Aug 2015). No updates were allowed during or after install. They both activated without issue.

    7. Re:interesting experiment by nctritech · · Score: 1

      Win10 licenses are tied to the motherboard and if Win10 is installed on that hardware it will automatically retrieve a digital entitlement from Microsoft once you're connected to the Internet and activate.

  27. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're an idiot.

  28. Thank f__king god by ilsaloving · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Now get that god damn icon off my computers.

  29. Re:Long done by TexasDiaz · · Score: 1

    I moved to Windows 10 (yes, on purpose) three weeks ago via the "update" and I'm finally getting [back] to the point where life doesn't suck. I had corrupted system files, my Explorer window was crashing when it was launched by apps, when I right-clicked the recycle bin Windows would blue-screen, and applications wouldn't open multiple times (once I closed many apps, they would never reopen until I rebooted Windows). I eventually had to wipe everything and try again, and the second time it worked fine. I had waited this long so that hopefully this wouldn't happen to me - hah, fooled me.

  30. How many times has this exact thread been asked by LichtSpektren · · Score: 2

    This exact Ask Slashdot has already been done at least three times. The answer isn't different: Don't upgrade if you don't want Microsoft constantly spying on you and tampering with your computer and splicing in and out features.

  31. Re:Long done by QuietLagoon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...Those who have a pathological hate for MS will never switch, those who believe the haters and refuse to switch to Windows 10 get what they deserve, and those on the fence about switching to Windows 10 better move quick or risk paying for what they could have had for free....

    What about those, such as myself, who actually had liked Windows in the past, and upgraded multiple licenses with every release (except Vista and Windows 8), starting at Windows NT?

    .
    I've stated here in the past that I would be willing to continue to upgrade my Windows licenses, even paying for the privilege of doing so, if I could turn off the egregiously excessive data harvesting that Windows 10 performs.

    However now, that I've already moved one computer from Windows to Linux, I'll add one more condition for me to stay with Windows... I'm still willing to pay for the upgrade license, but in addition to being able to turn off the egregiously excessive data harvesting, I would also want my computer not to become just another screen that advertisers (including Microsoft) can use to show me advertisements.

  32. Double-edged sword by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

    I am liking Windows 10 in general as it is a rather lean and quick Windows-version, boots real quick and all. I also like having DX12 for when games start to come out that support it. There just isn't a better OS for someone who enjoys modern gaming.

    Alas, I seriously despise Microsoft's way of pushing the free upgrade and how many people it has caused nothing but trouble and even financial losses. I am also disliking the constant push for ever more stalking of people's activities, lying about Edge being so much more superior in battery-life and whatnot than insert-competing-browser, and whatever crap else Microsoft is pulling.

  33. Re:Long done by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

    So with your year of experience and all that you could share based on that, you choose instead to bitch about other peoples choices?

    --
    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  34. Depends by Comboman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you currently have Windows 8/8.1, there's no harm in upgrading and getting back the start menu. If you currently have Windows 7, you should probably stick with it.

    --
    Support Right To Repair Legislation.
    1. Re:Depends by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, people should not stick with a version of Windows that will reach EOL in the near future. Getting locked into old software because new software frightens you is a dead-end.

    2. Re:Depends by LichtSpektren · · Score: 1

      You can get back the start menu with Classic Shell. You can't make the OS stop spying on you or force driver updates.

    3. Re:Depends by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 2

      There are still CNC controllers running DOS. Software doesn't just stop working because it gets older.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    4. Re:Depends by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except support for Windows 7 is dwindling.

      Even Microsoft doesn't give a damn about it anymore. Windows Update regularly makes Windows 7 installations unusable for half a day or more when it tries to figure out which updates are available. How one could mess that up is beyond me. I know that I shouldn't attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence, but I find that much incompetence difficult to accept.

      Many hardware manufacturers don't provide new drivers for Windows 7 anymore. For example, Intel HD graphics in some of the more recent CPUs isn't supported on Windows 7 anymore.

      New hardware isn't tested with Windows 7. On some laptops it doesn't work even though it technically should, due to bugs in the firmware which will remain unfixed, because it works with the Windows 8.1 that came with the laptop.

      Sure, you can't buy Windows 7 new anymore, but people still have licenses, and it's still officially supported. The situation is quite annoying.

    5. Re:Depends by StormReaver · · Score: 1

      If you currently have Windows 8/8.1, there's no harm in upgrading and getting back the start menu.

      There is still great harm in downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 10. Windows 10 is still collecting your keystrokes for transmission to Microsoft, is still spying on everything you do, is still herding you towards Windows Store, ad. infinitum.

    6. Re:Depends by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      With 8.1 you can easily avoid installing the back-ported spyware. With Windows 10 it's baked in and mandatory, with no off switch. That's why I'm sticking with 8.1. It's got plenty of life left in it, reasonable variable DPI support and good security.

      I had some Windows 7 machines until this year, but there seem to be issues with networking that Microsoft isn't interesting in fixing now. Network shares taking a long time to open initially, stuff like that.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Depends by tigersha · · Score: 1

      At work we have a solar testing lamp field that runs DOS. That is a total bitch because the TCP stack cannot multitask and does not realise when the connection os broken (no timeouts in the background, cause in DOS...there IS NO background!)

      Problem is that the lamp field auto-switched off for a 10 minute cool down when you reboot it, so any debugging with that thing often involves waiting 10 minutes for the safety system to calm down because you pulled a network cable.

      --
      The dangers of excessive individualism are nothing compared to the oppressiveness of excessive collectivism
    8. Re:Depends by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. Win 8 + classic shell is a FAR better OS than 10 still.

    9. Re:Depends by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      I hated the windows 10 start menu, it in no way is the same as the Windows 7 version. Like how they went from simple XP start menu to the ugly Windows 7 novice-mode start menu, going to Windows 10 start menu is as big or a bigger change (but not better).

    10. Re:Depends by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Near future? Windows 8.1 is supported until 2024.

      We're not frightened of Windows 10 because it's new. We're frightened because it's a monstrosity.

    11. Re:Depends by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are still CNC controllers running DOS. Software doesn't just stop working because it gets older.

      Indeed, those systems are probably WAY more stable than modern desktops. That was back when the OS was just enough to facilitate running your programs, and kept the hell out of your way. Now...Not so much.

      Linux/BSD headless/embedded wins that now. A windows 10 PC is just an XBOX with better hardware.

    12. Re:Depends by sydbarrett74 · · Score: 1

      Windows 7 doesn't reach EOL until January, 2020. I wouldn't consider that the 'near future' in this context.

      --
      'He who has to break a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom.' -- Gandalf to Saruman
    13. Re:Depends by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      do people really think that choosing an OS because of an application launcher is insightful?

    14. Re:Depends by Rexdude · · Score: 1

      Why do that when you can install Classic Shell instead? It restores the start menu exactly as it appeared in Windows 7 and earlier, with full customizations. Plus it's FOSS.

      --
      "..One hosts to look them up, one DNS to find them, and in the darkness BIND them."
  35. Great.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another fap-fast for the *nix, Winders hating crowd...

    1. Re: Great.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      so you prefer sucking the ms cock?

  36. Who cares? by linuxrulez · · Score: 1

    Discovered Slackware 3.0 in 1996.
    Dual booted till 2001 till I blew away partition type 0x0b.
    Life's been pretty good since then.
      You do look at where the train's going from time to time, but you do not have to get on it.

  37. Windows 10 will always be "free". by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft won't be able to resist the telemetry data they can sell form more than the cost of the licence.. Windows as a service, with forced upgrades coming soon.

  38. Not great, not bad but not worth 100$ by lobosolo · · Score: 1

    I "upgraded" my laptop when I bought it from Win8 to 10 because it was free. There is no way I would ever pay for an OS at this point. With so many people moving to phones,tablets and small chrome like books, I cant imagine how MS is going to be able to keep this business model going for the home user market.

  39. My thoughts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Maybe I'll turn windows Update Service back on? .. Maybe.

  40. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pay to be beat over the head with ads! At least back in the late '90s/early '00s, you got a "free" PC in return for seeing ads every time you clicked your mouse. Now you pay Microsoft for the privilege.

  41. Windows 10 free "Upgrade" expiration by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good!! Maybe the damned thing will quit reminding me.

    1. Re:Windows 10 free "Upgrade" expiration by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the Win10-related stuff is removed from the August Update Rollup for Win7 I may download it and patch the one running Win7 machine. Haven't done the rollups yet because they include all the Win10 nag/trash stuff.

  42. It will always be free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You'll just have to download it from a torrent site. And in the process, you'll get a version which won't track you and will perform better.

    1. Re:It will always be free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's how you get a version that will track you, including sending your account numbers and passwords to the hackers who torrent Trojaned versions of Windows. All because of a mental health issue triggered by telemetry.

    2. Re: It will always be free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't be stupid. Any data on someone else's computer is another point of vulnerability. The less is collected, the better.

  43. Now that it isn't free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I pay $119 for Windows 10, does that mean I can turn off the ads and the data collection? Or does a paying customer have exactly the same rights as a customer who got it for free? (I know, it's Microsoft, you have no rights etc)

  44. Probably an unpopular opinion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But assuming the following are true:

    1) Using another OS is not a viable option for a user (and yes, I know, various flavors of *nix come with GUIs that are great and easy, etc, etc - some people won't do it)

    and

    2) It is in a personal or non-enterprise business environment

    and

    3) Your computer is new enough that it can handle Windows 10 reasonably (IE, you're not already struggling to run Win 7/8)

    and finally

    4) Windows 10 doesn't break some must-have item that you need for whatever reason. ...
    then yes, you should upgrade. It's probably the best course of action for most MS users, pushy tactics aside.

    1. Re:Probably an unpopular opinion by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      But you gave zero reasons for upgrading! You don't upgrade just because you can! You need a reason to upgrade!

      Your number 4 is important, because it does break/fold/mutilate/fondle very important must-haves for everyone. It screws up privacy. It screws up security. It screws up stability. This is not just a new and improved version, it's not even an improved version. It changes how things work, it changes the relationship between the customer and Microsoft, it changes the EULA in very disturbing ways, you will have to learn how to use the OS all over from scratch. You must spend a lot of time undoing all the misguided default settings that Microsoft foolishly set up.

      There is no reason to upgrade because there is nothing new in Windows 10 that anyone needs or wants. You totally discounted all of the negatives in Windows 10 and assumed that after step 4 that it was a neutral choice.

      Here's are more steps:
      5) you don't know any better and all these big words that the experts are confusing.
      6) you have a relative who understands computers and who can help you out if needed.
      7) you think that Microsoft knows better than you do what is good for you.
      If so, then you might want to consider upgrading to Windows 10. I'm not saying you should upgrade, but you could consider doing so.

    2. Re:Probably an unpopular opinion by dbIII · · Score: 1

      you have a relative who understands computers and who can help you out if needed

      I've got to see my parents a lot more since they upgraded to MS Win10 from the MS Win7 that they could understand.
      Microsoft, bringing people together.

  45. I have no problems with it..... by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 1

    I just wish they would bring Media Center back.....

    --
    You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
  46. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

    Microsoft is supposedly going to be making the Enterprise version available to everyone through subscription licensing. $7/month or some such.

  47. A non-issue, really by jbarr · · Score: 1, Informative

    We upgraded at home a while back, and we just completed all upgrades at work. Non issue in almost all cases, and for those few that were at issue at work, we resolved all upgrade issues.

    At work, it was a no-question decision, because all business-critical programs are Windows-based (Office, Dynamics AX, SharePoint, etc.) Non-Microsoft options are simply not in the cards for the foreseeable future. I'd love to see a transition to Open Source applications, but they just don't exist when it comes to several specialized applications we require.

    At home, the only thing really keeping us on Windows is Quicken. We've used Quicken since DOS days, and we rely on it for managing our finances. Simply put, there are no truly comparable alternatives. And because we require that, all other devices really need to be compatible.

    Yes, as a tech geek, I could adapt and come up with a nice alternative, but my wife is more of an "appliance user" when it comes to computers, so having different systems won't cut it. Making sure that the user experience at work is consistent with the user experience at home (which it is) is goal number 1.

    --
    My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
    1. Re:A non-issue, really by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Will Quicken run under WINE?

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    2. Re:A non-issue, really by ewhac · · Score: 1

      Depends on which of the 69 bazillion versions you're referring to, and where you got it from, but overall the answer appears to be Yes.

    3. Re:A non-issue, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fucking Quicken. As much as I loathe that program, I have 16 years of data in it and there really isn't an equivalent out there.

    4. Re:A non-issue, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm having all kinds of trouble since upgrading, Notepad++ is crashing when using right click and scroll wheel, Firefox is crashing after only a couple hours of usage. When sleeping the machine never comes back up no matter how much i click the mouse or push on they keyboard, forcing a reboot every time it goes to sleep. This operating system is the worst I've EVER experienced. And I doubt these well known applications are using any undocumented API features from previous window versions. This is coming from someone who used Win 3.1 back in the day, and had trouble with Windows 95/98. I had less issues upgrading to PREVIEW releases of windows 2000 and XP than the release version of Windows 10.

    5. Re:A non-issue, really by youngatheart · · Score: 1

      With so many people upset about the pressure from MS to upgrade, it's nice to see somebody talk about the business side of it. I don't hate Windows 10, actually I kinda like it and I've been using it at work since beta days. People are upset about all the phone home stuff, but what I've seen from experts about the data it's actually sending home doesn't include anything that would concern me. That may not be the case for everybody, so I just suggest you should do your research before jumping to conclusions.

      There are some things that I really like about the year of free Windows 10 updates. The first thing that appeals to me is the benefit to Microsoft, by reducing the number of non-current OS systems, they cut their operation costs pretty dramatically. I don't particularly love Microsoft, but that's just a smart business decision that I can respect. The second thing that I like is the side effects. The first side effect of consumers getting a free upgrade is an appeal to a lot of people, but the second side effect that really appeals to me is the benefit to everyone. By having less unpatched systems spreading viruses and malware in the wild we all have a little less crap coming in from the internet to deal with. Finally the thing that appeals most to me is the pressure it has put on vendors to get their software compatible with the current version of Windows. That's a big deal for enterprise where vendors often don't update their software for years and years. Suddenly they are dealing with all their customers expecting them to get current at the same time or face the possibility of losing business.

      The nightmare I've personally dealt with where we have several business critical applications which aren't compatible with the same operating systems. If Windows 10 upgrade pressure gets our vendors all on the same OS then my life gets easier and I can forgive MS a multiple of sins.

      (I use Linux at home due to my personal preferences. At work there are too many business critical Windows only programs to make it an option or I might have a different outlook. Sure, I'd love to find a way to migrate to Linux at work, but it's not happening anytime soon.)

    6. Re:A non-issue, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >...and we just completed all upgrades at work.

      That was the first mistake. This version is less than Enterprise friendly, and MS has actually been working with Enterprise contracts to not slip in the back-written updates to 7/8 that bring telemetry, updater, w10 nags, etc. to those systems. Because the computers were actually being used at work, (and not a home consumer playground). If you updated at work, I'm curious what your work does other than chasing/supporting the shiny.

    7. Re:A non-issue, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      People are upset about all the phone home stuff, but what I've seen from experts about the data it's actually sending home doesn't include anything that would concern me.

      So I guess you aren't concerned about MS monitoring which programs you use, and for how long. Or collecting your home network information, including devices, MAC addresses, and WPA passwords. Or every search you make, online or even just in your file system. How about everything you say within earshot of the microphone? Those passwords you enter for banking and financial websites? How about credit card information? Or how about the encryption key for your hard drive, assuming you use encryption? I suppose it isn't a big deal if they store a backup of every single file in your documents folder, unencrypted, on their servers, because there isn't anything in any of those that might be problematic if someone were to gain access to those.

      I can see how that doesn't concern you, or the experts. Wait, which experts did you talk to? The cashier at your local 7-11?

  48. Unblockable OS-level advertising by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 3, Informative

    THAT is my thought on Windows 10. I'll pass.

  49. $119? Try $30-$40 by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

    I've purchased a few keys and never paid more than $40.

  50. This is the wrong place to ask that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's like asking vegans what they think of steak.

  51. Experienced MS watchers expect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. "Free" upgrade will be back.

    2. There will be a required paid upgrade at some point in the future. Or a small monthly fee.

    3. Windows Pro anything will be ad supported like Android apps are.

  52. "limited time" marketing gimmick by doug141 · · Score: 1

    It'll be free again. Limited time" is just a marketing gimmick, proven to work on some folks.

  53. Found the LUDDITE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Only LUDDITES care about using LUDDITE workstations. Modern app appers only app appy apps like Appy App Saga and Appy Apps!

    Apps!

    1. Re:Found the LUDDITE! by MercTech · · Score: 1

      Yes, we all need childishly featureless interfaced scripted apps instead of useful well crafted applications.

      --
      NRRPT/RCT
    2. Re:Found the LUDDITE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Appy App Saga and Appy Apps!

      It feels weird that I know "Appy Apps" is Angry Birds.

  54. I won't decide before Windows 7 servicing ends by demon+driver · · Score: 1

    There are four Windows machines in active use in the household, all running Windows 7, none being upgraded (one isn't up to it anyway). When MS will stop servicing Windows 7 with security updates, I'll check my options again, independently for each machine. If Microsoft hasn't completely changed its course until then, the top options to be thoroughly checked will be Linux and OS X. Only if it cannot avoided at all for a machine, I'll make the update then. Even a small chance of never having to do it is worth it for me to accept having to pay for it later should all else fail.

  55. who cares... by theNetImp · · Score: 1

    really? I sure the fuck don't.

  56. what a loser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    boots real quick and all.

    ever heard of "sleep mode"? it's been around for decades. The only time you actually need to "boot up" is after a software update, and that is SLOW on Windows 10.

    There just isn't a better OS for someone who enjoys modern gaming.

    by "modern gaming" you mean "lock yourself in a room"

    my idea of "modern gaming" involves getting nekkid with my spouse, you can have your lonely life

    1. Re:what a loser by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

      ever heard of "sleep mode"? it's been around for decades. The only time you actually need to "boot up" is after a software update, and that is SLOW on Windows 10.

      It consumes less power when powered-off than when in sleep. Besides, as it takes only about 6 seconds to boot on my PC I haven't even managed to sit down before it's up and running, making using sleep redundant.

      by "modern gaming" you mean "lock yourself in a room"

      my idea of "modern gaming" involves getting nekkid with my spouse, you can have your lonely life

      Whatever floats your boat. I prefer gaming.

    2. Re:what a loser by Miamicanes · · Score: 2

      Except Windows-running computers HAVE to be rebooted occasionally, or they'll get slower and slower. I think it's because Microsoft creates a VSS restore point prior to installing the disruptive update, then treats the system like a virtual hard drive mounted from that restore point until you finally reboot. It's been that way ever since Windows XP.

      The last (and probably ONLY) version of Windows that you could truly get away with going for weeks without rebooting was Windows 2000 (prior to one of the later service packs... somewhere between SP3 and SP5, I think, which made Win2k require frequent reboots just like XP did). I still fondly remember installing Windows 2000, installing a bunch of other stuff, rebooting, then proceeding to go for almost a month without rebooting after installing Norton Antivirus and updating the AGP GART miniport drivers. Now, Windows wants you to reboot if you so much as raise your voice at it (though I think the never-ending reboots reached their worst point under Vista, before mellowing out slightly with Windows 7)

    3. Re:what a loser by Leslie43 · · Score: 2

      It boots fast because it's not actually shutting down.
      What it's doing is closing apps and logging you out then goes into a modified hibernate/sleep mode. Read up on Fast Startup (Fast Boot for Win8).

      It's a nice feature, even if it's lying to you.

    4. Re:what a loser by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

      You're confusing hibernation with sleep, they are not the same thing. Hibernation saves RAM's contents to disk, then powers off, whereas sleep keeps power running to the CPU and RAM so as not to lose RAM's contents. That is to say: yes, your computer is powered-off when it's hibernated, and I do not see any lies in there. Also, when you reboot Windows it can't do its hybrid-hibernation, and yet it still boots just as fast on my PC -- the hybrid-hibernation is useful when booting from traditional mechanical storage where seek-times are horrendous, but the benefits from it quickly diminish on a modern system with solid-state storage.

    5. Re:what a loser by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I power off. This saves power. Too much stuff in the home siphons off power even when nominally asleep. At least with my PC I have a power strip so I can really kill the power.

    6. Re:what a loser by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      The Windows 8 & 10 version of powering down basically is a hybrid hibernate. It kills all apps and most things, but then hibernates just the kernel and drivers. So it boots very fast but without taking so long setting up the hibernation. Though the power down is still noticeably looooonger than a real power down. It's actually pretty annoying if you're waiting to flip the power strip button but probably not noticed on laptops where people shut the lid and walk away, and laptop/tablet/phone is Microsoft's preferred market here.

    7. Re:what a loser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It consumes less power when powered-off than when in sleep. Besides, as it takes only about 6 seconds to boot on my PC I haven't even managed to sit down before it's up and running, making using sleep redundant.

      You missed Anon's point. WIndows 10 doesn't actually shut down when you select "shut down". Win10 lies to you. When you select shut down, it hibernates. MS calls this "Fast Boot".

      To find out how fast your PC actually boots, select restart, and time it from the BIOS/UEFI screen.

    8. Re:what a loser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had to switch off that fast start, otherwise the partition where Windows resides is not longer readable by Linux in my dual-boot system.

      Now I can see really ho fast windows boots from start, and it's incredibly slow. Sometimes I am waiting for ten minutes or even longer until Windows is ready to use. All apps (like Firefox and so on) are extremely slow or do not even start until the boot cycle has be done.

      Yep - windows looks like it starts faster in fast boot. But don't you wonder why that is? Well - did you noticed that shutting down now takes a very, very long time? There is your answer.

  57. Windows? by shawnhcorey · · Score: 2

    Windows? Do they still make that?

    --
    Don't stop where the ink does.
    1. Re:Windows? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Well, buildings tend to be a bit dark without them...

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    2. Re:Windows? by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

      Careful. Windows(TM) is a viciously defended trademark. Be careful how you use the word...

    3. Re:Windows? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original solar panels.

  58. Re:Finally an end... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, tomorrow we'll start seeing stories of how people are coping without the free 'upgrade' and how Microsoft is thinking about extending the offer due to new interest and customer demand.

    captcha: marketed

  59. Meh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you're worried about it, why haven't you done it yet? By now, MS has probably DDoS'd its own servers so you probably can't get it anyway? Be sure to install it on a CLEAN, NEWLY-REINSTALLED Win7 or 8 for best results, and make sure you have an image backup of the older system to deal with the possible (probable?) need to roll back in anger after the Win10 rollback feature craps out. Nothing new there.

    If you're not worried about it, you either already installed and are happy with it (how many Quaaludes did you take this morning?) or you're not interested at all (happy with your Win 8-7-XP-Mac-Linux-BSD-Commodore 64 system) and don't care. So why did you click on this article?

  60. Never go full upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you need control of your computers, MS is not the answer.

  61. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by gweihir · · Score: 1

    That would be good. Because I am not sure I can be Windows-free until 2020, and the Enterprise Edition of Win10 would be the only one I would even consider for replacing my Win7 Pro. Disabling telemetry completely must be possible. Refusing updates must be possible. Getting rid of Cortana permanently must be possible. $7/Month would not be an issue though.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  62. virtual machines? by joescrooge · · Score: 1

    Considering spinning a bunch of virtual box environments running 7 tonite to upgrade them to 10 just to have sitting around for testing - anyone have any thoughts on that?

    --
    never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes
    1. Re:virtual machines? by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

      Don't. Unless you are a masochist. There will be pain.

    2. Re:virtual machines? by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 1

      You don't need to upgrade them.

      Just use the license keys to install new Win 10 VMs. Then you have the best of both worlds - Win 7 VMs and fresh Win 10 VMs. They'll both continue to work - MS can't rescind your Win 7 license and can't tell that you've not just downgraded.

  63. Install and then rollback by iamacat · · Score: 1

    After that, you always have an option to reinstall Windows 10 on the same machine if you need any of the new features. In terms of keeping it? I primarily care about a stable client for running Steam and Windows 10 is not optimum because of game-interrupting updates, notifications and other background activity.

    1. Re:Install and then rollback by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      It has been my gaming computer for almost a year, and it runs steam and all by the super rare old game. It's funny, one game around 8 years old wouldn't run, but games over a decade, and even close to two decades run great. Just depends on how poorly coded the game interface was to make it specific to the era.

    2. Re:Install and then rollback by iamacat · · Score: 1

      It's not that it does not RUN games, it RUINS games by triggering updates or other nags at inopportune time.

    3. Re:Install and then rollback by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      That update stuff has never happened to me, however there is a game that doesn't run. I can't recall which right now, but one non-modern game I have on Steam simply wont do Win 10.

    4. Re:Install and then rollback by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Yeah games over a decade or two run great because they are probably DOS games running inside a DOSBox emulator. Which also runs on Linux or MacOS X just fine.

    5. Re:Install and then rollback by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      Two decades? Windows 95 was well established at that point. QuakeWorld was in full swing and a very nice Windows program. Just two years later we had Unreal which is the oldest game I still play every few years because it is just good, and a Windows game.

  64. Re:Long done by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just because a version is out of support doesn't mean you can't legally use it. Your license doesn't automatically terminate (yet - this policy will change when it's a subscription service).

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  65. sure, it ends today... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft has been pushing people to upgrade left and right, doing everything possible, including shady tactics like redefining the close button to mean "sure, upgrade my OS now." Do you really believe after all that, they will just pull the plug on the upgrades? Even make people pay to upgrade, and generally make upgrading much harder? Does anybody really see that as a real possibility?

    Or is it more likely that they will use this deadline as another incentive for people to upgrade, and then announce that the deadline has been extended. Mark my words, within a month they will say there has been a demand to extend the deadline, so the free upgrades will continue. They don't want people to run old OS, since then they have to support it. The costs to patch software are largely fixed -- it costs the same to develop a patch, no matter how many people will install it. If they need to patch 3 different versions of OS, the costs of patch development and testing are basically tripled.

  66. Why is it considered an upgrade? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The oxford dictionary defines upgrade as "Raise (something) to a higher standard, in particular improve (equipment or machinery) by adding or replacing components"

    What has been improved or raised to a higher standard? Why is windows 10 an upgrade? The usefulness of windows has clearly declined while Microsoft's non-existent moral standards have dipped far below absolute zero.

    Is it an upgrade because the number 10 is higher than 7? Is it an upgrade because Windows 10 was released after Windows 7?

  67. Re:Perhaps by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    "All those billions of normal people out there"?

    Are you forgetting all the Apple users? All the Chromebook users who have been popping up like weeds on university campuses? All the tablet and smartphone users?

    They are trying to lock people in because the desktop and laptop market is shrinking.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  68. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As they say in marketing and sales, if you don't pay for the product, you are the product.

    Whether you want to pay for licensing or not that was not Microsoft's business plan.

  69. All part of the master plan. by GoodNewsJimDotCom · · Score: 2

    Fools! You didn't upgrade despite our trying the best to be jerks about it! We'll get your family pictures one way or another... By the way, we'll still use dirty tricks to force you to upgrade to 10, and we'll send out to debt collection to get you to pay now.

  70. My thought on the subject: by Psicopatico · · Score: 1

    I've skipped Windows since XP (on my personal home computing devices; at work is another matter).

    --
    Mastering the English language is fucking easy: all you have to do is to put an f* word in every fucking sentence.
  71. Appald Trump will make apps appy again! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    No one cares about LUDDITE Donald Trump. Only APPALD Trump will make apps appy again by deporting LUDDITE developers to LUDDITE Mexico!

    Apps!

  72. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's good for a little while; but eventually you'll need some security fixes, or your hardware dies and a replacement you buy doesn't have drivers, or...something. It gets harder and harder to stay on an outdated OS, and with a roadmap forward that is looking worse and worse I wouldn't want to invest further in Windows and would be taking what time I can coast on the old versions to begin investing in an alternative.

  73. Hooray, we made it by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

    I'm thinking I hope it sends a message that I did not upgrade a single one of mine or my family's licenses. Not that we use Windows, but if we did, I would not endorse the changes they are making and the ugly service and telemetry hooks, as well as the predatory approach with UWP and the Windows Store.

  74. Back by Popular Demand! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tomorrow, For another year.

  75. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    That would be good. Because I am not sure I can be Windows-free until 2020, and the Enterprise Edition of Win10 would be the only one I would even consider for replacing my Win7 Pro...

    Windows 7 is supported through January 2020. Wouldn't it make sense to just leave at that point?

  76. Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now we wait to see Windows 10's market share plummet since there will be no more forced installs. This has been the worst mistake Microsoft has ever made, and they've made some pretty big mistakes in the past.

  77. Re:Handy guide to licenses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, BSDL is genuinely free - leaves ALL decisions up to you. It's GPL that is CopyLeft, thereby trying to force you to publish or make available to the recipient any source code to any software you distribute. It's not exactly free as in beer - it's more like free to brew yourself, but if you get the beer, you must receive the brewing instructions, irrespective of whether you know how to, or are inclined to in the first place, brew any drinks.

    Or for those insisting on a car analogy, it's like insisting that any car dealership must make available all instructions on how the car was manufactured in the first place if they want to sell/distribute the car

  78. swamps my slow internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Try having 100+ odd users with W10 at your site with only a 2mb/s internet feed. I can't tell them all to switch to 'metered' connections and if they do, goodbye email.
    Nope, I'm pushing my folk to go with apple now.

  79. False by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Lots of companies would have paid them for more years of Win XP support (security patches etc).

    Since Win XP, there has been no useful innovation going on. Instead they rearranged all the functions in order to destroy value (learned functions) for the customer.

    It's a problem of advanced stupidness. They will drive this company into the ground.

    1. Re:False by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lots of companies would have paid them for more years of Win XP support (security patches etc).

      Since Win XP, there has been no useful innovation going on. Instead they rearranged all the functions in order to destroy value (learned functions) for the customer.

      It's a problem of advanced stupidness. They will drive this company into the ground.

      I'll boldly predict that by 2030 MS will be reduced to an online dating site, with a sideline of selling format converters and plug-ins for their old softwares.

      Doesn't seem to have sunk in for them, yet, that PC users ARE THE ONLY CUSTOMERS THEY HAVE LEFT TO OFFEND. If they keep it up, they're toast.

  80. you have no brain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you say you have no problems with it, and then you complain about one of its problems

  81. Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Shuttleworth probably got a nice cheque...

    1. Re: Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope it was worth it for shuttlecock

  82. LEAN Strategy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This American company is now run by an Indian and the first thing he announced was to fire Americans and replace by cheap Indians.

    Now the chickens come in for a good roasting.

    Who needs their crap anymore ? There are plenty of alternatives.

  83. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I did this as well. When Windows 8 was around, it was so unusable that I switched my laptop to PC-BSD. I had to get another one at another job I had where I got the laptop w/ Windows 8 a few days before 10 was out, and the moment 10 was out, I upgraded.

  84. Curly Bill by A10Mechanic · · Score: 1

    Curly Bill Brosis said it best: "Well, Bye".

  85. Re:Long done by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    Laptops are so cheap that when they die, you don't fix them - you get a new one. Or get something else.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  86. Just did mine by TomGreenhaw · · Score: 1, Funny

    It went smoothly and so far so good...

    --
    Greed is the root of all evil.
    1. Re:Just did mine by TomGreenhaw · · Score: 1

      I should have found wood to knock on. Bunched of stuff I need to fix after another reboot...

      --
      Greed is the root of all evil.
  87. Another Windows Failure by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 1

    When perfectly serviceable open source software,which compiled correctly and ran well under both Windows 7 and 8.1, cannot EVEN BE INSTALLED in Windows 10, I tried to downgrade.
    Remember that "guarantee" of downgradability?
    It was another Lie.

    1. Re:Another Windows Failure by Sir+Holo · · Score: 2

      MS lied to you? For shame.

      Please provide details – I have not heard of this happening to anyone else, ever.

    2. Re:Another Windows Failure by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 1

      The guarantee of downgrade is in the installation instructions for the "auto-upgrade" to windows 8.1 as of March 15 of 2016. Might be missing now.
      Doesn't work, deleting the installation of win-7 as well as the butchered win10 was necessary just to reboot

  88. You Don't Get It by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Macroshaft has decided to blend their business tactics with those of Google.

    So - you will be a Paying Victim (your data will be sold off to the highest bidder).

    The only thing you can do is to boycott these corrupted 1%ers.

    Get an RPI. Run your own server.

    Run some xBSD on your clients.

  89. Muhahahaha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is the built-in keylogger, which you cannot turn off, not a Security Risk ?

    How is the socialization of your data compatible with the idea of Ownership Of Your Data ?

    Linux is by now way more capitalist than M$HIT and G$$GLE. At least Linux does not want to socialize your hard-won knowledge.

    The 1% are pandering to Marxism, face it.

    1. Re:Muhahahaha by HiThere · · Score: 1

      Well, you've demonstrated that you don't understand Marxism, but the rest of what you said may be correct. (I don't have any direct knowledge of recent versions of MS software, so I can't say for sure.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  90. Happy SysAdmin Day by DrStrangluv · · Score: 1

    Happy SysAdmin Day from Microsoft. It's their gift to us all... no more annoying Windows 10 upgrade popups.

  91. Re:Long done by hyperar · · Score: 1

    I switched to Windows 10 as early as I could. Those who have a pathological hate for MS will never switch, those who believe the haters and refuse to switch to Windows 10 get what they deserve, and those on the fence about switching to Windows 10 better move quick or risk paying for what they could have had for free.

    Well, this is /., what did you expected?

  92. Yeah, here comes Windows subscriptions... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-anniversary-update/fab99802-4358-49d9-8278-e9664cd56311

    The Windows 10 Anniversary Update is part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to deliver Windows as a service.

    So while I'm required to do the updates at work, because my workplace demands it, if it is at all humanly possible I will never install Windows at home or on any machine under my control again. I have actively migrated to BSD and Linux on all my home machines except for one laptop running Windows 8.1 and my wife's laptop running Windows 7. We will not upgrade them. I am hoping to find an alternative to the one program I need which runs only on Windows.

  93. A Nice Bribe For Mrs Hollande by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...will blunt this French effort.

  94. We're sick of hearing about your emails, oh wait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good ridance?

  95. Does that mean our Win7 PC have been exorcised? by evolutionary · · Score: 1

    So does this mean people who haven't disabled the Windows Update Service can breath easy knowing their PC's will no longer "upgrade" to Windows 10 without explicit permission from the user? (Those who DID disable their windows update service as we all should should probably keep it that way, these days nothing seems to be beneath MS these days). For those who need their PC's exorcised I say these words: "The Power of lawsuits, compel you, the power of lawsuits compel you". If that fails, remember, these is always the power of Linux. (Suggest ElementaryOS or Linux Mint to start)

    --
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
    1. Re:Does that mean our Win7 PC have been exorcised? by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

      Any *nix will do. Even Mac OS X, which under-the-hood is a BSD fork, but the company has taken care of the "hard to do" stuff already. Just open the box and do your work.

  96. Re:Long done by HiThere · · Score: 1

    Well, and FWIW, if the OS doesn't insist on calling home, you can run it in a virtual machine for as long as you want. Be sure you have updated backups, though, because the virtual machine partitions are HUGE files, and can become unreadable, or experience undesirable degradation due to actual bit rot. You may also want to forbid Internet access to the virtual machine, to allow for security issues not being fixed.

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  97. Re:Long done by HiThere · · Score: 1

    Yes, but marketing and sales are full of liars. You may well end up being the product even if you do pay.

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  98. Free As In by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Liberate the user's data and sell to $TLA" ???

    User != Customer - Customer is now $TLA and $BIGCORP ?

  99. Re:Handy guide to licenses by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

    GPL and BSD are both free as in speech, but the question is "for who?"

    GPL maximizes freedom for the users -- nothing can take away their control over the code running on their computer.

    BSD maximizes freedom for developers -- they can do whatever they want with it, including close it up and sell it.

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  100. Re:Handy guide to licenses by Darinbob · · Score: 2

    Oh gawd, the flame war was supposed to be dead, now I can feel it rumbling in its grave! Run everyone, run before it's too late!

  101. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    Plenty of time to migrate to something else. Or set up a set of sandboxed VM images on burner PCs for those times you feel like slumming.

  102. 3 PCs upgraded, 3 PCs trashed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Tried to update three of my PCs and wound up with three unbootable PCs. One PC had a stand-alone Linux install on it and it went so far as to trash the boot record on that drive as well. Windows 10 is also a fail when it comes to dealing with UEFI secure boot. I'm just going to restore my back ups of Windows 7 for these three PCs and live with it. After several years, Microsoft finally has a somewhat stable desktop OS -- Windows 7. It's a decent gaming platform and has it's productivity users as well so I'm just going to stick with it. By the time I'm actually forced to move to Windows 10, I'll probably just buy all new hardware with windows 10 pre-installed.

  103. Microsoft You Are NOT Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Microsoft should realize they are not Google. We expect the shady "customer is the product" advertising because that's how Google started. They began as an advertising/search/spying company. Microsoft is our business productivity operating system. We expect productivity and administration upgrades. Windows now acts just like a virus. We used to have programs specifically designed to get rid of intrusive spying... called anti-virus. How in the hell hasn't this company been sued out of existence by every country in the world? Trojan horse was a free gift from Greeks... doesn't mean it was a good gift for everyone involved.

    1. Re:Microsoft You Are NOT Google by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      You have been Scroogled by the Scrooge himself!

  104. Windows 10 - The enemy inside by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Toxic malware that you now have to pay for - That's my only thought on Windows 10.
    Horrible user interface, even simple settings are now buried below layers of crap.
    Just use Linux, or something else that isn't US regime backdoored malware.
    It doesn't even seem to come with the range of software you get with Linux or BSD, and it doesn't have a package manager that lets you install anything you'd ever want. Why would anyone use it? I just don't understand.

  105. Re:Long done by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    If it's an OEM license, don't worry because your PC will probably die before official security support expires. If it's a transferrable licence then you can probably still use it in a VM sandbox with no network access for as long as you want. Just like many places still have dos or windows xp running on disconnected PCs to keep critical applications running.

  106. Time to enable updates on windows 7, 8.1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Time to enable updates on windows 7, 8.1...
    mmmh but after a whole year... what will be break if I update? Damnation!

  107. Party time! by sims+2 · · Score: 1

    End of windows 10 party tonight!

    --
    Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
  108. Reasons I'm not upgrading by Somebody+Is+Using+My · · Score: 1

    In decreasing order of importance:

    1) Mandatory upgrades / patches. Almost everything else in Win10 I can deal with, but this real burns me. I've been screwed over by Microsoft patches too many times in the past (not least being KB3035583 "Win10 Upgrade Notification tool") to ever accept this.

    2) Privacy issues. No, Windows10 isn't as bad as was initially reported, but its defaults are still terrible, and even with it buttoned down it still leaks like a sieve... possibly worse, since I have only Microsoft's word that they aren't keylogging everything. And now you can't turn Cortona off anymore, so that data-torrent is opened right up again...

    3) It has an ugly interface, where they've stupidly moved controls about for no real purpose other than to say they changed it, obfuscated commonly used controls, and removed the less-commonly used options so they can only be toggled via the registry (for now... they're recent policy change on policies indicates that even these options may go away soon). Sure, there are third-party solutions, but they don't entirely solve the problem.

    4) It's very pushy with regards to using other Microsoft services, to the point where it cripples itself if you don't fully buy into the Microsoft ecosystem (try using the app store or onedrive if you don't use a microsoft log-in as your main credentials). And then there's that whole worry about the direction Microsoft is going with regards to service-based pricing...

    5) Windows10 brings very little new to the table that I find of interest. It apparently boots faster, but my computer is up and running in 30 seconds already, and how often do I really reboot anyway? DirectX12 might be more exciting if there were any significant games using it. Better interactivity with an XBoxOne might matter if I owned an XBone, which I don't (and even then I doubt I'd care).

    In the end, there's very little Windows10 has to offer me that earlier versions of the OS don't do as well, or better. Even if Windows10 was a compelling upgrade, I'd reconsider an OS upgrade if my current set-up is working well enough (as it is). But right now Win10 is just a little bit too ugly, too creepy and too pushy for me to want to have anything to do with it. Maybe in a few years it might be worth taking a look at but right now it seems far more bother than reward.

  109. Backup, UpDate, Backup again. Then choose. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In all honesty, Windows 10 actually runs better than Windows 7 or 8 on many of the family computers that I maintain. Like others, I do not like the privacy problems. I set all machines up to log in with local accounts and then turn off all the privacy invasions that I can find.

    Four machines have been upgraded, then backed up and other OS's used. Including freebsd, linux, and windows 7.

    Every machine that I have updated has first been imaged with Acronis True Image. Then comes the update. Then another complete backup is done. The images are saved. If desired, the original OS can be restored to exactly like it was.
    I like to have choice, and I don't want to regret NOT updating 6 months from now.
    Hard disks are cheap these days so it is easy to set a computer up to run different operating systems just by using a different hard disk.

    Just have Windows 10 installed on a hard disk for free IN case you want it later.

  110. DEAD PIECE OF SHIT THEN. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nobody would buy spyware. It is enough to just have it come with a new PC and have to lock it down.

    Microsoft everything is US government spyware in totality. Mined data is also easily cross referenced from Google and Facebook. Markmonitor are with each facet. There are smaller operations but those are the vast majority of the global public surveillance there. Akamai and cloudfront also share dicks and assholes with the main 4.

    Separately eBay and Amazon and Yahoo also share what they are told to.. and with Verizon looking to buy Yahoo... can you fucking hear us now cunts?

    Linux right now is easier to use and maintain than Windows, you just miss the games until people start uninstalling their spyware. It is more stable, more software, and free. The whole world runs on Linux now for the most part and even Android is a fork of Linux. PS4 is a fork of FreeBSD. It is elementary to port any and every game to Linux, just as it is to PS4. Easier even because the hardware is the same and PS4 has it's own identical hardware across consoles.

    Anybody buying anything Microsoft should know they are paying to have their whole home spied on. If you use SKYPE, and your kid runs behind you naked.. it will be leaked on the encrypted Internet.. and often times clearnet. Fuck SKYPE too. Microsoft didn't buy Skype for the money, they already stole enough. Skype puts US Government cameras in your home, car, outdoors, etc. Total surveillance you paid for even if you don't use because staffing the spies comes from US taxpayers. And USA is broke. Now mother fucking what will you do? Stare at it? Stick your thumbs in your ass?

    1. Re:DEAD PIECE OF SHIT THEN. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DEAD PIECE OF SHIT THEN

      Dead piece of shit then. Dead piece of shit then. Dead piece of shit then.

    2. Re:DEAD PIECE OF SHIT THEN. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heyy we want some spyyywaaarre. Heyy we want some spyyywaaarre. Heyy we want some spyyywaaarre.

    3. Re:DEAD PIECE OF SHIT THEN. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      HEAD, bootay, and COCK what you like fellas.. HEAD, bootay, and COCK what you like fellas.. HEAD, bootay, and COCK what you like fellas..

  111. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'll pirate Win10 enterprise before I pay Microsoft a dime for this pile of crap. But, if I ever do, that will be inside a virtual machine running on Linux.

  112. Re:Long done by Voyager529 · · Score: 1

    Thanks! Your check is in the mail! Oh, just a heads up: our typing records say your password for hotmidgetongoataction.com is pretty weak. I think you should add another exclamation mark to the end of it.

    Thanks again,
    Microsoft

    Windows PowerShell
    Copyright (C) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

    PS C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0> ping hotmidgetongoataction.com
    Ping request could not find host hotmidgetongoataction.com. Please check the name and try again.
    PS C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0>

    ...just in case anyone else wondered if hotmidgetongoataction.com was actually a website that existed.

  113. Windows 10 is full of malware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    MS included adware and spyware in Windows 10. There is no possibility of that being installed on any of my computers, free or not. Most malware is free...

    I will stick with win 7 and move to Linux for any new machines.

  114. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by fnj · · Score: 1

    Windows 7 is supported through January 2020 [microsoft.com]. Wouldn't it make sense to just leave at that point?

    Leave WHAT? Leave town? Is there any chance you could make your point comprehensibly?

  115. Re:Perhaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    >All the Chromebook users who have been popping up like weeds on university campuses?

    Google shill much?! Go to any campus, mine especially, and you will see almost 100% Windows and Mac. Nobody wants a chromebook, nobody.

  116. Is it safe now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    D... does this mean it's safe to turn WindowsUpdates back on...?

  117. Voluntary Workload reduction in sight by eionmac · · Score: 1

    1 As I have supported a goodly few folk 'update' to free Windows 10 as a volunteer IT helper; (Others on Windows Vista to GNU/Linux), and in some cases have had a lot of trouble with the update, 2. I see a rest from my labours with the end of 'free update'.

    --
    Regards Eion MacDonald
  118. Couldn't care less. by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    My last Windows was Windows 2000.
    x86 Linux and Mac OS X ever since. Probably down to Linux only in the next hardware cycle.

    Honestly, I really couldn't care less.

    My 2 cents.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  119. It's Slashdot, so what did you expect to hear? by King_TJ · · Score: 1

    You won't see a lot of positive remarks towards Windows here, period!

    But as someone who's not really all that much of a "Linux head"? (I went through a phase where I thought Linux was the end all, be all future of personal computing, but then realized continuing to push it in a corporate setting was simply bad for my chances of continued employment or advancement.) I have to say I'm not at all thrilled by this upgrade.

    These days, I try to be as "platform agnostic" as possible. I work for a company where we use roughly 50% Macs and 50% Windows PCs. We run VMWare ESXi on our primary server, even though it cost a lot more than using Microsoft's Hyper-V solution, just because we didn't want to be that reliant on MS technologies where good alternatives existed. And yes, we use a bit of Linux where it makes sense for us -- such as hosting our CrashPlan Pro-E backup solution in some of our offices, or the ESET anti-virus central administration console.

    Our company stuck with Windows 7 Pro throughout the whole Windows 8 and 8.1 upgrade cycle, opting to skip it completely since it didn't really have any tangible benefits for us. (Any small improvements were offset by breaking compatibility with some of our EMC software we still use for Finance and the need to re-train a bunch of users on the whole new UI. Plus, we had custom drive images all assembled with our software apps on them. Nobody in I.T. was looking forward to doing all of those over from scratch for Windows 8.)

    Now with 10? Microsoft's "only free for a limited time!" push got to my boss, so he started rolling out the upgrades, piecemeal, on machines in a couple of our offices. (Understandably, he didn't want to get stuck having to answer to higher-ups why he didn't bother to take advantage of the free offer while it was out there, leaving us stuck paying thousands in Win 10 licensing down the road when we WERE ready to deploy it fully.)

    The whole thing has left us supporting 2 very different OS's at the same time on the Windows side, and since we didn't pay the "Microsoft tax" for the Enterprise edition - we still get stuck with problems like "Candy Crush" installing by default.

    1. Re:It's Slashdot, so what did you expect to hear? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Idiot. Microsoft pay PR teams to come here and post every possible bullshit angle on their software.

      Just like you are. Lying fucking cunt go sell used cars.

  120. In the words of Doc Neeson, by dwywit · · Score: 1

    and The Angels:

    No way, get fucked, fuck off.

    Actually, it's the words of the audience
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
  121. My thoughts on this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A big middle finger to Microsnot^H^H^Hoft.

  122. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    Leave WHAT? Leave town? Is there any chance you could make your point comprehensibly?

    Leave the Windows Platform? You know, the topic I was replying to, as evidenced by the portion of the parent's post I quoted, and even boldfaced for emphasis? Or is using inference in reading comprehension too difficult for you?

  123. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    Plenty of time to migrate to something else.

    Exactly what I'm thinking. I'm on 8.1 now, and even if I have a little more time, I would like to build a new system before the end of the decade. I'll likely change off then.

  124. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Go away Jeff, go back to playing house of USD bills with billy.

  125. Oh noes! by hattable · · Score: 5, Funny

    I missed it! How did I not get a notification or something? Was it a feature you had to enable?

    --
    OMG facts!
    1. Re:Oh noes! by bentit · · Score: 1

      Just like me! I miss free carpet cleaning (well at least the hallway), free water testing, free cruises, free vacations, free windows estimates...hmm...and always think to myself I've missed my opportunity. Then the phone rings again. We might survive this.

  126. Resell Enterprise editions to individuals? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't like the idea of Win10 telemetry.

    We're told that telemetry can only be disabled in Win10 Enterprise (and I assume there's many steps to doing it right). But individuals can't buy Enterprise -- you have to have buy 500+ licenses. Even if you install Enterprise somehow (torrent or MSDN), then you'd still want to make sure it's correctly configured for privacy.

    Personally I'd pay +$500 for a clean spyware-free OS. I shouldn't have to, but at this point... Not everyone can afford this, but thousands of us could, right?

    So why doesn't somebody form an organization EnterprisePrivacyPeople Inc and buy Win10 Enterprise for all their employees/interns, and anyone can be an unpaid intern by paying $N upfront and $M/year -- whatever it has to be -- and then we all get our Enterprise versions? And the Inc. can provide a 30-line clearly-written setup script that correctly toggles everything for max privacy.

    Easy, right? What am I missing?

  127. Did you know? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I traced the Win10 privacy rumors back to Mac "fans" and "supporters". It's not that they were always "supported by Apple". Apple users are just dumb. It's not like all of them, but most of them. The dumber buyers the more expensive brand, and then they even bitch the competition in the nastiest way possible. Have you ever thought why this crap is being told about everything except Apple? Like every OS today collects information. Even Linux, but there's more control over it.

  128. here it comes.... by meglon · · Score: 1

    Windows 10 is going to be the new drive up window... it looks inviting and nice, you get up to the window, get your bag of food and drive away.... then when you've blocks away, you've found it's not what you ordered and they've fucked you on the ass. And they don't care, they know you're going to be blocks way, so they fuck you. That's windows 10. They've come out with a decent idea, to have an OS that simply will be continually updated instead of replaced every 2 year, but now they're going to be fucking assholes and force you into things you don't fucking want.

    A couple years years ago some asshole from Microsoft wrote a piece complaining that people still treated them like someone who'd killed their father.... this is why, they still fucking act that way. Dear Microsoft....fuck Cortana.

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  129. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anything else you don't want them to take away or force upon you while you're paying?

    Captcha: blinds

  130. Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I got sorry of the constant nagging and attempts to load Windows 10 onto my Windows 7 box, so I loaded Linux on it 3 weeks ago. I left it at duel boot because I can't connect to work using Linux, but other than the 2 hours I had to be on XENAPP for work, I've been on Linux. Works fine for me.

  131. I unlocked it without upgrading by jonwil · · Score: 1

    I used instructions online to install Windows 10 to a VHD file on one of my external disks so it would be activated and valid in the Microsoft database and then kept using Windows 7. So I have a working copy of Windows 7 and if I ever want to upgrade to Windows 10 in the future (at least on my current PC which was upgraded to a Skylake chip, new Motherboard and 8GB RAM 6 months ago) I have the digital activation thing that will get me Windows 10 for free.

    So I can install Windows 10 any time I want with no cost but I dont have to install it until I want to.

    1. Re:I unlocked it without upgrading by cwsumner · · Score: 1

      I used instructions online to install Windows 10 to a VHD file on one of my external disks so it would be activated and valid in the Microsoft database and then kept using Windows 7. ...

      That would be a good idea.

      Except I am too scared of M$, right now, to even allow that much of a connection...

  132. The fun begin soon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can't wait to see what will happen once the net will be cast wide.

    Also, why would you still want to update, even for an "anniversary update", is this a kind of shiny bait?
    "You will lose this super opportunity of a special mega deluxe edition, only available now. Order right away and you will receive this free spyware!"

  133. Worth exactly what you pay for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Today, Windows 10 is worth exactly what you pay for it. After Friday . . .

  134. Obligatory Permanent Fix (Mod up) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    @REM SCRIPT NAME: UPGRADE THIS!
    @REM PURPOSE: PERMANENTLY STOP WIN10 UPDATE.
    @REM USAGE: COPY PASTE INTO TXT FILE, RENAME TXT TO CMD, RIGHT CLICK, RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR.
    @REM YOU CAN ALSO USE SERVICES.MSC MANUALLY.
    @REM NOTE: COMPATIBLE WITH WIN2K, XP, VISTA, 7, 8, 8.1 AND WIN10.
    @REM NOTE: REMOVE GWX PATCHES BEFORE RUNNING THIS TO PERMANENTLY GET RID OF GWX NAGWARE.

    NET SESSION >NUL 2>&1
    if %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 (
              @ECHO ADMINISTRATIVE PERMISSIONS CONFIRMED.
              SC CONFIG WUAUSERV START= DISABLED
              NET STOP WUAUSERV
    ) else (
            ECHO FAILURE: RUN THIS AS AN ADMIN!
    )
    PAUSE
    EXIT

  135. You couldn't pay me enough to use Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When looking for new employment, I weigh very heavily the OS used by the desktop.

  136. I Don't Care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's my thought on this? I don't think about Microsoft.

  137. Today is the end of days. Time has ceased. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your system clock will proceed again as before after your free Windows 10 upgrade is installed and updated.

  138. Very Short Subject by NonSenseAgency · · Score: 1

    Buh -- bye Windows.

  139. Sure! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sure, it's a FREE upgrade, so I upgrades all my VM's, once I saved the state of course.

    Virtualized is the only half-way safe to run windows.

    That way, it doesn't have access to any more files than it needs.

    It has very limited network access.

    It has no hardware access to microphones, webcams, disks, network shares, etc.

    Windows runs very well, if you give it very simple hardware to run on.

    It runs on an old 250Gb HD, it doesn't need really any more than that. No sense wasting an SSD on it, since it would only hasten it's death.

    It's basically used to preserve my copy of office 97, and some other legacy MSFT apps.

    Every once in a while I back it up and let it update, and then I restore it's state. My bandwidth is free, and I suppose MSFTs is too.

    2Gb of RAM and 2 cores of 12 are more than enough resources for it.

  140. yay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    now they can turn off their nag-ware and leave my perfectly functioning previously purchased content alone.

  141. I finally installed it last night on 2 computers. by spads · · Score: 1

    Have to say the installs went flawlessly. The final selling point was to get a couple more years of support out of an OS I am basically stuck with (i.e. MS Windows in general) due to work constraints.

    I do hope to see these performance improvements folks are talking about, and am heartened that this Cortana thing can be turned off. However, some of my first experiences with Edge just now were giving ~20 second delays between letters typed into an input field.

    I am not a great fan of MS's philosophy, nor, technology, but, like I said, feel relatively stuck/trapped with it (FOR NOW). Fortunately, the 10 OS seems fairly well performing and usable thus far, and I have already seen one improvement that has completely justified the switch. The infuriating behavior I put up with for a couple of years where edge swipes would continually send me to that worthless Apps palette seem to have finally gone away. I had found ways to turn that off at times (as well as the maddening edge window maximization), but they always managed to turn themselves back on again. So now, I guess, that palette is gone, which certainly seems to be the best option.

    Just heartened to see a general trend of MS chastening over time. I believe in that - "the bigger they come...", "snake eating it's tail", etc. It's been mainly the open source movement / Linux which has done it. Even if the average Joe can't appreciate Linux's quality, MS can. "Ask not for whom the bell tolls...".

    --
    Bukowski said it. I believe it. That settles it.
  142. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by dbIII · · Score: 1

    There are still a lot of people on MS WinXP. I fixed an XP machine of someone I know on Tuesday.
    With enough memory and an SSD it's actually very quick.
    It's potentially malware prone (which wasn't the problem), but all MS systems still are almost as bad in that area and there are third party solutions to keep them protected.

  143. I like it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe it's just me, but I don't mind it. I figure the average /. user can figure out how to turn off all the dirty bits.

  144. So what's going to happen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They still push the 10GB download down your phone line, only then lock up your computer until you've paid for the upgrade they installed without asking you whether you wanted it?

    Also, "checking updates" was always necessary but at the same deliberately made needlessly hard. Starting with the descriptions, like "this is an important update that may possibly have side effects but not installing it might conceivably be worse, dire even, maybe. but the thing sure is important, says we. details found at [link]" where the "more info" link then leads to a page full of unreadable word salad with among the all the empty words maybe two or three words that might convey something meaningful iff you squint really hard and have read up on your redmondese recently. This was already the case in '95 and hasn't improved since. On the contrary. (It's one reason why I moved away from them around that time. The rest of the system exuding the same attitude was another.)

    10GB for an "upgrade". That's, what, 7282 floppies. Of course, nobody uses floppies any longer. But at the same time, back in the day there was this OS that could fit itself along with a GUI and a web browser on a single floppy, for essentially the same functionality. That thing was blazingly fast, too. Meaning that "modern software engineering" isn't. It really isn't. It could be at least 7282 times better.

  145. Re:Long done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Laptops are so cheap that when they die, you don't fix them - you get a new one. Or get something else.

    This may be true if you buy the garbage marketed to consumers.

    Laptops actually worth buying, aka business line models, are still around $1k (also assuming you option for a non-shite screen >1366x768 TN panel).

  146. Not For Me by Dangerous_Minds · · Score: 1

    I knew someone who was insistent on upgrading to Windows 10. I mentioned to her what I found out about the operating system. She even heard some of her friends having problems upgrading - mainly it would "lock up" and render the computer useless during the so-called "upgrade" process. She succumbed to the pressure Microsoft was exerting on her and finally upgraded one machine from 8 to 10 and another from 7 to 10. The reasoning behind that was the worry that the old OS would "dry up" (which apparently was her way of worrying about security updates finally coming to a halt). She let me sit in to watch the process of going from 8 to 10. I tried to keep an open mind about the process. After the slideshow which lasted forever (it was still installing, but it wasn't until 10 minutes in that the slideshow finally mentioned that), I watched Windows 10 begin pushing ads all over the place. At the same time, I got to witness it de-install programs the OS didn't like because of "compatibility" reasons. The programs were admittedly minor anyway (i.e. Rapid Storage technology), but the idea of the OS just uninstalling programs without your permission alone unnerved me.

    Once the process was complete, she was horrified that her card games had vanished. Hearts, solitaire, spider solitaire, freecell, etc. were all gone. She eventually found it by scrolling through the start menu, but when she booted it up, it began telling her that she had a one month free trial of solitaire before she could upgrade to premium solitaire. We both had the same thought, "So much for "everything is exactly where you left it"!". It took some digging, but she was able to find a free version in the store so she wouldn't have to pay something like 10 bucks a year for a simple card game.

    Suffice to say, after that first hand experience, I was more convinced than ever that I'm sticking with Windows 7. I was already one foot out the door with all the news, but seeing the install process sealed the deal for me.

    --
    Daily read for tech news: Freezenet.ca
  147. TANSTAAFL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.) At some time we'll see how MS will turn the "free" upgrade into a revenue stream. Taxation without representation.

  148. Luck 7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unix Version 7, better than all versions that came before it, and all that came after.

    Windows 7, better than all versions that came before it, and all that came after.

    It is my dream to find the Microsoft Executive responsible for including spyware in Windows 10 and without anesthetic force a surveillance camera up his asshole.

  149. If had to use it, I'd be content to pay for it.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...but I would rather just use Linux. I'm also not a gamer, which probably matters to some people.

  150. Re:Perhaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    not someone who'll get a mac

    Did you miss that line in the original? And no, Chromebooks aren't getting entrenched on college campuses.

  151. Good riddance! by sgunhouse · · Score: 1

    You mean I no longer have to read auto-update horror stories? Thank you!

    I did try it once ... it wouldn't allow me to upgrade this computer (I didn't try it on my others). Not certain whether that's good or bad. But at least we can all take a breather now, and maybe get some peace.

  152. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's a hell of a business model. Give away the software, then get paid to disable features.

  153. this is just a bogus scial engineering stunt by cas2000 · · Score: 1

    microsoft are trying to get win10 refuseniks to panic at the "loss" of their free "upgrade" option and voluntarily upgrade while they still have the chance.

    In a few weeks, they'll "have a change of heart" and decide to continue offering it for free after all, and continue with their increasingly aggressive attempts to force people to install their spyware whether they want it or not.

    expect them to go way beyond just trying to sneak win10 in to unrelated updates, if they haven't already, they'll soon start issuing win7 updates that introduce subtle instabilties. of course, this will partially flop because it'll be hard to distinguish from normal operation.

    ---

    disclaimer: i use win7 solely for gaming and nothing else (and i don't allow my banking or credit card details to go anywhere near windows* - all steam etc purchases are done from my linux macine). There are some features from win10 that I wouldn't mind having, but not at the price of advertising, spyware, and other malware built in to the OS, and the inability to disable useless features like cortana (which is partly spyware and partly useless-i-have-no-fucking-need-or-desire-for-voice-control), or the inevitable transition to a walled-garden app-store (with other vendors increasingly locked out).

    steam on linux is becoming an increasingly viable alternative to win7. by the time win7 is completely unusable, there's a reasonable chance I can convert my gaming machine to steam on linux (or steam on linux plus wine - i used to use wine exclusively for games until i built a win7 gaming box, most games worked fine).

    * or android, either. there's no way i'm trusting either google or an insecure and easily lost or stolen device like my phone or tablet with my credit card, financial or other private/confidential information. I'm not missing anything, ignoring the uninstallable google apps, almost every android app i use is GPL or MIT/BSD or other free software anyway.....and 90% of everything is crap. In the case of app stores, it's 99.999999%.

  154. Win 10 upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bricked my laptop. Managed to install Linux Mint on it, much better OS, MS
      Sucks, as usual!

  155. Re:Long done by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

    As comebacks go, that was about a 4th graders level.

    --
    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  156. Re:Thoughts? I wish I had the enterprise version by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Alt least you cannot say MS is not innovative. What they came up here is massively against the customer's interest, but still.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  157. Fuck Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm switching to Red Star OS!

  158. SPAM? by valnar · · Score: 1

    Does that mean Microsoft will finally stop spamming my perfect Windows 7 installs with Win10 upgrades?

  159. clonedrive a backup of 7 by amigabill · · Score: 1

    I held off allowing the update to 10 to happen forbquite a while, using apps to help prevent it from happening. i bought another hard drive snd used clonedrive to copy everything, so now i have teo indistinquishable drives. I put one into cold storage, and then allowed the new one to dobthe 10 update.

    I also have some vrtual machines, one with win7 pro that I have several things in (to help make it easier to move to a new computer someday) and one with win8 and win8.1 that i never really used but had to check out the 8.x versions. this past week i got all my apps up to date and got a few things od been thinking about, sobthat they are thrre and working in win7 land. thrn made a copy of virtual hard drive, stored away the older versions, and sllowed win10 updates on new copies. the moment i dont like win10, i have a path back to "better versions" for everything i have and do today.

  160. It's a trojan horse by iampiti · · Score: 1
    Well, that's not completely true since there are many bad things about it that they're not even trying to hide:
    • It gathers tons of data about you
    • It tries to push lots of Windows services and software (Cortana, Bing, Windows Login, Windows Store)
    • It has a crappy, designed-for-touch UI
    • Upgrades are mandatory

    The most important is the last point: Since upgrades are not optional they can slowly update Windows to make it more closed, to push their services even more intensely to show even more ads. To sum up, they can do whatever they want to your PC

  161. Free Updrade to Linux Mint 18 Continues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have upgraded to Windows 10, been frustrated that it has areas that are poorly performing and, moved to Linux Mint 18. One of the biggest flaws in Win 10 is the network performance which is significantly slower on the same hardware than Linux.

  162. It's over?!? by ChewieJenkins · · Score: 1

    Everyone it's safe to come out now.

  163. A sprat to catch a mackerel by brothbeard · · Score: 1

    I have for a long time felt that Microsoft will sooner or later switch from selling outright licences to a system where we are all forced to pay annually and since with Windows 10 we are pretty much forced to accept updates whenever MS chooses to post them we may not even have the choice of opting out and sticking with the release we have paid for or been given by MS. Worse still, whenever windows changes in a way that screws other applications, those will all have to be updated as well (more money). Given the way that Microsoft has completely lost the plot with respect to mobile systems (mobile/cell phones) future revenues will rely more and more on a shrinking market of desktop PCs. Who knows, perhaps MS will spin off and maybe even sell its Windows business as it focuses more and more on its cloud and services businesses.

  164. Interesting side effect in your love life by jcea · · Score: 1

    I had a date cancelled yesterday because the girl was desperate to upgrade to Windows 10 while it was free. Best excuse ever, but I know for sure that is was real. I had know her for 26 years :). I just called a few buddies and spend the night doing geocaching and chatting until 4:00AM.

  165. Re:I finally installed it last night on 2 computer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cheerful soliloquy faggot.

    Your install is US government spyware.

    You can multi-boot. (if you weren't a huge faggot)

  166. Re:Long done by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    Anyone doing serious work on a laptop over an extended period of time isn't going to give a shit about the screen - they'll be using an external screen, monitor, and mouse. So all that extra money is wasted.

    The internal components come from the same manufacturer as the consumer line. So really, what are you paying for?

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  167. Considered Harmful by easyTree · · Score: 1

    My experience of Windows 10 came to me along with a Surface Pro 4.

    These are some of the problems I experience daily whilst attempting productive work using the dock and an external monitor:
      * Switches itself off and displays a giant thermometer on the SP4 screen if I attempt to switch it back on - the fans don't come on so it overheats ^_^
      * The mouse pointer randomly jumps around occasionally because the type cover is closed and bizarrely the touch panel is still active despite my screen configuration being set to 'display on the external monitor only'
      * Non-deterministic screen resolution issues abound (often at the same time): 1) text is super-tiny; 2) all other ui is HUGE; 3) font is close to normal size but appears *wrong* / fuzzy / faint - generally this occurs along with: 4) the screen configuration randomly changes from 'external monitor only' (my preference) to mirrored
      * Keyboard or mouse stop working for no apparent reason
      * Windows updates to fix the drivers for the dock / firmware etc. fail again and again and require googling and low-level hacks to get them to install
    * Close buttons on windows become non-responsive ! ^_^
    * My installation of Office 2013 needs to be 'online repaired' every time I reboot

    In short it's a total clusterfuck - way worse than the Windows Mobile 6 thing that sent me towards Android. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and abandon years of experience of using and developing on Windows and embrace the dark side that is Linux / Mac just to get away from this kind of BS.
    Microsoft: what the hell? You control the hardware, the OS and the software but it still doesn't work. WTF!?! How do I make this right given that this is a £2100 ($2778 current rates) investment for the hardware alone! Aaaaarh (not in a pirate sense :-| )

  168. Pleased the harassment ends by Tetch · · Score: 2

    Free Upgrade To Windows 10 Ends Today: What's Your Thought On This?

    I'm very pleased for my friends and relatives that the continual harassment from Microsoft to do "something that sounds scary and sinister" will now end.

    As for me, I couldn't care less .... I use only Linux for my day-to-day needs (the only gaming I do these days is Tetris and Mahjongg), though I keep a copy of XP in a VM for those rare occasions I need to run a Win32 app. I have Doom 3 installed on a real metal WinXP somewhere here .... never finished it ..... got bored by all the dim lighting ..... maybe I'll finish that one day. At least it didn't "require a Steam connection", and therefore Internet connectivity.

    I thought about buying a copy of Win7 Pro while you still could (well it is quite a nice product if you can get it at a reasonable price), but in the end just couldn't face the continual struggle with Microsoft's dirty tricks department over whose PC it is. They made it perfectly clear they would bolt on telemetry to Win7 & 8.x, and would try ever tricksier ways to force download the Win10 files over my link onto my hard drive, and fool me into starting the upgrade, which were only circumventable by switching off all security updates and maintaining constant hyper-vigilence. I have enough stress in my life, without that nonsense. F*ck that. Out here, we are free, and the air smells good.

    So I say hooray for the end of free Win10 upgrades :)
    "And tap into America !" .... (sorry - wrong link, I know, but it'll do)

    --
    If you don't pray in my school, I won't think in your church.
  169. Free Upgrade To Windows 10 Ends Today: What's Your by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I held off till a week ago. But I decided to go with it. I'm glad I did because the computer now runs smoother than it did with 8.1.

  170. Its all about apps! by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

    Kinda sad that all the bullshit that was made fun of with Win 8 still holds true on Windows "superspyware with Bing" 10.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  171. Re:Long done by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    "...those on the fence about switching to Windows 10 better move quick or risk paying for what they could have had for free."

    Having a dog do its business on my lawn isn't right at the top of my list. Paying for the privilege ranks even lower. In either case, I'd rather introduce the dog to my paintball gun in a very direct way than allow it to leave a POS on my property.

    I feel just the same about "upgrading" to Windows 10.

    How long have you been working for them, by the way?

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  172. Short answer: NO. by martinfb · · Score: 1

    I say no because the features over Win7Pro present too high a learning curve for most users.

    The vast majority of my clients do not wish to become computer weenies. They love XP because it worked for everything they needed. Win7 was an easy migration albeit a bit less stable (skipping the nightmares of Vista, and now Win8.x). Yet I get major complaints that the migration to Win10 is too unnecessary and to much trouble for the effort. My clients have important work to keep doing.

    I am actually inclined to just go with a good Linux distribution. If one must learn a new computing system every few years, why not just bite the bullit and go Linux. There are far smaller learning curves between updates and version releases. And, there are more and more apps available; plenty to meet my clients' needs. And, more stable and faster!

    --


    Self-importance and self-indulgence is the root of ALL evil.