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Microsoft Wants To Force Windows 10 Mail Users To Use Edge For Email Links (theverge.com)

Microsoft has revealed today that "we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge." What this means is that if you have Chrome or Firefox set as your default browser in Windows 10, Microsoft will simply ignore that and force you into Edge when you click a link within the Mail app. The Verge reports: "As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP community," says Microsoft's Dona Sarkar in a blog post today. I'm sure Microsoft will receive a lot of feedback over this unnecessary change, and we can only hope the company doesn't ignore it.

172 comments

  1. So... by Carrot007 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    People use windows mail? Or any dekstop mail app?

    Is it 1999 again?

    --
    +----------------- | What is the question!
    1. Re:So... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I use a desktop email app, because I can respond to stuff when I'm offline and get notifications on my laptop. Thunderbird is still awesome. Plus I host my own IMAP server and don't feel like giving all my personal info to Google/M$/Yahoo/Apple.

    2. Re:So... by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      Or any dekstop mail app?

      Why would I install a pointless bloated program (or worse, an "app") on every computer I use? Just ssh and do mail from the server. :p

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    3. Re:So... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      are you a pine, elm, or mutt sort of dude?

    4. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pine? That's so a long time ago. Alpine is where it's at.

    5. Re: So... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      "You have new mail."

    6. Re:So... by epyT-R · · Score: 1

      Yes. Those of us who actually have to communicate with more than abbreviations and pansy little icons.

    7. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You mean with a real keyboard and no ads? Yes, I use a desktop mail application. What else would I use?

    8. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Out of curiosity, do you use any plugins, or just vanilla Thunderbird? I want to use a desktop client, and have tried to switch multiple times, but keep going back to webmail when the interface and user experience starts to annoy me...

      Personally, I use KolabNow and not one of the "big players" for my email, and I trust them. The main reason I want to switch is that I imagine that a native app should be more pleasant and reliable when properly set up, but I never found the right one. Since I'm often required to read and write HTML mails through work, I suppose my dream client would be a GUI with Vim-like keyboard shortcuts and MarkDown integration for the rich text emails...

    9. Re:So... by iamhassi · · Score: 1

      It's linked to your windows login, so if you have a hotmail account from the 90’s (which you probably do if you had email in the 90’s) logging in with hotmail and having it sync everything is incredibly convenient. Plus with Google linking your email with YouTube account and social media I don't like giving out my gmail anymore, don't want people to look up everything I ever uploaded or every comment I've made when I send them an email.

      --
      my karma will be here long after I'm gone
    10. Re:So... by dinfinity · · Score: 1

      Excellent trolling, sir!

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

      People use windows mail?

      I hope not.

      Or any dekstop mail app?

      I hope so. Unless you are a casual user alternatives are counterproductive.

      Is it 1999 again?

      Your still using a computer with transistors in it? What is this the 1940's?

    12. Re:So... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      Maybe to your Windows login, not to mine. I use a local account -- I have no desire to "stink" my devices with Microsoft's "clown" any more than I need to.

    13. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had email in the 90's never needed to have anything like hotmail.
      Just a pop-server, and later imap-server and a local mail client. Still only use mail clients that connect to my imap-server.

    14. Re:So... by iamhassi · · Score: 1

      Or any dekstop mail app?

      Why would I install a pointless bloated program (or worse, an "app") on every computer I use? Just ssh and do mail from the server. :p

      Because that pointless bloated program is built into windows 10, but you could argue windows is a pointless bloated program too ;)

      --
      my karma will be here long after I'm gone
    15. Re: So... by Woldscum · · Score: 1

      I just use Thunderbird and POP. Lightning is built into Thunderbird now. Phone and pads use Imap just to read until I get back to the PC to pull mail.

    16. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How to uninstall or disable Edge?

    17. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I had email in the '90s, both from the university and my home ISP. I certainly heard about Hotmail back then, but saw no reason for it.
      I've never had a "Windows login" (is that something they added in 10, or is it older? I jumped from XP to Linux), and I've certainly never had a Google account.
      People have no idea how much easier it is to use an Android device without a Google account on it.
      Why would anyone use something that's linked to so many other things?

    18. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thunderbird is still awesome.

      Note for long, sadly. Hopefully they provide some sort of API for service additions (e.g. dealing with Exchange's bullshit), but I'm not holding my breath.

      https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/thunderbird-will-phase-out-legacy-add-ons-will-support-webextensions/

    19. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i abandoned my hotmail address when microsoft bought it

      i still have my netscape.net email

    20. Re:So... by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 1

      Yes. I use a desktop mail client precisely because I like to maintain my own archive. My .PST file is about 22 GB in size at the moment, consuming about 80 cents' worth of disk space at current prices. It doesn't go back to 1999, but it goes back about 12 years.

      People are always trying to sell me on everything from IMAP to GMail, telling me how great the experience of using server-side email is compared to Outlook. It's funny, though... whenever somebody needs to know what X said in an email from Y months or years ago, they always come to me.

    21. Re:So... by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 1

      are you a pine, elm, or mutt sort of dude?

      Me, elm. And trn as my News Reader. I wouldn't call them 'apps'..

    22. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Same.

      I find it alarming how much people just don't care about this stuff.

    23. Re:So... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      Does USENET still exist other than a sink for weird spam?

    24. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep. I still use Pegasus Mail. Been using it for over 25 years now.

    25. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a netscape.net as well, but it's been an alias for aol.com for many years.

    26. Re:So... by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Sure, there's comp.misc which has refugees from the beta. For the parts of usenet I use, there's hardly even any spam now.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    27. Re:So... by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 1

      I use Sylpheed on my desktops and laptops, but I use mutt from my phone (through termux).

      I think it works rather well.

      --
      If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
    28. Re:So... by MemeRot · · Score: 1

      The websites?

    29. Re:So... by MemeRot · · Score: 1

      I didn't even know android would let you do that.

      I find it convenient. If i need to reset my device, I can easily find what i had installed before

    30. Re:So... by MemeRot · · Score: 1

      Really? I've never cleaned up any of my email in hotmail. They just periodically increase the size of online storage, and I've never had any reason to.

      Outlook at work has a 50gb storage limit on the server. When they upped it to that I moved my pst emails back to the server. Makes it easier to reimage the machine and not worry about it

    31. Re:So... by jawtheshark · · Score: 1
      Be careful with such large PST files. They get unstable very quickly and you might lose your 12 years worth of email.

      My over 15 years worth of email is on a self hosted IMAP server using MailDir format. That means it's very stable, is theoretically readable with a text editor and gets an automatic backup every night.

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    32. Re:So... by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

      Thunderbird is still awesome.

      Note for long, sadly. Hopefully they provide some sort of API for service additions (e.g. dealing with Exchange's bullshit), but I'm not holding my breath.

      https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/thunderbird-will-phase-out-legacy-add-ons-will-support-webextensions/

      Thanks for the heads-up on this AC. Time to change my Apt settings so Thunderbird never gets updated again. Now I have to hope that Moonchild takes on a 'Pale Bird' project to save Thunderbird from the crackpots at Mozilla, the way he saved all that was good from Firefox with Pale Moon.

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    33. Re:So... by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

      It's linked to your windows login, so if you have a hotmail account from the 90’s (which you probably do if you had email in the 90’s) logging in with hotmail and having it sync everything is incredibly convenient. Plus with Google linking your email with YouTube account and social media I don't like giving out my gmail anymore, don't want people to look up everything I ever uploaded or every comment I've made when I send them an email.

      I totally get your mistrust of gmail - the only account I have there is pseudonymous, and I only have it because I need access to the Play Store, and that's the only use it ever gets. But let me get this straight: you trust Microsoft - the folks who forced their rented-spyware-masquerading-as-an-OS onto the computers of gazillions of people - more than you trust Google? Why?

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    34. Re:So... by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

      Yes. I use a desktop mail client precisely because I like to maintain my own archive ... ... whenever somebody needs to know what X said in an email from Y months or years ago ...

      ^^This, a thousand times. I still use POP, so I can maintain an archive of inbound mail on any and all machines I have. And I'm slow to clear the server, so it's easy to bring even new machines up-to-date without copying over the database manually. Now, if I could just find a way to make POP synchronize the sent mail on all of my machines. I've been told that IMAP can do that, but I've never been able to figure out how to make IMAP (a) leave both sent and received messages on the server while (b) storing both sent and received messages locally and (c) automatically syncing both sent and received messages on any device I choose.

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    35. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is a way.

      It's called IMAP.

    36. Re: So... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      We don’t care because there hasn’t been any major improvement in email apps in 20 years. For most of us we actually will just use the web app or what ever we have on our system.

      Besides for this topic. Why should we need to click a link in the emails? Just so we can install spyware faster.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    37. Re:So... by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Why would anyone click a link in an email?
      That is the fast track to spyware.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    38. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Instability is a problem with large PSTs, but I've yet to run into one that couldn't be repaired with multiple passes of SCANPST.

      If someone insists on archiving in PST format, export your archives to a separate PST and keep your active PST small. And backup, of course.

    39. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because most of us aren't neckbeards and prefer a practical way of doing things.

    40. Re: So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's nothing stopping you from storing all that in an imap account. You're being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn.

    41. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I didn't even know android would let you do that.

      I find it convenient. If i need to reset my device, I can easily find what i had installed before

      I have a throwaway Gmail-account purely for accessing Google Play - i.e. installing apps. Can use the same account for purchases and installing a new device, but I wouldn't do anything personal (calendar/email) with it...

    42. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You need access to the Play Store? I don't. The few apps I want that aren't on F-Droid, I get through the Yalp Store app.

    43. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android without a Google account requires one of three things (assuming you want to use more apps than are preinstalled): a custom ROM, sideloading all your apps, or sideloading an alternative app store like F-droid. The last of these is probably the most convenient for most users, but only the first allows properly removing all the software that tries to get you to use a Google account.

      Well, or you could get an Amazon device and use their app store and account, I guess, but that's not significantly better than using a standard Google-ecosystem Android device, now is it?

    44. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      IMAP should be doing all those things with a default setup, so long as your clients are configured to use a server-side "sent" folder (which is generally trivial). You choose in your client which folders, potentially including the configured server-side Sent, you want synchronised locally, and it just goes and does it.

    45. Re:So... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Your still using a computer with transistors in it? What is this the 1940's?

      The one I'm using now is only a few years old and it has over half a billion of them. Did you mean valves?

      P.S. My what?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    46. Re: So... by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 1

      And yet, like I said, I'm the only one of my peers who ever seems to actually be able to retrieve stuff when it's needed. It's probably a good thing I don't work at the White House.

      There always seems to be a reason why IMAP users can't put their hands on the message they're looking for. Usually it's somebody else's fault, which I guess is the whole idea.

    47. Re:So... by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Yes. I use a desktop mail client precisely because I like to maintain my own archive. My .PST file is about 22 GB in size at the moment, consuming about 80 cents' worth of disk space at current prices. It doesn't go back to 1999, but it goes back about 12 years.

      People are always trying to sell me on everything from IMAP to GMail, telling me how great the experience of using server-side email is compared to Outlook. It's funny, though... whenever somebody needs to know what X said in an email from Y months or years ago, they always come to me.

      Dude you need to take care of that .PST file ASAP. After awhile when it gets too big Outlook will corrupt it by writting the latest data wrapped to the begining of the file. You will loose anything.

      I have been threatened so many times by furious executives screaming GET ME MY ARCHIVE back to my bosses etc. Outlook 2007 only supports 23 gig and I forgot the limit of the later version.

      If you switch to office 365 you can drag the folders to the cloud. I would do so.

    48. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your still using a computer with transistors in it? What is this the 1940's?

      The one I'm using now is only a few years old and it has over half a billion of them. Did you mean valves?

      P.S. My what?

      Don't forget to mention that it's "you're".

    49. Re:So... by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 1

      That was indeed a massive, massive problem with older versions of Outlook. But 2010 has been rock-solid for years, and has remained surprisingly fast as well.

      Nevertheless, my .PST file is backed up on a journaling file system very frequently. If Outlook shits the bed at 50 gigabytes or whatever, I'll roll it back and split off an archive. No biggie.

    50. Re:So... by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 1

      Outlook versions prior to 2010 were terrible, all right. 2010 is great. When/if the .PST file becomes corrupt, it should be easy enough to deal with.

    51. Re:So... by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      I was a senior desktop support analyst. There is no fix. Your data is gone. Another poster said the same thing. I think it maybe close to 50 gigs but Outlook will get flaky very soon.

      I HATED PST files as they are were the bane of my existence for any migration from old to new PC. Fail one and you're fired and are very inefficient. One of the great things with the cloud are no more PST files which are good as that data belongs on a server. Not on a PC. ... done nitpicking.

  2. Use a different mail app by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Use a different mail app ... problem solved.
    (1) View webmail in a different browser
    (2) Install Outlook, which will remain configurable for business reasons
    (3) Install Thunderbird or another 3rd party email app

    Microsoft Mail is the new Outlook Express, without the charm of a built-in NNTP client...

    1. Re:Use a different mail app by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft sez:

      Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10

      They are correct. Edge is very secure. It is so completely broken and useless that you can't do anything. No chance of any security problems.

    2. Re:Use a different mail app by rogoshen1 · · Score: 2

      yep.. MS still needs to learn that only apple can get away with abusing their customers and have them begging, salivating, and quivering for more.

      (am i trolling? maybe. but using this type of lock-in bullshit seems to be right out of apple's playbook.)

    3. Re:Use a different mail app by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed. Microsoft is busy busy busy laying the bricks to surround their very own walled garden =P

    4. Re:Use a different mail app by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Everyone seems to forget the era when Microsoft locked-in Internet Explorer (with horrific results), causing the EU, and yes, even the USA to demand that those poor Mozilla folks, and that tiny company called Google, and all those little guys had to be able to play as a first-choice browser.

      It's pretty insulting for Microsoft to have chosen to mandate its own browser AGAIN.

      Apple's BS had nothing to do with it-- Microsoft has shot a hole in its foot, the SAME FOOT, before. They just don't remember the pain. Let's remind them, shall we?

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    5. Re:Use a different mail app by omnichad · · Score: 1

      And they'll make us pay for it

    6. Re:Use a different mail app by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      (1)Drop M$ and all its product.
      (2)Nothing else required.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    7. Re:Use a different mail app by sonamchauhan · · Score: 1

      "their very own walled garden"

      Or mausoleum.

    8. Re:Use a different mail app by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Their mail app when 8.0 was released was awful. No reason anyone would want to use that. It was spyware too, you couldn't even run it without a microsoft account in addition to the mail account.

    9. Re:Use a different mail app by MemeRot · · Score: 1

      I've never used the Mail app. I don't see the reason to. The websites are all SPAs now, and as responsive as an app without any of the overhead

    10. Re:Use a different mail app by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think this.

    11. Re:Use a different mail app by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (3) Stick your penis in a meat grinder.
      (4) Call yourself Sally.

  3. Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now the last 15 mail users will switch to gmail too !

    1. Re:Lol by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      There will be one left though. Always one last person clinging to the belief that Microsoft can do no wrong.

  4. Desperado.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (music notes) Desperado (the song)... please use our product, pleaaseee

  5. Ha! by markdavis · · Score: 1

    >""As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP community," says Microsoft's Dona Sarkar "

    Be careful what you ask for....

    Flip the middle finger at your users, AGAIN, for the zillionth time, and expect what? A "thanks, this is great!"?

    1. Re:Ha! by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      They're locked in, and will soon be locked in to Microsoft's cloud-clown infrastructure. Never mind that you're serving them week-old poop, they'll learn to like it. Mangia! Mangia!

    2. Re:Ha! by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 2

      Instead they can look forward to feedback from the EU, in the form of another hefty fine for anti-competitive practises.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    3. Re:Ha! by gravewax · · Score: 1

      users that use the windows mail app (not sure I have ever come across one, but I am sure theyr must be some) are unlikely to care what they use. If anything this may actually be a positive move as such users are likely to need heavy support in their day to day use and a consist supported option is probably better.

    4. Re:Ha! by NicknameUnavailable · · Score: 1

      Most likely. c# is still the best language for business development because it is so quick to reliably bang shit or enterprise scale applications out in, client or server - while the IDE is still the easiest to use. Microsoft has had two things going for them from the start: marketing and catering to developers (the source of all the shit users use,) the latter is the only thing which really matters because if it costs a business 1.2x as much to do something in Linux and the enterprise operating system and desktop software is less than 20% of the cost of all their custom shit (it is, by a lot,) they will stick with it.

      TL;DR: catering to developers is their bread and butter, nothing else they do matters because users don't get a vote.

    5. Re:Ha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um yeah if Microsoft is catering to developers they're doing a shit job of it.

      If Balmer were here today he'd be rolling over in his grave..... ...or something.

      Anyhow, one word: UWP.

      Need I say more?

    6. Re: Ha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, real people use Apple products that enables some weird smart punctuation that makes your slashdot posts weird.

  6. Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways... by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously, the only thing I am going to trust Win10 with (somewhat) when win7 goes out of service will be gaming. No email, no web-browsing, nada. They can f*** their creepy selves. Instead I will have a clean, trustworthy Linux box for anything non-gaming and a win10 box for gaming only.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  7. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 2

    Or just keep running Win 7 -- just don't be stupid and click on links from spy32545434warecle4ner.ru. Some computers are perfectly fine running XP in 2018 as long as they're not used by numpties.

  8. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

    But spy32545434warecle4ner.ru is where I get all my porn!

    --
    Your ad here. Ask me how!
  9. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

    Wow, really? Let me check spy32545434warecle4ner.ru real qui{#`%${%&`+'${`%&NO CARRIER

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  10. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by KiloByte · · Score: 2

    Or just keep running Win 7 -- just don't be stupid and click on links from spy32545434warecle4ner.ru.

    Even when Win 7 goes out of support, it's only support for client programs that really matters. As long as the TCP/IP stack has no holes that can't be firewalled against, there's no reason for Windows updates.

    Some computers are perfectly fine running XP in 2018

    Alas, Firefox stops support for XP and Vista in June 2018, leaving you with no usable browser. That makes the computer no good for a typical user, although it'd still be useful for that Windows-only $1M medical device.

    And, it looks like Windows is rapidly stopping to be the problem. IOT crap, on the other hand...

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  11. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    Run an old Firefox -- if sites b!tch about it being insecure, change the UserAgent string as appropriate.

  12. Antitrust by NicknameUnavailable · · Score: 1

    It was a couple decades ago, but I'm 99% sure this is the exact thing they lost an antitrust lawsuit over already (only instead of Edge+Mail it was IE+Explorer.)

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

      Yeah, but after Bush gutted the verdict it turned into a 10 year "we're watching you" thing and that's long over.

    2. Re:Antitrust by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By all means, let's spend time chasing Microsoft for an integration between a mail app nobody uses and the browser app that few people use. DOJ has tons of free time since they choose not to do their jobs and examine Google's illegal bundling and monopoly abuse, Apple's customer abusive behavior, or Amazon taking over everything.

  13. Really? by fred911 · · Score: 1

    " we can only hope the company doesn't ignore it."

    Wrong. What you can do is take control of your hardware with an OS that permits it.

    --
    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B - D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    1. Re:Really? by rudy_wayne · · Score: 1

      " we can only hope the company doesn't ignore it."

      Wrong. What you can do is take control of your hardware with an OS that permits it.

      You can also take control by not using shitty software, like Edge and Windows Mail.

    2. Re:Really? by youngatheart · · Score: 1

      I started to post this as AC to avoid getting dinged for expressing the unpopular opinion. I only decided to bother because somebody ought to say some things that I haven't seen said already. After previewing it, I decided I should put my name on it, even if it's unpopular.

      " we can only hope the company doesn't ignore it."

      Wrong. What you can do is take control of your hardware with an OS that permits it.

      Or take control of your hardware and software to ensure it does exactly what you want, the way you want. Not that I disagree with using an OS that facilitates making sure your computer does what you want. I've used open source for my primary home OSs for nearly two decades for exactly that reason. Periodically, I use a closed source OS for a while, mostly to ensure I deeply understand how it works.

      I own my computer. That means I can choose to control it. At the moment, it is running Windows 10 and it does what I want. In any instance where it doesn't do it, or doesn't do it the way I want, there are two possibilities: Either I fix it, or admit that I am too lazy to fix it. I'm rarely too lazy, but if I am, I acknowledge that's on me, not some company I buy hardware or software from.

      This perspective has led me to rather enjoy working with Windows 10. Certainly Microsoft has made a multitude of decisions that I disagree with, but that's nothing new. If MS needs to push more people into using Edge in order to gather the necessary data for building better systems, it won't force me to do anything, but it might be a benefit to their ecosystem. In the long run, I think that benefits me too.

      I ain't even mad.

    3. Re:Really? by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      Which pretty much requires replacing the OS, since you can't get rid of this unwanted software while still running windows 10.

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
    4. Re:Really? by MemeRot · · Score: 1

      I've never opened windows mail. I don't know why anyone would. hotmail, gmail, etc all work perfectly fine in the browser.

    5. Re: Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Troll post 100%

  14. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Alas, Firefox stops support for XP and Vista

    Which is absurd, not to mention completely ass-backwards.

    I have no use for Windows XP, but there is no legitimate technical reason for Firefox not running on XP. in order for Firefox to no longer work on XP Mozilla has to be a compete asshole and deliberately break things.

  15. That's why I don't use MS products by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's almost as if MS wants to see how much of a sub bitch it can turn its customers into. "You will gag on it and you will choke it down and you *will* like it!"

  16. Here is your feeback NO! by WindowsStar · · Score: 1

    NO I don't want it! First Edge is broken and does not work correctly. If Microsoft will fix Edge so it doesn't take 40 clicks to save something in a specific folder and stop Edge from using Bing or always trying to guess what I want, in other words let me turn that off, no I mean really turn it off not give me a button to turn it off but still does crap in the background, I mean really be able to turn it off. Then I would give Edge a chance.

    1. Re:Here is your feeback NO! by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      Save? Folder? You should be using the cloud, citizen, not archaic file systems.

  17. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Best porn is .ru porn. The "Peggy Peterson Pegs David Dennison at Mar a Lago" clip is an instant classic.

  18. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by iamhassi · · Score: 1

    Seriously, the only thing I am going to trust Win10 with (somewhat) when win7 goes out of service will be gaming.

    I was recently forced to move to windows 10 because windows virtual reality headsets only work with windows 10. It's not better than windows 7, feels like more of the same really.

    --
    my karma will be here long after I'm gone
  19. This will really piss off ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ... all 3 people.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  20. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    I like my reality -- I'd rather stay with Win 7 than use a nausea-inducing VR headset with 10.

  21. Linux..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    be free....use linux....

  22. Like firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was looking at my firefox add-ons the other day and realized every one is there to prevent the friggin browser from doing bullshit. Now you have to install a firefox extension just to open a damn blank tab page. Otherwise you are beseiged with pop-up "hints' and logos, and obtrusive shit. I just want a plain jane browser that I control.

    What Microsoft is doing makes me cringe. Everytime I sort of start warming up to Microsoft, I'm reminded why I hate them. Firefox is slowly creeping into the same direction. Actuallly not so slowly, they seem to be accelerating bullshit with each new release.

    And all the damn hidden stuff in the about:config page will make you tear your hair out, stuff like "sensors" and "beacons" and all kinds of behind the scenes horse shit that they don't tell you about.

  23. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Alas, Firefox stops support for XP and Vista

    Which is absurd, not to mention completely ass-backwards.

    I have no use for Windows XP, but there is no legitimate technical reason for Firefox not running on XP. in order for Firefox to no longer work on XP Mozilla has to be a compete asshole and deliberately break things.

    A lot of these programs refuse to run on XP by checking the OS strings via the installer; nothing gets broken, just programmers being criminally stupid. Whoever green lights this shit should be pink-slipped on the spot.

  24. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    Stupid or greedy, taking payola from M$ to obsolete old systems so they can get everyone into their walled garden?

  25. Can't make me use Edge Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't use the Mail app, but the issue for me is that Windows was always about customizing and using what you want. If that goes away or in any way tries to lock me into a walled garden of apps. I don't have a good reason to use Windows anymore. Does Microsoft not understand this?? You cannot just decide what users will use on their PC's running Windows. Frankly if I am going to be locked into a OS and apps it might as well be a Chromebook because at least the browser works well. In all honesty, Linux is looking better everyday over Windows.

  26. They are just widening the hole by HannethCom · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They already did this with Cortana. Remember her? No, probably because anyone who was using her stopped when it started ignoring your default browser and always opens Edge instead.

    --
    Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon what's the difference? All steal money from devs and control with walled gardens.
    1. Re:They are just widening the hole by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      You can turn off Cortana, and yes, you can turn off Windows Mail. But the mandate, that's a problem.

      I wonder if there's a way to rename Firefox as Edge, and have it come up instead. I'll have to try that sometime. But not now.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    2. Re: They are just widening the hole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a hack called Edge Deflector that redirects Cortana's links back to Chrome. May well work for the Mail thing too.

  27. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by seasunset · · Score: 2

    Even for games....

    I understand that for AAA games Windows is the way to go.

    But if you are into the indie game scene, most indie games on Steam also work on Linux.

    I also have Windows for gaming only, but currently all the games that I am palying work on Linux.

    Thanks Steam.

  28. So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "...if you have Chrome or Firefox set as your default browser in Windows 10, Microsoft will simply ignore that and force you into Edge when you click a link within the Mail app."

    So won't that just make people dump MS Mail? I can't think of a better way to promote OSS.

  29. Batch file scripting? by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 1

    I'm not familiar with the Windows environment at all, but couldn't one just install let's say Firefox, replace the Edge executable with a batch script of the same name that transposes the Edge args into Firefox args, and then from said script call the Firefox executable with those args?

    1. Re:Batch file scripting? by CrashNBrn · · Score: 1

      You could try replacing the executable from another Windows instance, or Safe Mode maybe. Except the binary (like Cortana among others) is a monitored file, whose hash-sum is checked, and will be replaced by the OS if it is found to of been tampered with.

      You could try removing most permissions from it except for read,and/or creating a edge junction|hardlink, but Microsoft will still update the file via Windows Update. They are real cock suckers.

      About the only option going forward, if you are going to be running Windows, will be to pay for an Enterprise license which gives you a modicum of control.

    2. Re:Batch file scripting? by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 2

      You could try replacing the executable from another Windows instance, or Safe Mode maybe. Except the binary (like Cortana among others) is a monitored file, whose hash-sum is checked, and will be replaced by the OS if it is found to of been tampered with.

      You rename the folder Cortania is located in, works for me.

    3. Re:Batch file scripting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's this about paying for an Enterprise license? Kmspico works fine on even the latest Win10 Enterprise version.

    4. Re:Batch file scripting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Enterprise is so expensive and impossible to get that you probably need to consider the latest (at a given time) versions of Windows Server.

  30. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by omnichad · · Score: 1

    They have loads of legacy code in their codebase to support XP. Something drastic changed in their hardware-accelerated UI rendering that requires Windows 7 or higher to run. I wish I could remember the details. Someone could fork it and backport security fixes, but wouldn't be able to easily backport new functionality.

  31. So glad I left winblows by Chewbacon · · Score: 1

    ... except for gaming. I jumped to the big fruity ship that Apple built. It was that bad on Windows. Now it’s that good on Mac: Office apps with a *nix shell.

    --
    Chewbacon
    The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
    1. Re:So glad I left winblows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably an improvement over windows, but Apple does this sort of thing too. Probably no browser lock-in because Safari is so poor.

  32. And which sane user actually use Windows * by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Version makes no difference, shit about of jeebus we need to have access to office as that is one of the only create documents filled with flabbergasted shit only arse trumpet mishaps as myself are willing to read while etc.
    FFS, it is over and has been for some time already, if you need windows for any purpose but that ancient program you used for filling your tax reports get away from that rotting corpse of madness already.

    I ask WHY do you use Windows?
    In that I am suggesting something is wrong with you and I want you to defend yourself because I know 99% of the shit you will say will be total and complete shit, I gave a leeway to whoever use it for filling their tax reports but they are the only that can be excused (gamers, I do not care a percentage of a percentage as you are of the pc market you should already be aware that game developers will go where the customers are)

  33. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Teckla · · Score: 4, Funny

    *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark*

    *BLAM* *BLAM*

    NO TERRIER

  34. With de facto no competition, who can blame them? by wertigon · · Score: 0

    Seriously, Microsoft will keep doing stupid shit like this. And their users will just gobble it up. Because where should you run to?

    MacOS? Yeah, because a jail cell does not become less of a jail if you are treated like a prince and wear shackles of gold instead of iron. And you have to pay twice as much for that privilege.

    Linux? Desktop is currently in a big state of disrepair ever since Gnome 2 was abandoned, with lots of shit broken and no one caring enough to fix the brokenness. systemd and wayland aren't helping things either. Sure it'll be sorta-kinda awesome eventually... Maybe... But I need it to work today, dammit.

    BSD? Slowly shrinking, slowly losing compatibility with all Linux software that matters, as well as less hardware support. Not going to happen.

    GNU/HURD? With systemd replacing most of the GNU operating system, and Linux replacing the rest, this system is more dead than Ada Lovelace.

    Android desktop? Actually kinda viable, but needs to mature a lot more first.

    I seriously wish there was a good enough free(ish) OS out there, but as long as Linux OSes insists on broken shit like systemd, well...

    --
    systemd is not an init system. It's a GNU replacement.
  35. It's not a completely unreasonable change by jetkust · · Score: 1

    I'm not a fan of Windows but at least hear them out. Here is what was said in the blog post.

    "For Windows Insiders in the Skip Ahead ring, we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices. With built-in features for reading, note-taking, Cortana integration, and easy access to services such as SharePoint and OneDrive, Microsoft Edge enables you to be more productive, organized and creative without sacrificing your battery life or security. As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP community."

    I can understand the change. They are just making their mail app as consistent and seamless as possible. Opening a browser within a mail app, or any app for that matter, is pretty clunky IMO. I always thought when you click a link in Twitter on Android it is annoying. I don't think most people would mind the change and would probably prefer this behavior. If you want to use a different browser, copy the link and past it into the browser you likely already have open. Come to think of it, that's already what I do. When I have to use Windows at work, I never actually click on links within Outlook. I copy the link and paste it into the browsers I use (which is pretty much everything but Edge). I don't even change the default Browser.

    1. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      So give the option of selecting Edge or another browser within settings. The problem is not that links are opened from Edge, it's that M$ is taking away the user's choice to use another browser.

    2. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by Wyzard · · Score: 3

      None of those reasons they cite are specific to email. They're valid reasons why one might want to use Edge as the default browser for everything in Windows 10, but if a user has nonetheless chosen to use a different browser, the mail app -- just like other apps -- ought to respect that preference.

      ...will open in Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices. With built-in features for reading, note-taking, Cortana integration, and easy access to services such as SharePoint and OneDrive, Microsoft Edge enables you to be more productive, organized and creative without sacrificing your battery life or security.

      This is marketing-speak. It seems pretty clear that the purpose of this change is basically to advertise Edge: Microsoft is dissatisfied with how many people are choosing different browsers, Microsoft thinks that people would prefer Edge if only they'd give it a try, so Microsoft is basically railroading people into trying Edge whether they want to or not. Same sort of thinking that gave us GWX.

    3. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by jetkust · · Score: 1

      Yes, the ideal is Microsoft could implement the change as described, but then add a way to change the email browser to something other than Edge (because let's be honest, "opt-in" to Edge would just be dumb). But you can also look at it this way: They just have an email app with a "built-in" browser. And maintaining the ability to use an external browser would be an added feature.

    4. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by roc97007 · · Score: 2

      [...] It seems pretty clear that the purpose of this change is basically to advertise Edge: Microsoft is dissatisfied with how many people are choosing different browsers, [...]

      ...and may by these actions have the effect of driving people away from Microsoft's mail app. Which I personally don't use. In fact, I'm a little leery of using any Microsoft app because I'm never sure if it'll conform to my set preferences or do something completely different.

      But what do I know? I see the OS as a framework to manage resources and load the programs *I* want to use, and *not* as some kind of interconnected environment of programs that the OS manufacturer wants me to use. Besides, Microsoft never did get how to do "seamless environments". "Seamless" to them has always been "you will be forced to use this set of apps no matter how craptastic they are or how badly they work together".

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    5. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by swb · · Score: 2

      That's all nice reasoning and I'm sure something like it showed up in a presentation at Microsoft when they pitched this.

      But the real reason is of course that top executives are demanding improvements in Edge's usage numbers. They've tried PR, they've done the battery life "Pepsi challenge", they've reset preferences during major updates, they have nag screens reminding you that entire villages in India rely on Edge for clean water and medicine, they even made it better at searching for porn.

      But still nothing moves the needle quite like algorithmically jamming it down people's throats with no other option. Microsoft badly wants to close the door on Windows, forcing users into a closed system of rented (or ad supported) desktop operating systems, email, cloud services, and so on. They want to be Apple but they consistently play to their own internal needs (backstopping failing internal projects or money hoses like Office) with Windows when they could be enhancing the user experience.

      The DOJ should have broken MS up. An operating system company and an applications company. Both would have had much better incentives to improve for the sake of users.

    6. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft is dissatisfied with how many people are choosing different browsers, Microsoft thinks that people would prefer Edge if only they'd give it a try, so Microsoft is basically railroading people into trying Edge whether they want to or not. Same sort of thinking that gave us GWX.

      Microsoft is dissatisfied with how many people are choosing to not have a pineapple shoved up their ass, Microsoft thinks that people would prefer to have a pineapple shoved up their ass if only they'd give it a try, so Microsoft is basically railroading people into having a pineapple shoved up their ass whether they want to or not. Same sort of thinking that gave us GWX.

    7. Re:It's not a completely unreasonable change by cthulhu11 · · Score: 1

      Reading between the lines: "The Cheeto DoJ will let us flout the previous browser rulings"

  36. DirectX Mafia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nt

  37. Microsoft does NOT respect you ... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 3, Insightful

    .. nor your preferences.

    Fuck them. Use software that does.

  38. Puppies in overhead bins. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is the OS equivalent of making puppies fly in the overhead bins.

  39. Oh boy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sure the EU will love this.

    Prepare your anus, Microsoft, more fines are coming... you never fucking learn, do you?

  40. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If Apple didn't have it's own issues, GNU/Linux would be a terrible choice. Linux itself is fine, but a lot of the GNU software seems to be written by unrepentant clowns and supported by professional internet trolls.

  41. Wow, serendipity by roc97007 · · Score: 2

    I don't use Windows 10 mail, Live Mail, or anything with the words "mail" and "windows" or "microsoft" in the same title. Previously it was because I happen to like the mailer I've been using (in various versions) since the nineties, but now I have an even better reason -- currently, when I click on a link, it opens in Firefox. Or Chrome, whatever one has one's default browser set to.

    I understand Microsoft wanting people to use all Microsoft products whenever possible, but I have to wonder -- is this a sign that Edge isn't reaching estimated levels of popularity?

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    1. Re:Wow, serendipity by jetkust · · Score: 2

      Edge is not reaching popularity for one reason. Setting it as the default browser in Windows does nothing at all to help it's popularity. The first thing most people do is download Chrome or whatever browser they like. And as soon as they open that browser, it pretty much becomes their operating system. Clicking on something that loads the "default browser" rarely even happens.

  42. Soooo? by Sarusa · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you're actually using the Windows Store Mail app, Edge is what you deserve for a browser.

  43. fuck windows 10 and fuck everyone who works at MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    piece of shit windows 10 home reboots on its own and kills all my running software. i can't believe I paid for this piece of shit just for games. never again. can't wait to piss on bill gates' grave.

  44. Dont use email and MS by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    on microsoft computers.
    Just play computer games on Windows computers.
    Let MS collect data about the fun of playing computer games.
    That fast CPU, GPU, their OS and all the computer games.
    Move your work to a real OS that respects your privacy.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  45. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by roca · · Score: 1

    You mean: "no legitimate technical reason that I, not being a browser developer, can think of off the top of my head".

    Keeping everything running on Windows XP is actually an enormous pain. All kinds of important improvements like faster rendering and more secure sandboxing rely on features that aren't present in XP. To preserve XP compatibility you have to add "if (windowsXP)" code paths (which in some cases means entirely different implementations of large chunks of functionality) and keep testing them, which means bloated and more fragile code as well as lots of extra work.

  46. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    I'm not certain about their gaming, they've been doing stupid stuff there too if you buy games from their app store. Don't forget the stupidity of Windows for Games Live, whenever they see some other companies monetizing users MS will always jump in and try to grab a piece of the pie too.

  47. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    You mean a Windows branded VR headset, or all VR headsets in the entire world that can work with Windows?

  48. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    Note that some AAA games that you could optionally get from the apps store worked worse than the same game purchased a different way. They only sell "Universal Application Platform" apps in their store, and most games aren't built that way and are more traditional apps. There aren't enough AAA games in the Windows app store to know how this is going to play out though, but if history is any indication, Microsoft will screw this up the same way they screwed the pooch with GFWL.

  49. As an Internet Helpdesk employee by Kargan · · Score: 1

    Our company has never fully supported the Win 8 or 10 Mail apps. If it works, fine, but if a user calling in has trouble with it, apart from checking the basic settings, our policy is to assist them in installing Thunderbird as a replacement or to point them towards webmail instead.

    Worst. Client. Ever.

    This is yet another step in the wrong direction.

    --
    Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises
    1. Re:As an Internet Helpdesk employee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The first time it directs me to Edge, Thunderbird will be installed and Mail/Calendar uninstalled (or at least banished to inaccessibility. Have always used Thunderbird on one machine, and it works fine with IMAP access which is what Yahoo and others pretty much insist on now (Yahoo and AT&T routinely break POP access). Main issue I get is that those "add this to your calendar" links in email don't work with Thunderbird/Lightning. Also, PGP encryption plugs right in to Thunderbird with Enigmail and makes it almost easy to add encryption to email - with MS you need real Outlook (not just Mail) to get that to work, and even then it's glitchy. Only reason I don't have Thunderbird on my laptop and tablet now is laziness...

  50. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by gweihir · · Score: 1

    I want a CPU upgrade for gaming eventually, so that is unfortunately not an option. Otherwise I would probably be doing that.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  51. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by gweihir · · Score: 1

    I am into both. Hence I basically need that Windows box at least for a part of what I am playing. Otherwise I would go with no Windows at all.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  52. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Indeed. I will avoid the MS app store if at all possible. So far there is nothing available only there that would tempt me.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  53. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by gweihir · · Score: 1

    I will stay away from the MS app store if at all possible. So far MS never had anything I wanted badly enough. And yes. MS screwing up things is not the exception, it is the expectation.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  54. This is why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is why I had Microsoft.

  55. It's Beta people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is nice to know that all these Linux users are getting twisted panties over a Windows Beta feature.
    Why would you be using a Beta version for your "real" work/life anyway?
    What a bunch of Maroons.

  56. Now that is cutting edge thinking! by TimSSG · · Score: 1

    I am just not sure if Microsoft or Windows 10 users are going to be the ones cut! Tim S.

  57. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by dwywit · · Score: 1

    Don't care about firefox - I recently found that streaming audio through VLC sounds a whole lot better than through firefox (probably because VLC has an equaliser), so that one little eeePC running XP will continure to provide audio for my kitchen. I've turned off all other network services, and it sits behind the household firewall, so I'm not worried.

    --
    They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
  58. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Bert64 · · Score: 1

    Avoiding dodgy domains doesn't help much...
    There is a lot of malicious advertising present on otherwise legitimate sites, legitimate sites also get hacked and configured to spread malware.

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  59. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Bert64 · · Score: 1

    There will likely be third party builds which still run, there are still third party builds for powerpc macs among other things.

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  60. iOS mail does this and nobody complains by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Click a link and I promise you it will pop open in Safari.

  61. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Waccoon · · Score: 1

    Which makes since, since games are the only thing that really push the full capabilities of a modern machine to the max.

  62. Excellent Idea! Push people to Gmail! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is an Excellent idea. It will push people away from MS mail and onto the superior Gmail or GSuite even faster!
    What part don't they get that if Edge was good, people would use it?
    Hey MS, wake up! Nobody likes your bloated garbage anymore! Why don't you spend more money on improving your products and providing support instead of sales people?

    I still can't believe how our conference rooms are full of at least 6 sales people at every meeting, but when we ask for support engineers, we get nothing but crickets and unanswered ticket closures.

  63. Dona Sarkar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounds like a street-shitting dot-head.

    I could almost see the point in using them as low level coders. They work for peanuts so even if you have to do it twice it's cheaper and by the time the maintenance costs starts to rack up you've got your bonus and moved on.

    But now they put the cunts in decision-making positions? Madness!

  64. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Notabadguy · · Score: 1

    *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark* *bark*

    *BLAM* *BLAM*

    NO TERRIER

    Aww...wish I had mod points today.

  65. Edge is great! by wjcofkc · · Score: 1

    But not THAT great. I used it exclusively for 6 months just to get a solid feel for it. Edge is definitely a worthy contender. With some patience on the part of MS, it will organically gain greater market share. So far, it deserves it (OSS politics aside). But it shoving down peoples throats? I thought MS was growing out of that flawed marketing ideology. This will not create more Edge users. It will create more Thunderbird users and other alternative email application. As for my own installation of Windows 10. I use Thunderbird and Firefox anyhow.

    --
    Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
  66. Re:With de facto no competition, who can blame the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux? Desktop is currently in a big state of disrepair ever since Gnome 2 was abandoned,

    It wasn't abandoned, it just mutated into MATE. MATE is now a stable, better looking version of what Gnome 2 was at its best.
    I'm very happy with my Ubuntu 16.04 MATE system, it runs fast and stable on my 10 year old desktop PC, so much so that it hardly seems worth upgrading the hardware. And Ubuntu 18.04 MATE beta looks fine as well.

  67. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Windows 8.1 with classic shell really isn't that bad, certainly better than putting up with the crap that is Windows 10, and is supported for a few more years than Windows 7. Check the right settings in Classic Shell and you pretty much never see the start screen, and you only see the Metro interface for a handful of settings as Microsoft couldn't be bothered updating most of them.

  68. You never win with proprietary software. by jbn-o · · Score: 1

    Plus I host my own IMAP server and don't feel like giving all my personal info to Google/M$/Yahoo/Apple.

    You're running Thunderbird (a free software program; a program that respects it's user's freedoms to run, inspect, share, and modify the software) on top of non-free Microsoft Windows (proprietary, user-subjugating software). Microsoft has all the power they need to get your IMAP credentials. If you have Google, Apple, or other proprietary software running on the same system they likely can read your stored credentials or read your keystrokes, mouse clicks, and screen grab whatever they want too. So you've likely already given those credentials away without realizing it.

    Windows users have already been through many instances of Microsoft asserting its control over the user: tricking users into switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10, ignoring the so-called privacy settings thus rendering them irrelevant even if set to ostensibly maximize a user's privacy, and so much more. There's simply no sound argument for believing that running any program on Windows or changing any Windows settings in any way will result in making Windows respect a user's choices when they conflict with what Microsoft wants. As with all proprietary software, ultimately the proprietor controls how the software behaves and therefore users only get as much control as the proprietor allows.

    If you want to be in more full control over your computing (as one might surmise from the unusual choice to run your own IMAP server), you really should consider switching to a fully-free software OS such as a GNU/Linux system where you install only free software on top of that.

    1. Re:You never win with proprietary software. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice bit of FUD there. GP didn't actually say what operating system they were running Thunderbird on. For all you know it's Debian Sarge with a Gnome 2 desktop environment.

  69. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously, I trust Micro$haft as far as I can throw the empire state building! Windows has been permanently kicked off all of my computers. Especially after seeing several relatives have to go through the Spyware10 forced upgrades. I managed to roll their computers back to Windows 7, but that only functioned for a short time before it became too corrupted to work at all on each computer. They are all happily running Linux now with no problems.

  70. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's fine for now, but eventually you'll start to run into problems as TLS versions advance and old ones are disabled. Already some older Firefox versions can barely access anything, because they don't support the currently-in-use cipher suites and so many places are using STS so using an SSL-free version of sites isn't viable. Of course, you could start getting fancy and run SSLStrip, but that's really getting to be more effort than it's worth.

  71. Web sites too, especially Microsoft's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Last November or so, Microsoft's web-based e-mail service "upgraded" certain of its customers, adding a new service. This service modified all links in received e-mail, sending them when clicked through a man-in-the-middle Microsoft site at safelinks.protection.outlook.com that checks for bad sites before redirecting to the originally intended site. I noticed this right away and complained to support about it. After the usual run-around through different folks, explanations, plus some escalation, within a week they added a new, internal (not user-visible) setting that would disable this "upgrade", and applied it to my account. This new service is bad on so many levels, but seems typical of Microsoft's "We can make the experience better" without really considering the consequences. To wit:

    • An additional delay in reaching any target page whose links one clicks.
    • Any good virus scanner already offers this same service; it's redundant. In fact, many check both the site (for a site generally considered "bad") and any actual attempted downloads.
    • Broken links. What happens when one saves the message away and attempts to visit the site in the future? Microsoft is notorious for changing the addresses of its services without warning (I stopped complaining about the KB database's constant moves). When that eventually happens, what would have been a perfectly good link will break, even if the intended target site is still just fine.
    • And another big one, more spying. I used "man-in-the-middle" above intentionally. This "upgrade" allows Microsoft to track every site one visits from e-mail links. (Yes, one can argue that Microsoft has already seen the whole message, but they don't need to see how I use it too.)
    • The modification is done even on messages that are downloaded into a stand-alone mail client via POP or IMAP, such as Thunderbird (which is what I use). So all of the effects here apply to messages read in a mail client in addition to the web site.
  72. Re:With de facto no competition, who can blame the by sjames · · Score: 1

    Use Xfce rather than Gnome and the desktop on Linux is still good. Debian lets you mostly kill off the brokenness of systemd and Slack, Devuan and a few others remove it entirely.

    Just say no to Wayland until they face the fact that they deliberately ignored a commonly used feature of X and then lied about X by claiming it never had it.

  73. What replaces email? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My email now gets so much junk spam and ads itâ(TM)s useless. âSet up rulesâ(TM)- no. Iâ(TM)m not investing that much time in it.
    Iâ(TM)m sure Iâ(TM)m not the only one who feels like this.
    What will replace email? And when? Surely someone can imagine something better?

  74. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like my reality -- I'd rather stay with Win 7 than use a nausea-inducing VR headset with 10.

    You don't need a VR headset to have a nauseating experience on Win10.

  75. Re:Since I will not be using mail on win10 anyways by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    You mean a Windows branded VR headset, or all VR headsets in the entire world that can work with Windows?

    The problem is you need some beefy hardware. Windows 7 is no longer supported for anything after Skylake hardware. Even Skylake had no Windows 7 support until Dell and HP SCREAMED to support it until 2019 before EOL.

    New business laptops do not use the latest 2 intel cpu and chipsets for this reason :-D

    Also Nvidia no longer supports Windows 7 32 bit which is the majority of enterprise installs.

  76. How about.... by kattisch · · Score: 1

    if we just don't use Windows mail? Can we please get rid of Edge, It is as bad as Bing!

  77. Jesus Christ Microsoft not only has crossed the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    line but they're inventing a new one. Forced data-perv style data-slurping, forced updates, no longer telling you what's in the updates and other things that make you not trust them.