You mean the higher-ups and marketing people? Cause they're the ones to decide what ultimately gets installed on the device.
Microsoft have wanted to become Google for a long time. Now it seems they're succeding, at least in the bad things: An OS which bombards you with advertisements and pushes you to use many services from the maker company: Microsoft accounts, OneDrive, Cortana, Bing, Windows Store...
I don't like it on Android, but it's not the end of the world since I don't use my smartphone for serious computing, but doing that to the PC... After 7 stops working (drivers and many programs won't work on it) I don't know what I'm going to use.
Samsung IS trying. Have you seen this year's Galaxy s6? It's their most iPhone-like phone yet: Metal and cristal build, sealed body design, no SD slot and a pretty high price tag. It doesn't seem it's worked very well though.
Even their strong brand is not enough to make people pay a premium price for an Android phone and it's not surprising: Other Android phones are very close substitutes and the iPhone, even if only because it's different OS it's not.
And I say this as someone who totally prefers Android to iOS, but there's too much competition in the Android world to succeed with a 600-700$ phone when there're comparable things for 300$-400$ and even decent subsitutes for 150-200$
Please someone mod parent up.
It may be an acceptable OS for the masses (it's not for me). But weren't it for the "upgrade now for free!!!!" button they've pushed to all Win 7 & 8 machines they wouldn't have a quarter of the installs they have.
Also, newer codecs like h265 provide a substantial bandwidth savings. Developing a newer, free codec, gets you both better storage eficiency and lower (zero?) licensing royalties.
Yep, I totally hate what they've done with Win 10 too. It's not that they offer you options for cloud synchronization and such is that they're pushing them hard by making them the default and in many cases, making the "classic" options hard to find (e.g.: creating a local account instead of using a Ms account for login when you install Win 10).
Also for many apps (mail, media player, browser) the default are the "modern"/metro touch-optimized apps, which I find horrible for desktop use because, among other things they have tons of wasted whitespace, and much fewer options than a normal desktop app.
Anyway, I wouldn't be opposed to all of this if it was optional and could be changed to old-style defaults with a click of a button, but no, Ms is too interested in making you think you must use your PC as if it was a cellphone and practiucally forcing you to use their online services.
All this crap is why Win 10 is "free".
Sadly, we seem to be going the route of all OSs turning into mobile like OSs. I hate hate Microsoft for doing this to Windows. Why not make all the metro parts, online services and all optional? Answer: Because Ms want to turn into Google.
They should also provide a way to disable ALL communication with Microsoft's servers.
It's bad enough that Google tracks my every move with the help of my cell phone, I don't need Microsoft doing it on my pc too
Nah, I want an official, supported by the OS maker, method for uninstalling any app. Rooting is using an exploit to bypass the system security and that, obviously, is something Google will try to make disappear. In addition, also by its very nature, a different method may be required by each model/ROM version.
Sorry to reply with an out-of-topic but I just wanted to say I wish Google would dedicate a release to stabilizing Android and bug fixing. I'm sure you do lots of that but from the outside it looks like new features are prioritized over stability.
Thanks for listening.
I hear Windows Phone is indeed a nice OS. That's great, more competition to the mobile OS landscape and all that. My only problem with it is that Microsoft has been trying to unify mobile and desktop in one OS since Windows 8 and that's lead to a horrible, IMO, desktop Windows.
Call me silly, but I can't willingly use Windows Phone. I'm that pissed off at MS.
It's a disaster for us users. Whether is a disaster for Microsoft remains to be seen. The fact that it's a free "upgrade" has already won many people over. Most regular joes seem not to care much about the UI or the spying and I'm thus not very optimistic about it failing and forcing Microsoft to backtrack.
It's been this way since 8. They knew, by internal tests, that people hated the UI yet they pressed on. Windows is now built with only the needs of Microsoft in mind (user information gathering, pushing of Microsoft services) and disregarding user needs of wants.
But they could've chosen to give you the option of having a "clean" OS without spying (an with a sane UI if I can ask) if you paid some money (like it's always been done)
If you're referring to the policy that was going to require that the Xbox One connected to the Internet once in a while even for offline games I don't think this is comparable.
There was a massive, instant, outcry when the policy was announced and gamers started to claim that they would buy the PS4 instead. In this case, we a few nerds may be aware and dislike the horrible privacy implications of Windows 10 but the general public is oblivious about it and also there's no direct substitute for Windows. Yes, we're in the time of history in which native apps have lost some importance, and many people would be happy with a Chromebook, but many people still needs programs that only run in Windows and can't really go to any alternative.
I'd pay money to get a Windows 10 that was 7 with the internals improved but it seems that Microsoft is not interested in that. Maybe because it would make the regular Win 10 look too bad.
There had to be a reason this was a "free" upgrade. The reason is all the service-selling and information-spying you get with it.
With 8 they stoppped making an OS for the users and started making one only for their interests
It's sad you're an AC and you'll get no notification of my reply... because I wholeheartedly agree with you. I hate hate hate that the default apps for many thing are now metro touch-focused crap. Their interfaces aren't suited at all to desktop use.
Why do you hate desktop users so much MS?
You're very unfair to Microsoft: They've been first at trying to fuse a mobile touch-first OS with a desktop one, creating the abominations that are Windows 8 and 10.
Apple still hasn't gotten around to do that.
Someone here commented that they'd worked at Microsoft and that they'd done internal user testing of Win 8 and people hated. Of course we all know that management pressed on anyway.
Of course I can't ensure anything of this is true but sounds believable to me.
I agree with other comments that say that most changes to Win 8 and 10 were exclusively to the benefit of Microsoft
I'd say most regular Joes aren't aware of the tradeoffs they're making.
Anyway, my point is that, ok, maybe those services added on Win 10 are what most people want, BUT they shouldn't force (ok, almost force) everyone to use them. If Cortana, OneDrive integration, the Microsoft account login, etc. were optional maybe I'd use them but since they're pretty much forced upon you I find it rude and disgusting.
I'd even be willing to pay the regular price for a Windows license if I could get a Windows 10 version without all the integrated services, the flat touch-optimized apps and with the Windows 7 UI
Yeah, you're right: Android is the best example of an OS married to online services. I didn't like it when I started using it but I kinda got used to it. Anyway, I still hate the limitations like not being able to uninstall system apps many of which are Google apps I have no use for.
Now Microsoft is doing the same thing with Windows. I hate it even more, probably because I have right here (I'm using Win 7) the example that it needn't and it wasn't always that way. I want an OS that will do it's thing without pushing services on me, I want an OS that has an UI and apps that are tailored to desktop usage (many of the built in apps in Win 10 have a touch-centered UI which is not optimal for desktop use and I also find really ugly). Do I have to pay? It's ok! I paid for a retail copy of Win 7 and I'd do it again for Win 10 if it was an OS that I wanted to use.
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You mean the higher-ups and marketing people? Cause they're the ones to decide what ultimately gets installed on the device. ...
Microsoft have wanted to become Google for a long time. Now it seems they're succeding, at least in the bad things: An OS which bombards you with advertisements and pushes you to use many services from the maker company: Microsoft accounts, OneDrive, Cortana, Bing, Windows Store
I don't like it on Android, but it's not the end of the world since I don't use my smartphone for serious computing, but doing that to the PC... After 7 stops working (drivers and many programs won't work on it) I don't know what I'm going to use.
Samsung IS trying. Have you seen this year's Galaxy s6? It's their most iPhone-like phone yet: Metal and cristal build, sealed body design, no SD slot and a pretty high price tag. It doesn't seem it's worked very well though.
Even their strong brand is not enough to make people pay a premium price for an Android phone and it's not surprising: Other Android phones are very close substitutes and the iPhone, even if only because it's different OS it's not.
And I say this as someone who totally prefers Android to iOS, but there's too much competition in the Android world to succeed with a 600-700$ phone when there're comparable things for 300$-400$ and even decent subsitutes for 150-200$
Please someone mod parent up.
It may be an acceptable OS for the masses (it's not for me). But weren't it for the "upgrade now for free!!!!" button they've pushed to all Win 7 & 8 machines they wouldn't have a quarter of the installs they have.
Also, newer codecs like h265 provide a substantial bandwidth savings. Developing a newer, free codec, gets you both better storage eficiency and lower (zero?) licensing royalties.
Yep, I totally hate what they've done with Win 10 too. It's not that they offer you options for cloud synchronization and such is that they're pushing them hard by making them the default and in many cases, making the "classic" options hard to find (e.g.: creating a local account instead of using a Ms account for login when you install Win 10).
Also for many apps (mail, media player, browser) the default are the "modern"/metro touch-optimized apps, which I find horrible for desktop use because, among other things they have tons of wasted whitespace, and much fewer options than a normal desktop app.
Anyway, I wouldn't be opposed to all of this if it was optional and could be changed to old-style defaults with a click of a button, but no, Ms is too interested in making you think you must use your PC as if it was a cellphone and practiucally forcing you to use their online services.
All this crap is why Win 10 is "free".
Already commented and thus can't upmod, but please someone upvote this comment!
Sadly, we seem to be going the route of all OSs turning into mobile like OSs. I hate hate Microsoft for doing this to Windows. Why not make all the metro parts, online services and all optional? Answer: Because Ms want to turn into Google.
They should also provide a way to disable ALL communication with Microsoft's servers.
It's bad enough that Google tracks my every move with the help of my cell phone, I don't need Microsoft doing it on my pc too
Nah, I want an official, supported by the OS maker, method for uninstalling any app. Rooting is using an exploit to bypass the system security and that, obviously, is something Google will try to make disappear. In addition, also by its very nature, a different method may be required by each model/ROM version.
Sorry to reply with an out-of-topic but I just wanted to say I wish Google would dedicate a release to stabilizing Android and bug fixing. I'm sure you do lots of that but from the outside it looks like new features are prioritized over stability.
Thanks for listening.
This is one of those cases where a term was wrongly used an it caught on. I cringe every time I hear it used that way.
I hear Windows Phone is indeed a nice OS. That's great, more competition to the mobile OS landscape and all that. My only problem with it is that Microsoft has been trying to unify mobile and desktop in one OS since Windows 8 and that's lead to a horrible, IMO, desktop Windows.
Call me silly, but I can't willingly use Windows Phone. I'm that pissed off at MS.
It's a disaster for us users. Whether is a disaster for Microsoft remains to be seen. The fact that it's a free "upgrade" has already won many people over. Most regular joes seem not to care much about the UI or the spying and I'm thus not very optimistic about it failing and forcing Microsoft to backtrack.
It's been this way since 8. They knew, by internal tests, that people hated the UI yet they pressed on. Windows is now built with only the needs of Microsoft in mind (user information gathering, pushing of Microsoft services) and disregarding user needs of wants.
But they could've chosen to give you the option of having a "clean" OS without spying (an with a sane UI if I can ask) if you paid some money (like it's always been done)
If you're referring to the policy that was going to require that the Xbox One connected to the Internet once in a while even for offline games I don't think this is comparable.
There was a massive, instant, outcry when the policy was announced and gamers started to claim that they would buy the PS4 instead. In this case, we a few nerds may be aware and dislike the horrible privacy implications of Windows 10 but the general public is oblivious about it and also there's no direct substitute for Windows. Yes, we're in the time of history in which native apps have lost some importance, and many people would be happy with a Chromebook, but many people still needs programs that only run in Windows and can't really go to any alternative.
I'd pay money to get a Windows 10 that was 7 with the internals improved but it seems that Microsoft is not interested in that. Maybe because it would make the regular Win 10 look too bad.
There had to be a reason this was a "free" upgrade. The reason is all the service-selling and information-spying you get with it.
With 8 they stoppped making an OS for the users and started making one only for their interests
It's sad you're an AC and you'll get no notification of my reply ... because I wholeheartedly agree with you. I hate hate hate that the default apps for many thing are now metro touch-focused crap. Their interfaces aren't suited at all to desktop use.
Why do you hate desktop users so much MS?
I guess they will have a clean, no data spying, enterprise version, and a consumer version which is the current Windows 10.
You're very unfair to Microsoft: They've been first at trying to fuse a mobile touch-first OS with a desktop one, creating the abominations that are Windows 8 and 10.
Apple still hasn't gotten around to do that.
Someone here commented that they'd worked at Microsoft and that they'd done internal user testing of Win 8 and people hated. Of course we all know that management pressed on anyway.
Of course I can't ensure anything of this is true but sounds believable to me.
I agree with other comments that say that most changes to Win 8 and 10 were exclusively to the benefit of Microsoft
I will, the problem is that we'll eventually have to upgrade since the new hardware and software will stop working on Win 7
I'd say most regular Joes aren't aware of the tradeoffs they're making.
Anyway, my point is that, ok, maybe those services added on Win 10 are what most people want, BUT they shouldn't force (ok, almost force) everyone to use them. If Cortana, OneDrive integration, the Microsoft account login, etc. were optional maybe I'd use them but since they're pretty much forced upon you I find it rude and disgusting.
I'd even be willing to pay the regular price for a Windows license if I could get a Windows 10 version without all the integrated services, the flat touch-optimized apps and with the Windows 7 UI
Yeah, you're right: Android is the best example of an OS married to online services. I didn't like it when I started using it but I kinda got used to it. Anyway, I still hate the limitations like not being able to uninstall system apps many of which are Google apps I have no use for.
Now Microsoft is doing the same thing with Windows. I hate it even more, probably because I have right here (I'm using Win 7) the example that it needn't and it wasn't always that way. I want an OS that will do it's thing without pushing services on me, I want an OS that has an UI and apps that are tailored to desktop usage (many of the built in apps in Win 10 have a touch-centered UI which is not optimal for desktop use and I also find really ugly). Do I have to pay? It's ok! I paid for a retail copy of Win 7 and I'd do it again for Win 10 if it was an OS that I wanted to use.