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User: iampiti

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  1. Re:Opinions are always divided on Windows 10 Start Menu Wins IDSA Design Award · · Score: 1

    What I meant is that there seems to be no middle ground as people either are very happy or hate it.
    I have used Win 10 in a VM and despite the Start menu sort of coming back (much simpler than the one in 7) I still think that 7 is better.
    Sadly, I depend too much on Windows-only software so I'll have to upgrade eventually.

  2. Re:Meaningless award on Windows 10 Start Menu Wins IDSA Design Award · · Score: 1

    If you read the forums and the news pieces with comments, you'll see opinions are really divided: Some people (I guess old farts like me who have used the tradiional desktop for many years) find the new touch-oriented interfaces and apps in a desktop computer out of place and a horrible interface for keboard + mouse use. Many other people (I guess the young kids who've grown with smartphones and tables) seem very happy with that.
    IMHO they tried to make a unified interface for all form factors and they've failed for all of them: The new interface is one-size-fits-no-one but is slanted towards touch use and so we desktop users get a subpar interface. What I wish they've done was a totally different UI for touch and desktop but I guess that would be too nice to be true

  3. Re:Key question now... on Inside the Failure of Google+ · · Score: 1

    Well I for one hope they don't totally shut it down. I participate in several communities there and I find it very interesting.
    I also don't get why they should have to shut it down just because it wasn't the smash hit they expected, some of us really enjoy it, and I guess Google gets enough data about us to make even just keeping it as it is, worthwhile. It can't be *that* expensive to keep it in maintenance mode.

  4. Re:A related question.. on Ask Slashdot: Can You Disable Windows 10's Privacy-Invading Features? · · Score: 1

    I have the same problem as you: I don't like Win 10 but I like my games. I don't see any escape for us: We'll have to upgrade to the latest version of Windows at some point to run the games. The least bad option would be what you said: Upgrade to Win 10 (or whatever is the latest version) disable most intrusive things and only use it to play.

  5. Re:The question is "why"? on Ask Slashdot: Can You Disable Windows 10's Privacy-Invading Features? · · Score: 1

    I like Windows 7. I really do: It lets me run most software ever developed for the Win32 API while staying out of the way. It can run all my games. All my hardware has drivers for it that work perfectly. It gives me fewer headaches than Linux.
    I also hate the intrusive nature and other changes of Win 10. Why upgrade?: Well, sooner or later the new hardware will stop working on Win 7, the newer games will stop working too. If you plan using Windows programs an eventual upgrade is inescapable.
    Maybe it's my fault for depending on an OS run by a commercial company (which can, and has, changed its priorities in a way that they no longer align with mine) but it's been working for me so far.

  6. Re:Is this any different from Google or Apple? on Ask Slashdot: Can You Disable Windows 10's Privacy-Invading Features? · · Score: 1

    Yes, it's the same as Google has been doing with Android. That's what I hate of both OS (Android and Win 10).
    I'd like if there was an option to completely opt out of this user-information-sucking. I reckon this information is in exchange of something (at least it's pretty clear in the case of Google: I get their services for "free". In the case of Windows 10, which will be a paid software for everyone in a year's time, I don't know what I'm getting for my data) and thus I'd be willing to pay some money to opt out of that. Neither Google nor Microsoft give you that option. I think it's a much cleaner and simple exchange: Money for an OS that works, without any spying.
    I don't think it's that much to ask: That's how Windows (and most commercial software) worked up to Windows 7.

  7. Re:First explain benefits to anyone besides Samsun on Samsung Woos Developers As It Eyes Tizen Expansion Beyond Smartphones · · Score: 1

    This is gonna be a kind of "I agree" comment but here it goes: It also seems to me that there's little benefit for consumers or developers in Tizen. I have no idea how they're planning to advertise it, it'll be fun to see.
    Anyway, I read on sammobile.com that a phone with Tizen had had a decent amount of sales, in India I think, so maybe it has some legs. Clearly, developing Tizen is a move to escape from the huge power Google has on Samsung. Many people wouldn't buy Samsung smartphones if they didn't run Android and Google has been increasing its amount of control over Android lately.
    Many other Android phone manufacturers also have a huge dependence on Google (Motorola, LG, HTC ...) so I don't know why they don't push Tizen too. Maybe they see it as a lost cause.

  8. Re:How the fuck... on Samsung Woos Developers As It Eyes Tizen Expansion Beyond Smartphones · · Score: 1

    I thought a company the size of Samsung would do their software development better. Now I see it's as badly run as in most companies.
    It's a pity, Samsung could develop great hardware and software combos.

  9. Re:Windows 10 is tightly locked to Microsoft servi on Windows 10 Launches · · Score: 1

    Well, you might like Microsoft's services and thus you're happy with them being offered as default buy I don't want them and AFAIK they can't really be removed from Win 10.

    I miss the days where an OS was just a means to run programs, now they're publicity vessels and user data gatherers for the OS makers (this includes Android of course). Now, Win 10 installation procedures tricks you into believing you really need a Ms account to install (the option to use a local account is almost hidden) and MS's services are being pushed you all the time: Cortana, Bing, ... I feel that upgrading to Win 10 from 7 benefits Microsoft much more than me. It shouldn't be surprising since they're actually giving it away.

    Of course, Google is also guilty of not giving the user control by not letting uninstall you any of the Google apps that come with Android devices. I totally hate what the OS world is turning into.

  10. Re:Yawn ... Why mobile? on KDE Community Announces Fully Open Source Plasma Mobile · · Score: 1

    Since it seems that mobile is where the growth is. Therefore, if you're not there you'll miss on the millions of users who will use mobile devices as their primary (or only) computing devices. Of course, for commercial software (Windows) that's the difference from making a lot of money or just get much less from only the desktop market. For open source what you risk is irrelevance.
    At least I hope, this adapting of Plasma to mobile didn't involve fucking up the UI for desktop use as it happened with Windows 8/10.

  11. Re:Firefox is falling so far behind now. on Chrome 44 Launches With Tweaks To Push Messaging and Notifications · · Score: 1

    I don't think those are the reasons people have stopped using Firefox. As far as I remember people started migrating en masse towars Chrome a long time ago, much earlier than the controversial UI changes and the Pocket stuff. In fact, all the controversial Firefox changes are quite recent.

  12. Re:Who makes these decisions? on Windows 10 Home Updates To Be Automatic and Mandatory · · Score: 1

    Nah, these days PC gaming is pretty simple and the only difference you have to take into account when buying a new one over a "regular" PC is that you have to add a decent GPU. It's not a huge cost difference and you have a device that's useful for web browsing, work and gaming.

  13. Re:Who makes these decisions? on Windows 10 Home Updates To Be Automatic and Mandatory · · Score: 1

    That's the single reason I'd consider upgrading for. Well, and also support for future standards and hardware.
    Microsoft are not stupid, they always keep a huge feature exclusive to the new OS. They also did it with DirectX 10 and Vista

  14. Re:Secure Boot on Windows 10 Home Updates To Be Automatic and Mandatory · · Score: 1

    Yep, there aren't any real alternatives to Windows if you want to keep using programs who only exist for Windows.
    In my case it's the games and, let's admit it, the fact that you have drivers from the hardware manufacturer that most often work perfectly. You might have luck with Wine but that's about it. As much as I like ReactOS it's a very long way from being a viable Windows replacement. I'm not dissing them: It's a very hard and laborious job. They'd need hundreds of devs to make substantial progress in a short time and OS development is something that requires coding expertise far beyond "hello world".
    I really hate how Microsoft are taking away control from the user, how Windows 10 feels like an advertisement for Ms's services (Bing, cortana, OneDrive...), how they push you to use a Microsoft account, how they're turning the OS in a mixture of touch and traditional interfaces (making it ideal for neither).
    But I'm stuck with it if I want keep playing my games. It's my fault I guess for putting myself in the hands of a corporation.

  15. Re:Who wants what now? on Future Microsoft Devices Will Take Cues From the Surface Tablet · · Score: 1

    Virtual +1 to you since I don't have mod points.
    Nadella acknowledges that their strength is in the 90% market share they have on desktops. That's an strangely honest remark for a CEO. But precisely because of that universal apps should ideally have, IMHO, a UI designed specifically for desktops (mouse and keyboard) and another for touch devices, because the current UIs of universal apps are less than ideal for kb+mouse, sure, they technically work, but you have huge target (buttons and touchable elements) sizes and lots of whitespace thus having a low density of information. Also they usually have very few options making them less powerful than traditional PC apps. To sum up, they're esentially mobile apps on PCs and I've no need for them.
    Their only redeeming quality is that you'll have the same UI on every form factor, but in this day and age, it would be pretty easy to separate data and logic from UI and have two UIs each specifically designed for touch and kb+mouse.
    But hey! all the growth is in mobile devices so who the hell cares about those stupid desktop users who want complex and powerful programs to do things?

  16. Re:Still don't trust SSDs on OCZ Toshiba Breaks 40 Cent Per GB Barrier With New Trion 100 Series SSD · · Score: 1

    Are there different versions of the ST3000DM001? I guess so, cause I'm seeing several listings of, apparently, that very same model, on the same shop as different "models", with slightly different prices. (I hope I explained myself here)
    I also wonder if the newer ones are any more reliable.
    Thanks

  17. Re:"Edge" on Microsoft Edge, HTML5, and DRM · · Score: 1

    I updated the Windows 10 preview to the last build and saw an icon that looked very much like that of Internet Explorer. Turns out is the icon of Edge.
    I find it funny they've worked so hard so as not to alienate the users who think the "blue e" is the Internet but thought it was ok to radically change the interface in Windows 8. In Windows 10 they've half-backtracked by including a stripped-down Start Menu but that would also completely confuse someone who's confused if the Internet changes its icon from a blue e.
    Sorry for the rant and semi offtopic comment but I'm really pissed of at Microsoft for the changes to Windows starting in 8

  18. Re:Design by Fisher-Price? on New Leaked Build Is Evidence That Windows 10 Will Be Ready By July 29 · · Score: 1

    +1 They're hell bent on making a single (or as similar as possible) for phones and PCs and it obviously has to cater to the lowest denominator. Result: The desktop loses the highly polished interface that has evolved over decades. I hate it. The funny thing is, I thought that if anybody, it'd be Apple who would do this (because they're so oriented to simplicity) but they have enough sense to keep the UI for PCs separate from that of tables and phones.

  19. Re:Win7 is likely to be my last Windows on New Leaked Build Is Evidence That Windows 10 Will Be Ready By July 29 · · Score: 1

    But the price to pay is a worse mouse experice :(

  20. Re:Win7 is likely to be my last Windows on New Leaked Build Is Evidence That Windows 10 Will Be Ready By July 29 · · Score: 1

    Many of the applications included in Windows have been rewritten with touch optimized ("modern") UIs and that leads to low information density and waste of screen real estate.
    The problem is they're trying to make a single UI to be used with fingers and a mouse and keyboard and that's really difficult without making a substandard UI for any (or both) of the paradigms. I use Windows on a desktop computer and Windows 10 should not penalize me for it. I have a mouse that's capable of very precise movements and I want an UI that makes the most of it, just like they used to be. I want lots of buttons and relatively small text. That's impossible for a single UI for both touch and mouse use.
    IMO they should make 2 different UIs for each application (all the logic can be easily reused) but today desktops seem to passe.

  21. Re:Win7 is likely to be my last Windows on New Leaked Build Is Evidence That Windows 10 Will Be Ready By July 29 · · Score: 2
    You're up to +5 already but I'll just say that I totally agree. I wouldn't mind the ugly touch UI and "apps" if there was a switch to change it all to "classic" desktop mode (i.e. Win 95 to 7).
    What's wrong?
    • Horrid usability for desktop use (everything flat with no hints as to what's clickable, tons of waste of screen real estate because there's so much whitespace in apps)
    • Most programs have been rewritten for touch and that means : Tons of whitespace leading to waste of screen real estate, low information density
    • You're pushed to use Microsoft services: Bing, OneDrive (can't be uninstalled), Windows Store, Cortana...
    • The start menu is back... but is very limited compared to Windows 7's
    • Configuration split between a "modern" app and the classic Control Panel
  22. Re:Broken Content on Warner Bros. Halts Sales of AAA Batman PC Game Over Technical Problems · · Score: 1

    Which is unforgivable since consoles are PCs are more alike than ever. It should be much easier in this generation to port between systems

  23. After a 50$ CPU was able to run Office and your browser with room to spare, Intel and AMD needed more resource-hungry software to make people buy new CPUs, and what better than the most used piece of software in offices around the world, i.e.: Minesweeper :).
    On a more serious note, they also used its popularity to get people accustomed to using the Windows Store (in Win 10 you must install it from there or no Minesweeper or other Microsoft games for you).

  24. Re:How many actually use Cortana... on Toshiba Introduces a Cortana Keyboard Button For Windows 10 · · Score: 1

    Youi're missing the point: This is not being added because people use Cortana much (Win 10 hasn't even been released yet!) but it's another strategy to get you to use it more.
    Microsoft has done many things in Win 10 to tempt you to use their services (e.g.: search searches the web by default using Bing, OneDrive can't be uninstalled,..) and I hate it

  25. Re:Yep. I'd pay money. on Report: Internet Users Feel Powerless To Protect Their Privacy From Corporations · · Score: 1

    +1. I'd also pay money to Google to be able to use Android without any of their apps (i.e.:being able to uninstall those I don't use).
    I'd also pay money to Microsoft for a Windows 10 without any of their services (Bing, Onedrive, Store, Cortana)