You may be a Windows fan - but even you should not want to return to the former level of Microsoft dominance - under which 'innovation' only led where Microsoft wanted it to lead (from your pockets into theirs).
I can agree with that... monopolies are generally not a good thing.
Frankly, the part about Windows that I'm such a fan of is that I can install it on any PC I want, including one that I build. You say that you were "forced to pay for Windows", but you really weren't. Not only can you build your own PC without Windows, but there are multiple companies online that will be happy to do it for you and ship you a built and tested machine with just a formatted hard drive.
Linux is never going to be real competition to Windows due to its business model and how fragmented it is. It'll always be 1-2% of the desktop PC market because of that.
OS X COULD have been a serious competitor, if Apple would sell it and allow you to install it on whatever you want. I'd have given it a serious look years ago if they had done that, but Macs are just so expensive that it isn't worth considering, which is why it has 5% of the market, give or take. That also won't change unless they change their prices/hardware policies.
So you have a defacto Windows monopoly. There ARE other choices, but not ones that give you the kind of choice that we COULD have if we had competition that had 25% of the market. If OS X could get to 25% of the PC market, you'd see serious development for it and then you'd have real competition.
And that's ok, I would never suggest you have to do that, it should be optional.
On the other hand, when I can get a Free and open source natural language recognition system which I control and for which I write the rules (including firewall rules) then I might consider doing something like that.
I'm ok with that as well. Choice, it's a good thing.
---
That being said, don't be shocked if the outside public world ends up with microphones and speakers at some point all linked to central servers. Maybe the various servers will all use the same public mic system, but answer to their own names.
So you can say "hey Siri", and she'll respond, you could have someone else say, "hey Alexa", and she'll respond, and so on.
And exactly how does the fact that you like and use these services address my point that I don't want to - and don't want my info collected just because I was forced to buy Windows with my PC?
Well... you're not really forced to use Windows, are you?
There are Macs, and then you can install Linux on almost anything...
I'm honestly not trying to argue, I'm simply pointing out that you have options. MS has clearly decided to go down this path, for better or worse. If you don't like it, don't use Windows. My point is that I don't think the majority of consumers care all that much. Even those who claim they care, won't change their behavior when the rubber meets the road.
Keep in mind that you can't opt-out of the data collected by your credit card company about your purchase habits, and that data is then sold. Retailers do the same thing, both with and without loyalty cards. Companies keep track of what the same CC number purchases over time, attach the name to it, and sell that data.
If you truly want to be private, you'd be shocked at what you'd have to do to make that happen. Most people are kidding themselves when they think they are really private.
While you're correct that the older Core2 systems use more power per watt, they also already exist. Buying a new computer involves a lot of carbon production and waste production, if that is a concern of yours.
It would likely take many years of use before the replacement of a Core2 with a modern machine would "pay" for itself in terms of environment impact.
That being said, I keep the Q6600 system around, not because I need it personally, but I use it for testing on multiple OS. While it does have Windows 10 installed, it also has Windows XP installed on a second SSD, it is the last machine I have for testing XP since I replaced my older Athlon 64 x2 5000+ machine a year or so ago.
Besides the benefit of online account sync, the other feature I'm excited about with Windows 10 is Cortana.
We have iPhones, and use Siri every day. I use her to set reminders, make appointments, call people, text message people, do math, etc.
I want that same feature in Windows, but always on and with a good mic that picks me up across the room.
Frankly, I'd like to see the option to remote mic and speaker the house, so I can talk to her anywhere and have it be more like in Star Trek: TNG when they could just talk to the computer anywhere.
That day is likely coming, but I get that not everyone will be so quick to embrace it.
But I haven't opted in to Microsoft's services. I don't use Bing or Outlook or Office 365, and I don't want to use them.
Fair enough...
I went the Office 365 route because of the benefits, but it isn't for everyone.
Having 5 accounts, one for each of us, plus unlimited OneDrive storage, plus synced Windows desktops that log in anywhere, is nice.
I use Windows because I have to use it sometimes for work (and I only use it rarely, since I only rarely have to - I use Mint most of the time).
Fair enough, and this is not an attack, but you are way, way, way outside of "normal" when it comes to PC usage if you're running Linux. That is something I think that gets missed among techies who run Linux, is that they do not represent the bulk of the consumer PC market.
I paid for my copy of Windows 7, and haven't taken the 'free' upgrade to Windows 10 - but apparently Windows 7 is now collecting info too.
One of the biggest benefits to Windows 10 over 7 is the unified, synced, log in. At least from my point of view. I can sit down at any of our computers and they are the "same". They all sync to my Microsoft account. I can log into a new computer and poof, my desktop looks and acts like I'm used to.
This is a benefit to me. It may not be to you, and that's ok, but I like it. We have multiple computers in the house, they each have a login and remember what is what for each person. My daughter's start menu is setup for her, my son's for him, and so on.
I wouldn't buy a microsoft pc because they have a locked bootloader preventing you from installing other OS. Fair enough that ms doesn't want you installing other OS but when they cancelled windows rt and gave their own customers no way out to keep using their hardware, that was a dick move.
While that is a fair point, and if it is a concern to you, then yes, you should not buy it.
However, I would ask... can you install another OS on an iPad?
I do get that you probably wouldn't buy one of those either.
It's an interesting election here with currently a 3 way tie. 2/3rds of the voters are against Harper but he is likely to get in again
So don't elect any of them, write in someone else's name.
Heck, write in my name, I'm American, so I have no prior bias!:)
All kidding aside, if I could be the President of the US tomorrow, lord... I don't know how long I'd last, given that my simple directive would be "do the right thing for the citizens of this nation".
Other nations, corporations, special interests, all come second.
I was one of the early adopters to put my OS on an SSD.
I remember that... Paid $550 for a 160GB Intel SSD about 5 years ago... Thought it was a decent deal at the time!:)
I still have that drive, it is in something around the house. Still works perfectly.
I imagine that Windows 10 would, for instance, run "okay" on 4 GB of RAM on an old 2.8 GHz, dual core, AMD from say 2007 or so
Actually, it would run very well. I have Windows 10 on a 2007 Core2Quad Q6600 and it runs perfectly well for day to day Windows tasks. Everything from Chrome to Office to basic games work like clockwork. Everything I've tried from the Windows App Store works perfectly.
Frankly, compared to my 4790K Haswell refresh machine, there is very little difference for light Windows usage.
I assure you, your i3 with 4gb doesn't perform anywhere near the same as an i5 or 7 with 16gb. Are you stupid?
No, but clearly you are...
On basic Windows tasks, yes it does perform about the same...
A Core i3 with 4GB of RAM opens Chrome, Word, Acrobat, and a bunch of other basic programs at about the same speed as a i5 or i7 does.
Of course it shows better numbers in a benchmark, but those don't translate to the end user experience in a way that matters.
Okay, you are stupid. No I said Lotus, I meant Lotus.
Then you're just silly... A Lexus would make for a much better comparison... Lotus? What the heck does that have to do with Toyota? It would have made more sense if you said Porsche or Ferrari... Lotus? Really?
The problem with your argument is that you think anyone who owns a MBP wants a cheapass plastic laptop with a crappy display.
I think the $350 laptop will far outsell the MBP, it does what people need for a whole lot less money.
If they did, they wouldn't have spent 6 times as much to get high quality polished device.
There are machines that are $500 less than the cost of a MBP that are of the same quality. Apple is really expensive.
Your argument revolves around comparing a Rolex to a gas station kids 'digital' watch and pretending the kids watch is better in every way. Its certainly cheaper, but by pretty much every other aspect, its shit.
That is a terrible example. Very few people buy a Rolex to tell time. They buy it to show off and look "cool".
Are you suggesting that is why most people buy a MBP? To show off and look "cool"?
So... you can find a cheaper machine but it doesn't perform as well... do I need to show my shocked face?
Yes, you do... since it DOES perform as well, and frankly better than a MacBook does in most respects. Not as well as a MBP, but close enough to count.
Do you think your Toyota is the same as a Lotus too?
I imagine you meant Lexus... and frankly, they are usually more or less the same with some badging and trim differences.
To my mother's annoyance, her Lexus RX is really a tall Toyota Camry station wagon... or a shorter Highlander, take your pic.
It is not a fringe minority on Slashdot by any stretch of the imagination.
Yes it is... Outside of tech sites like this, I have heard no one mention it, much less care...
The Snowden leaks have had legal ramifications world wide and changed how US companies have to do business across the globe.
I think you read more into the news about all that then there really is.
It is a lot of noise, shouting back and fourth, but it is just a distraction. Even the Germans didn't really made a deal out of our spying on their PM. Oh sure, they shouted about it in the media for a week, then life moves on.
I'll give you that the legal process is not fast, but there has been some ground made.
The legal process doesn't have much to do with an illegal act, now does it? Much of what the NSA has been doing is already illegal, so a legal process is just theater.
have to point out that you are completely ignoring how bad Windows 10 is.
But that is the part you're having trouble with. I'm not ignoring anything, I don't honestly have a problem with what Windows 10 is doing.
I'm not ignorant of the situation, I just don't care about it. So they are tracking what programs I run, what web sites I go to, and what searches I do. Ok... good for them.
Why are they getting away with it so far?
Because the majority of people shrug their shoulders and move on, not worrying about it. People are not concerned that MS is going to hack their bank accounts, or steal their CC info, or randomly mail their nude pictures to people.
That is all people really care about, that stuff.
People have figured out how to turn things off already
You must be joking... your average person wouldn't know how to run Windows Update, much less mess with privacy settings. Why do you think MS went the "Windows Updates can't be turned off" in the Home version? Because people don't do it...
That "better" has nothing to do with MS however, it's intelligent consumers circumventing MS.
The percentage of people who mess around with the settings is always going to be a low number. I know how to do it, but I don't care to do it.
Slashdot Mirror
The answer, obviously, is a hot grits cannon.
Yes, but only Natalie Portman can fire it, so what's the point?
You may be a Windows fan - but even you should not want to return to the former level of Microsoft dominance - under which 'innovation' only led where Microsoft wanted it to lead (from your pockets into theirs).
I can agree with that... monopolies are generally not a good thing.
Frankly, the part about Windows that I'm such a fan of is that I can install it on any PC I want, including one that I build. You say that you were "forced to pay for Windows", but you really weren't. Not only can you build your own PC without Windows, but there are multiple companies online that will be happy to do it for you and ship you a built and tested machine with just a formatted hard drive.
Linux is never going to be real competition to Windows due to its business model and how fragmented it is. It'll always be 1-2% of the desktop PC market because of that.
OS X COULD have been a serious competitor, if Apple would sell it and allow you to install it on whatever you want. I'd have given it a serious look years ago if they had done that, but Macs are just so expensive that it isn't worth considering, which is why it has 5% of the market, give or take. That also won't change unless they change their prices/hardware policies.
So you have a defacto Windows monopoly. There ARE other choices, but not ones that give you the kind of choice that we COULD have if we had competition that had 25% of the market. If OS X could get to 25% of the PC market, you'd see serious development for it and then you'd have real competition.
At 5%? Not really...
Well, no. Your home, fine. My home, no.
And that's ok, I would never suggest you have to do that, it should be optional.
On the other hand, when I can get a Free and open source natural language recognition system which I control and for which I write the rules (including firewall rules) then I might consider doing something like that.
I'm ok with that as well. Choice, it's a good thing.
---
That being said, don't be shocked if the outside public world ends up with microphones and speakers at some point all linked to central servers. Maybe the various servers will all use the same public mic system, but answer to their own names.
So you can say "hey Siri", and she'll respond, you could have someone else say, "hey Alexa", and she'll respond, and so on.
Be careful, that tinfoil hat is on really tight...
I suspect that it is because Cortana allegedly sends data back to Microsoft's servers for processing.
Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa both do the same thing...
News flash, both services are popular...
Why would someone *want* to knowingly enable this?
Because it provides useful features. It allows me to add stuff to my calendar, read me my mail, tell me the weather, make phone calls, etc.
I see a future where our houses are setup with remote mics and speakers so we can talk to Siri/Cortana/Alexa anywhere in our homes.
Cortana is spy-ware
No it isn't, stop spreading FUD...
Let's fix some of these problems. Mandatory voting anyone?
No, that is evil...
The freedom to vote includes the freedom to NOT vote...
And exactly how does the fact that you like and use these services address my point that I don't want to - and don't want my info collected just because I was forced to buy Windows with my PC?
Well... you're not really forced to use Windows, are you?
There are Macs, and then you can install Linux on almost anything...
I'm honestly not trying to argue, I'm simply pointing out that you have options. MS has clearly decided to go down this path, for better or worse. If you don't like it, don't use Windows. My point is that I don't think the majority of consumers care all that much. Even those who claim they care, won't change their behavior when the rubber meets the road.
Keep in mind that you can't opt-out of the data collected by your credit card company about your purchase habits, and that data is then sold. Retailers do the same thing, both with and without loyalty cards. Companies keep track of what the same CC number purchases over time, attach the name to it, and sell that data.
If you truly want to be private, you'd be shocked at what you'd have to do to make that happen. Most people are kidding themselves when they think they are really private.
While you're correct that the older Core2 systems use more power per watt, they also already exist. Buying a new computer involves a lot of carbon production and waste production, if that is a concern of yours.
It would likely take many years of use before the replacement of a Core2 with a modern machine would "pay" for itself in terms of environment impact.
That being said, I keep the Q6600 system around, not because I need it personally, but I use it for testing on multiple OS. While it does have Windows 10 installed, it also has Windows XP installed on a second SSD, it is the last machine I have for testing XP since I replaced my older Athlon 64 x2 5000+ machine a year or so ago.
Now THAT was ancient. :)
Funny and snarky at the same time... I award you 2 points! :)
We don't have them in our home or workstations because we don't need them.
Oh sure, more power is nice... but it isn't needed... how many people are willing to pay for it?
It is a small market, thus it costs more. Even today's machines are largely more powerful than most people need.
Besides the benefit of online account sync, the other feature I'm excited about with Windows 10 is Cortana.
We have iPhones, and use Siri every day. I use her to set reminders, make appointments, call people, text message people, do math, etc.
I want that same feature in Windows, but always on and with a good mic that picks me up across the room.
Frankly, I'd like to see the option to remote mic and speaker the house, so I can talk to her anywhere and have it be more like in Star Trek: TNG when they could just talk to the computer anywhere.
That day is likely coming, but I get that not everyone will be so quick to embrace it.
But I haven't opted in to Microsoft's services. I don't use Bing or Outlook or Office 365, and I don't want to use them.
Fair enough...
I went the Office 365 route because of the benefits, but it isn't for everyone.
Having 5 accounts, one for each of us, plus unlimited OneDrive storage, plus synced Windows desktops that log in anywhere, is nice.
I use Windows because I have to use it sometimes for work (and I only use it rarely, since I only rarely have to - I use Mint most of the time).
Fair enough, and this is not an attack, but you are way, way, way outside of "normal" when it comes to PC usage if you're running Linux. That is something I think that gets missed among techies who run Linux, is that they do not represent the bulk of the consumer PC market.
I paid for my copy of Windows 7, and haven't taken the 'free' upgrade to Windows 10 - but apparently Windows 7 is now collecting info too.
One of the biggest benefits to Windows 10 over 7 is the unified, synced, log in. At least from my point of view. I can sit down at any of our computers and they are the "same". They all sync to my Microsoft account. I can log into a new computer and poof, my desktop looks and acts like I'm used to.
This is a benefit to me. It may not be to you, and that's ok, but I like it. We have multiple computers in the house, they each have a login and remember what is what for each person. My daughter's start menu is setup for her, my son's for him, and so on.
I wouldn't buy a microsoft pc because they have a locked bootloader preventing you from installing other OS. Fair enough that ms doesn't want you installing other OS but when they cancelled windows rt and gave their own customers no way out to keep using their hardware, that was a dick move.
While that is a fair point, and if it is a concern to you, then yes, you should not buy it.
However, I would ask... can you install another OS on an iPad?
I do get that you probably wouldn't buy one of those either.
It's an interesting election here with currently a 3 way tie. 2/3rds of the voters are against Harper but he is likely to get in again
So don't elect any of them, write in someone else's name.
Heck, write in my name, I'm American, so I have no prior bias! :)
All kidding aside, if I could be the President of the US tomorrow, lord... I don't know how long I'd last, given that my simple directive would be "do the right thing for the citizens of this nation".
Other nations, corporations, special interests, all come second.
If we can fit a bizillion instructions into a 1x1 CPU why not cram all those into the same size CPU socket we were using before?
Heat, cost to make large dies, and various other reasons...
Such larger chips actually do exist, try an 18 core Xeon... expensive however...
Our media even talked about the renewal of the Patriot Act, and it renewed anyway...
Frankly, having two or more parties is just about keeping people happy with thinking they have a choice, I don't like any of them anymore.
But it is our own fault for electing them.
While that is all true, it ignores the real world...
The Samsung Galaxy line for example, comes with all kinds of stuff installed... like the Google Play store, GMail, Maps, etc...
Do you honestly think very many people do anything with a Galaxy other than run what comes on it from Google?
Open source sounds nice, but what percentage of Android phone users run a truly clean copy of Android?
I was one of the early adopters to put my OS on an SSD.
I remember that... Paid $550 for a 160GB Intel SSD about 5 years ago... Thought it was a decent deal at the time! :)
I still have that drive, it is in something around the house. Still works perfectly.
I imagine that Windows 10 would, for instance, run "okay" on 4 GB of RAM on an old 2.8 GHz, dual core, AMD from say 2007 or so
Actually, it would run very well. I have Windows 10 on a 2007 Core2Quad Q6600 and it runs perfectly well for day to day Windows tasks. Everything from Chrome to Office to basic games work like clockwork. Everything I've tried from the Windows App Store works perfectly.
Frankly, compared to my 4790K Haswell refresh machine, there is very little difference for light Windows usage.
I assure you, your i3 with 4gb doesn't perform anywhere near the same as an i5 or 7 with 16gb. Are you stupid?
No, but clearly you are...
On basic Windows tasks, yes it does perform about the same...
A Core i3 with 4GB of RAM opens Chrome, Word, Acrobat, and a bunch of other basic programs at about the same speed as a i5 or i7 does.
Of course it shows better numbers in a benchmark, but those don't translate to the end user experience in a way that matters.
Okay, you are stupid. No I said Lotus, I meant Lotus.
Then you're just silly... A Lexus would make for a much better comparison... Lotus? What the heck does that have to do with Toyota? It would have made more sense if you said Porsche or Ferrari... Lotus? Really?
Time will tell... I don't agree with your viewpoint, but only time will show who was correct...
I'm in the "computer geeks and nerds" group and I have no problem with what Microsoft is doing, so there you go...
And every other OS is different?
Do any MacBook's come with HDDs anymore?
The problem with your argument is that you think anyone who owns a MBP wants a cheapass plastic laptop with a crappy display.
I think the $350 laptop will far outsell the MBP, it does what people need for a whole lot less money.
If they did, they wouldn't have spent 6 times as much to get high quality polished device.
There are machines that are $500 less than the cost of a MBP that are of the same quality. Apple is really expensive.
Your argument revolves around comparing a Rolex to a gas station kids 'digital' watch and pretending the kids watch is better in every way. Its certainly cheaper, but by pretty much every other aspect, its shit.
That is a terrible example. Very few people buy a Rolex to tell time. They buy it to show off and look "cool".
Are you suggesting that is why most people buy a MBP? To show off and look "cool"?
So ... you can find a cheaper machine but it doesn't perform as well ... do I need to show my shocked face?
Yes, you do... since it DOES perform as well, and frankly better than a MacBook does in most respects. Not as well as a MBP, but close enough to count.
Do you think your Toyota is the same as a Lotus too?
I imagine you meant Lexus... and frankly, they are usually more or less the same with some badging and trim differences.
To my mother's annoyance, her Lexus RX is really a tall Toyota Camry station wagon... or a shorter Highlander, take your pic.
It is not a fringe minority on Slashdot by any stretch of the imagination.
Yes it is... Outside of tech sites like this, I have heard no one mention it, much less care...
The Snowden leaks have had legal ramifications world wide and changed how US companies have to do business across the globe.
I think you read more into the news about all that then there really is.
It is a lot of noise, shouting back and fourth, but it is just a distraction. Even the Germans didn't really made a deal out of our spying on their PM. Oh sure, they shouted about it in the media for a week, then life moves on.
I'll give you that the legal process is not fast, but there has been some ground made.
The legal process doesn't have much to do with an illegal act, now does it? Much of what the NSA has been doing is already illegal, so a legal process is just theater.
have to point out that you are completely ignoring how bad Windows 10 is.
But that is the part you're having trouble with. I'm not ignoring anything, I don't honestly have a problem with what Windows 10 is doing.
I'm not ignorant of the situation, I just don't care about it. So they are tracking what programs I run, what web sites I go to, and what searches I do. Ok... good for them.
Why are they getting away with it so far?
Because the majority of people shrug their shoulders and move on, not worrying about it. People are not concerned that MS is going to hack their bank accounts, or steal their CC info, or randomly mail their nude pictures to people.
That is all people really care about, that stuff.
People have figured out how to turn things off already
You must be joking... your average person wouldn't know how to run Windows Update, much less mess with privacy settings. Why do you think MS went the "Windows Updates can't be turned off" in the Home version? Because people don't do it...
That "better" has nothing to do with MS however, it's intelligent consumers circumventing MS.
The percentage of people who mess around with the settings is always going to be a low number. I know how to do it, but I don't care to do it.