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Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

zdnet.com

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Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#61

Post by wvenable »

cmdrfred wrote: post #52
wvenable wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's actually what it is. Professional is the version for end users, people like you and me, who want to run more than "Home" on their own computers. Enterprise is for computers owned by your company.

I for one don't find this change very professional. I'd go further and call anything but enterprise 'Windows 10 Ad Supported edition'.

Being able to install software on your own machine is pretty fundamental. If it's not your machine, it shouldn't be running Windows Professional.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#62

Post by merb »

levemi wrote: post #29
Someone1234 wrote: post #2

If Microsoft wants SMBs to use Enterprise then make the Enterprise edition more easily available to SMBs, don't try to force them to move to it by making petty little changes to make their life more difficult. I can go on the Google Apps website right now and buy myself seats with a few clicks and a few minutes. If I want to buy Windows Enterprise licenses it will take weeks, cost an unclear amount (at the onset), an…

> I worked for a startup, under 20 machines, I tried to buy then Windows 7 Enterprise. Microsoft's partners were super unhelpful, disinterested in a small account, refused to provide clear pricing, and I was getting upsold even before we got the basics squared away ("I'll just add on 20 CALs, a Windows Server license, and let's talk exchange!"). Ultimately we just gave up, and used Windows 7 Home(!) for three years.…

bizspark is only for up to 7 people. I mean you could actually create a single account and use the same key for multiple machines but if it comes to office your limited to 2 keys per user. but you could install every key on up to 2 machines but licensing forbids to use both installations at once.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#63

Post by nitrogen »

levemi wrote: post #50
holyoly wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that you have to go to Google to search to find Microsoft pricing, and have to already have the knowledge that they have special "startup" pricing is a failure on Microsoft's part.

You know given the title and the bait it presents to a particular kind of people I should have known better than share with people a positive thing about Microsoft and to suggest they think for themselves.

Don't be like that. From the other commenters' perspective, you didn't share a positive thing about MS, you made a negative comment about them.

Don't let confirmation bias and an MS persecution complex make you put up a wall to legitimate concerns.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#64

Post by nitrogen »

merb wrote: post #62
levemi wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I worked for a startup, under 20 machines, I tried to buy then Windows 7 Enterprise. Microsoft's partners were super unhelpful, disinterested in a small account, refused to provide clear pricing, and I was getting upsold even before we got the basics squared away ("I'll just add on 20 CALs, a Windows Server license, and let's talk exchange!"). Ultimately we just gave up, and used Windows 7 Home(!) for three years.…

bizspark is only for up to 7 people. I mean you could actually create a single account and use the same key for multiple machines but if it comes to office your limited to 2 keys per user. but you could install every key on up to 2 machines but licensing forbids to use both installations at once.

Does Microsoft still unleash the BSA on small businesses that are out of compliance?

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#65

Post by chris_wot »

levemi wrote: post #42
cortesoft wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If those 'wrong' people are Microsoft employees, they should have directed him to the right people. If they didn't, then it is absolutely Microsoft's fault.

Microsoft is a huge organization with tens of thousands of employees. We have no idea what was communicated between this commenter and the sales person. At some point you have to kind of step back and realize that you're responsible for your outcomes and not blame everything bad that happens to you on others. Searching Google with "startup microsoft" or "startup pricing microsoft" would have been enough effort to fig…

It's irrelevant if Microsoft are a huge organization with tens of thousands of employees. Sales aren't made via excuses.

Putting the responsibility on the customer to find the right set of keywords - in Google no less! - to purchase copies of enterprise software is bizarre.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#66

Post by 794CD01 »

hackuser wrote: post #15

I want devices that I, the owner, control, whether I'm a small business or enterprise or individual. This is important for many reasons, from security to freedom-to-tinker to using the device I own in the way I want. It was once an accepted standard in IT. Now, can anyone name a current handheld or desktop system that provides end-user control? If you don't think security, including privacy, is important, consider wh…

Most things that were "once an accepted standard in IT" are horribly insecure. The end user wanting a system he/she controls is very much one of them.

Microsoft taking away control from users, especially when it came to forcing them to take updates, is probably the biggest change they could possibly have made to improve the overall security of the internet.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#67

Post by keithpeter »

jrcii wrote: post #54
Someone1234 wrote: post #2

If Microsoft wants SMBs to use Enterprise then make the Enterprise edition more easily available to SMBs, don't try to force them to move to it by making petty little changes to make their life more difficult. I can go on the Google Apps website right now and buy myself seats with a few clicks and a few minutes. If I want to buy Windows Enterprise licenses it will take weeks, cost an unclear amount (at the onset), an…

I lived through the exact same disaster. I spent HOURS on the phone trying to acquire a license for Windows 7 Enterprise, I needed it for Hyper-V. Microsoft's main number, dead-end IVR system. Tried the Microsoft Store, they routed me to the dead-end IVR system. 50 or so minutes after my initial attempt I got some person that could barely speak English from India routing me to a voicemail, a couple of times Microsoft…

"The whole process made me feel like I was losing my mind."

And perhaps Microsoft shareholders are beginning to feel as if they might be losing their capital soonish... This sounds like The End.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#68

Post by chris_wot »

levemi wrote: post #50
holyoly wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that you have to go to Google to search to find Microsoft pricing, and have to already have the knowledge that they have special "startup" pricing is a failure on Microsoft's part.

You know given the title and the bait it presents to a particular kind of people I should have known better than share with people a positive thing about Microsoft and to suggest they think for themselves.

You shared your positive experience about dealing with Microsoft, but you also downplayed the OP's experience. Even though he went through the process he attempted in some detail, you told him he was responsible for the poor customer service he got from Microsoft.

That's why you aren't getting favourable comments.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#69

Post by superuser2 »

cortesoft wrote: post #36
levemi wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I worked for a startup, under 20 machines, I tried to buy then Windows 7 Enterprise. Microsoft's partners were super unhelpful, disinterested in a small account, refused to provide clear pricing, and I was getting upsold even before we got the basics squared away ("I'll just add on 20 CALs, a Windows Server license, and let's talk exchange!"). Ultimately we just gave up, and used Windows 7 Home(!) for three years.…

If those 'wrong' people are Microsoft employees, they should have directed him to the right people. If they didn't, then it is absolutely Microsoft's fault.

Microsoft sales are generally handled through small VARs (value-added resellers) which are hyper-local and send salespeople and technicians to drive around to local businesses. These VARs in turn buy from large distributors with more elite Microsoft partner status like Ingram Micro. Players at every level participate in some kind of Certified Partner Program and must be certified by the next level up the chain as conforming to requirements (has a physical office, X in revenue, N people on staff with Y certification, etc).

It's the same with Cisco, and really a lot of stuff in the enterprise space.

Plebes don't get to talk to Microsoft employees.

EDIT: I will add that I have worked for a few such resellers of various enterprisey tech companies. Your partner account buys you a hotline to competent vendor support engineers. They aren't reading scripts, take you at your word for the troubleshooting steps you've already tried, are happy to work a problem systematically with you, and will also readily admit that a product is defective and grant an RMA or even make a bug report, collect diagnostic logs from you, and tell you when a fix is slated for release. It's amazing.

Re: Microsoft no longer allows admins to block Windows Store access in Win10 Pro

#70

Post by Grishnakh »

arca_vorago wrote: post #24
askyourmother wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don't. Time to get off that train wreck of a platform!

There it is. The vindication I was after. I knew I wasnt just crazy for doing everything I could to minimize ms in my ecosystem. Personally, I think rms, gnu, and gplv3 are the way to go. We need to protect user freedoms more than developer freedoms.

It's not users vs. developers, it's users vs. vendors. The devs working for MS are just hired guns doing what they're told in exchange for a paycheck; they're not making decisions like this.
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