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Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

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Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#171

Post by Sir_Cmpwn »

veridies wrote: post #169
Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>they like editing Word documents LibreOffice supports this and it works quite well. I would guess most people prefer google drive these days, though. >using Bluetooth Do you actually know anyone non-technical who has used bluetooth at all in the past 5 years? Or technical for that matter, I've used bluetooth maybe 3 times in that time frame and always had no issues on Linux. >playing AAA games This is your only legi…

> >they like editing Word documents > LibreOffice supports this and it works quite well. I would guess most people prefer google drive these days, though. I run LibreOffice on my Mac and documents ALWAYS render differently than on Word. I always have to proofread on an office computer before I send files out to my colleagues. > Do you actually know anyone non-technical who has used bluetooth at all in the past 5 year…

>I run LibreOffice on my Mac and documents ALWAYS render differently than on Word. I always have to proofread on an office computer before I send files out to my colleagues.

If you're authoring the documents, you don't need to use docx. Use a more open format that's supported better by both. As for reading documents, who cares if it renders differently? So long as you can read it that's enough.

>I literally used Bluetooth this afternoon. I was playing music on an external speaker. I also use it to connect my phone to my car, and my friend was using it late last week to play back an audio recording that we needed to pay close attention to.

I was only referring to using your computer for bluetooth, not your phone, since that's the only subject that's relevant to the discussion. Audio is a fair point, though, but I'll point out that I have a pair of bluetooth headphones that works fine with Linux.

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#172

Post by pdkl95 »

H4CK3RM4N wrote: post #164
pdkl95 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> an understandable engineering reaction The point about switching to an alternative isn't an engineering reaction, it's a political suggestion that is based on sending the right message. When MS does something you find objectionable, the way to signal that you strongly disagree in a capitalist system is to vote with your wallet. Continuing to use Window only sends the message that the recent changes are acceptable.…

Free as in speech is the only point where Windows is still ok , it's free as in beer and free as in freedom where it falls down.

Windows is not Free Software, and this entire discussion is about Microsoft's decisions that ignore the wishes of the actual owner of the computer.

Microsoft is forcing changes onto other people's property. If this was a physical product you bought, the manufacturer forcing changes onto your property would be considered vandalism. Of course, apologists will try to shift the blame to the victim - the users lacking technical training - by pointing to dark patterns in the setup or "EULA".

Microsoft isn't the worst offender re: platform freedom, but calling windows "free" ignores decades of bad behavior, the current moves to lock down Windows while adding spyware and other miss-features, and the simple fact that proprietary software outside your control is by definition "not free".

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#174

Post by kabdib »

We're doing some qualification of Windows Server 2016, which we use to run some business logic [insert history here]. Imagine my surprise when I found some Cortana-related processes running on one of the test boxes.

Cortana. On an OS that's supposed to be a server. I can tell that I'm going to have a ton of fun locking this stupid thing down. Also, seeing a process named "NetworkSpy" got fun, fast; whoever named that thing sure knew how to get my attention.

I like the core Windows OS; it's a nice kernel. But there's a lot of crap on top of it, and their testing is getting worse. Ask me about Remote Desktop regressions... well, don't. It's the weekend and I want to forget.

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#175

Post by greenhatman »

booleandilemma wrote: post #23
chc wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This works well if your hobbies include manually editing obscure config files and replacing perfectly good hardware, and if your hobbies do not include playing games. I frequently explore the possibility of switching to Linux, and while it's not the garbage fire it was 15 years ago, it's still just not a peer to Windows for the way I use my computer.

Completely agree. I tried Ubuntu a few years ago because I heard that distro was comparably easier to use and my experience was frustrating. It took me 3 hours just to get the speakers to work, and the wifi connection would regularly drop off. Windows just works, and I'll happily pay money for a good product.

These things changed quickly though. Drivers that were an issue three years ago will now often just work.

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#176

Post by Silhouette »

quanticle wrote: post #118
Silhouette wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would make sense if the benefits were more than the costs. Which, for the average people, aren't. I'm not so sure any more. The average home user probably does most of their stuff online these days, and you can see your friends' photos on Facebook or write a message in Google Mail or access your online banking or watch a show on Netflix just as well on pretty much any platform today. What desktop applications do…

>There are a lot of niches, and no doubt some of them still rely on Windows desktop software or Windows drivers for related hardware, but they're niches because most people aren't that interested in them. Each individual niche is tiny, but once you add up all the niches, it adds up to a significant part of the market. Windows has a huge "tail" of niche software on it, and just finding substitutes on Linux is a daunti…

Each individual niche is tiny, but once you add up all the niches, it adds up to a significant part of the market.

Perhaps, but certainly not all of the market, and (I'm guessing) probably not even most of it. It won't be everyone all the time, but surely there are numerous people using Windows PCs today who could switch quite easily to another platform and carry on using their online services without too much hassle.

Is that an actual trend?

I'm pretty sure it is. Over the past few years, we've watched access patterns on B2C sites shift steadily from mostly PC to mostly mobile, and Android dominates most segments of the mobile market today. I suspect that at this point the PC, smartphone and tablet markets are all close to saturation, but device lifecycles are longer in the PC market so people are getting access to more powerful and higher spec mobile devices sooner, which is making the shift more practical.

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#177

Post by recursive »

Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #153
recursive wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On Windows, you can change the presence of ads in Explorer to suit yourself also.

"You can turn off ads" is clearly much, much different from "you can change the appearance". Are you serious?

Yeah, I'm serious. Two "much"es in from of "different". They seem more similar than different to me in this context. We're talking about changing operating systems based on the preferences of the user.

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#178

Post by Sir_Cmpwn »

No, we're talking about an OS shipping with ads (that you can turn off) and an OS shipping with a theme that some people don't like (that you can change). One of these is a gross breach of trust on the part of the OS. You know the difference, cut the crap.

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#179

Post by recursive »

owebmaster wrote: post #33

> how to turn them off If you feel the urge to turn it off, switch to GNU/Linux. Turn annoying things off is not a solution, it is an excuse.

It is a solution to that annoying thing happening. Switching to Linux isn't a solution either, even if it has GNU in the name, if your problem is "run this Windows software".

Re: Windows 10 is bringing ads to File Explorer – how to turn them off

#180

Post by alextooter »

grawlinson wrote: post #2

Here's a better idea - show Microsoft that you don't accept this type of behaviour by switching products/services. I'm aware that Windows 10 is a "free" OS, but trying to ram this type of behaviour down my throat is despicable unethical behaviour and I don't condone it. It is why I've switched to Linux for my daily computing needs.

Yes,I using macOS now.
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