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Useless Windows 10 Features

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Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#331

Post by beatgammit »

asveikau wrote: post #79
IdontRememberIt wrote: post #53

The most critical useless feature (as it is now) is actually the Windows Store. What is Microsoft doing wrong that makes nobody use it? It could be a revolution (selling + updates).

In Windows 8, the Store and the not very good WinRT apps launched together. If they had launched with support for Win32 maybe it could have gotten traction. All your favorite desktop apps could be updated in a fell swoop without leaving junk on the system tray, extra updater services, or prompting you. But they assumed that WinRT would be successful and have popular apps, and instead what they got was a store to inst…

All they needed to do was get a few popular apps available and people would get used to using the store. On a fresh Windows install, I usually want to following:

- Firefox - office suite (Libre Office for me, Office for my wife) - games (Steam) - backup software - video chat - image/video editing

Some of these could work just fine with WinRt, others don't. If most of my frequently used programs aren't available through a store, I'll complain about the store. If most are and a couple aren't, I'll complain about those apps.

Most apps people want don't currently use WinRT (AFAIK), and many apps probably will never use it (heavy software like games, maya/blender, photoshop/gimp, etc). It's really telling that Microsoft's motivations are when they prioritize the least used platform (and the most beneficial to Microsoft) in a new app store.

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#332

Post by beatgammit »

flukus wrote: post #86
IdontRememberIt wrote: post #53

The most critical useless feature (as it is now) is actually the Windows Store. What is Microsoft doing wrong that makes nobody use it? It could be a revolution (selling + updates).

The store couldn't have been great for enterprises too, replacing custom scripts, click once etc but it's gimped in a few critical ways, like cloud reliance and no way to push upgrades.

This is one of the reasons Linux is so popular for cloud clusters: it's really easy to completely control updates. Basically, host your own package repository, update on your schedule, then tell all your servers to update as well.

Windows has similar tooling for the OS, but it doesn't have an answer for everything else other than a ton of hand-rolled scripts. If the store doesn't make that easier, the enterprise won't use it. This seems like a huge missed opportunity. It should be trivial for an enterprise to curate the store like they can on Linux.

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#333

Post by genpfault »

rharb wrote: post #314
szggzs27 wrote: post #301

I use windows at work, on 3 screens. One thing pisses me off to no end: When you drag a window and accidentally make a small "left-right-left" movement, everything on your screen is minimized to the tray. There is no button to restore this. f*cking retarded features.

You can actually just grab the same window and make a corresponding "up-down-up" movement and it'll bring everything back. On personal machines I turn it off but if I'm doing something for someone else, this is a good thing to know.

Hrm, is there a keyboard shortcut for that restore action? Win+M will do the minimize-all thing but I never could figure out one for restore-all.

EDIT: Ah, of course, Win+Shift+M :)

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#334

Post by onemoresoop »

aphextim wrote: post #294
throwaway8941 wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage This is the first thing I run on any Windows box I am forced to interact with. Removes all the junk in the Start menu in one command.

I just take all the ones I want form this list and you can copy/past them in PowerShell and they execute one after the other. I would not do what he suggests as that will remove every app. To uninstall 3D Builder: get-appxpackage *3dbuilder* | remove-appxpackage To uninstall Alarms & Clock: get-appxpackage *alarms* | remove-appxpackage To uninstall App Connector: get-appxpackage *appconnector* | remove-appxpackage To…

I was forced to upgrade my workstation to windows 10 and that’s exactly what i was doing yesterday after unsuccesfully trying to remove bloatware via control panel.

I am fumbling in windows 10. I have lost so much muscle memory due to this upgrade. While i know i’ll build it back I’m frustrated that I have to relearn things I was doing with my eyes closed.

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#335

Post by beatgammit »

siempreb wrote: post #184

> Windows 10 has more built-in advertisements than Google’s Android and Chrome OS do. It's still hard to believe that after paying a few hundreds of dollars for a new OS you will be treated with advertisements, as if it were freeware.. I'll never buy that shit.

And that's why I don't pay for it. If Microsoft is going to include ads regardless, I might as well not pay. I'm not pirating, I'm just skipping the license phase of the installer and have an "Activate Windows" tab in the settings.

I used to pay for Windows (have never pirated), but since I use Linux mostly full-time, I don't see why I should if they're going to give me the option to not pay and still get updates. I got a license for my wife and my laptop has one, but I just don't bother for my desktop partition and VMs.

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#336

Post by BLKNSLVR »

philliphaydon wrote: post #32
Nextgrid wrote: post #4

It’s hard to believe how despite all the telemetry, Microsoft still manages to be so out of touch with their users’ actual needs. It’s almost like there’s a hidden agenda somewhere.

If the telemetry says that many people use these features, are Microsoft out of touch? These are features we don’t use. But other people might. My dad rang me once said that when playing solitaire it kept playing ads. I said he can buy it so the ads go away or find another app that doesn’t have ads. He’s like “ah what ever I’ll watch the ads”. He’s happy and content. Just wants solitaire.

Does he have a pack of playing cards?

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#337

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #159
Bender wrote: post #2

I agree with this article, but I think it can be summed up as, "People need the option to buy the LTSB release of Windows 10". Microsoft refuses to sell it to consumers. It is an enterprise only option (unless that has recently changed and I am not aware of it). I have one windows 7 machine for playing WoW and it will stay on 7 until I can get the LTSB release of Windows 10 and the ability to turn off 100% of the tel…

"People need the option to buy the LTSB release of Windows 10" That's just fixing the symptoms rather than the cause. The real solution is for Microsoft to treat its customers with a bit more respect.

> The real solution is for Microsoft to treat its customers with a bit more respect.

Microsoft has embraced the modern development model and its culture as well. In other words, customers are cattle.

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#339

Post by CathedralBorrow »

beatgammit wrote: post #324
harrygeez wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is godsend. Before they do this people litter their files all over the filesystem. These magic folders reside in a user's home folder by default anyway. Most Windows users don't really have much clue about the filesystem like everyone here does.

And is that desirable? Why do we want users to know less about how their computer works? Is it really a problem to know that you have a user directory with a bunch of other directories inside that hold certain classes of information by default? When I open a command prompt (yes, I'm not the average user), I'm in my home directory, and if I create any files or folders, they'll be there by default. To access those file…

Why does the user need to know about file systems and home directories and symbolic links if all they want is to save a file and then find it later?

Do you feel the same about cars? Are we dumbing things too much down by making driving as simple as pressing a pedal and moving a steering wheel?

Re: Useless Windows 10 Features

#340

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

beatgammit wrote: post #324
harrygeez wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is godsend. Before they do this people litter their files all over the filesystem. These magic folders reside in a user's home folder by default anyway. Most Windows users don't really have much clue about the filesystem like everyone here does.

And is that desirable? Why do we want users to know less about how their computer works? Is it really a problem to know that you have a user directory with a bunch of other directories inside that hold certain classes of information by default? When I open a command prompt (yes, I'm not the average user), I'm in my home directory, and if I create any files or folders, they'll be there by default. To access those file…

The modern developer mindset is that users are cattle. Explore pretty much anywhere developers hang out and ask them why things are the way they are and they'll tell you it's because users are morons. Developers used to want to actually help users make better use of their tools. Hell, computers used to boot into BASIC. Now developers just want to force carefully crafted single-purpose appliances on people so they have total control over what they do with it and can track everything for the purpose of making money. Then they lament that they are "forced" to do this. Jackasses.
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