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Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

theregister.com

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Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#111

Post by chongli »

JCWasmx86 wrote: post #68
JohnFen wrote: post #54

> As Microsoft puts it: “We are continuing the exploration of badging on the Start menu with several new treatments for users logging in with local user accounts to highlight the benefits of signing in with a Microsoft account (MSA).” What is Microsoft really thinking here? You have to go out of your way (and probably do a web search) in order to figure out how to install Win 11 without using a Microsoft Account. So…

Companies should really accept a "No" from their users. No I don't want to use a microsoft account just to use my computer. (Without jumping through hoops) Don't ask me again the moment I say "No". You can see the same with all those dialogs that only have "Yes, do $THING" and "Remind me later".

I don't see how we get them to accept a "No" when they know they can make more money by relentlessly badgering the users until they say "Yes".

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#112

Post by doodlesdev »

agentdrtran wrote: post #77
gumballindie wrote: post #60

Move over to linux. KDE has the eye-candy, XFCE has the simplicity and OpenBOX is distraction free. Games work well and so do dev tools.

> Games work well come on now

They do. I use Linux exclusively recently and in the last year I played:

- Slime Rancher

- Stanley Parable

- Fallout 3, New Vegas, 4

- The Forest

- Counter Strike

- Heavily modded Minecraft

- Arma 3

- Insurgency

- Insurgency: Sandstorm

- Squad

- Red Dead Redemption 2

- The Witcher 3

- Kerbal Space Program

- Papers, Please

- DOOM

- My Summer Car

- Portal 2

- Others I don't remember

The number of games that don't work on Linux is shrinking every day, DXVK and Wine are getting way too good. Take a look at proton DB for reference on compatibility [0]. You can input your Steam profile and it will show you how many of your games are playable and in what state. Currently in the Top 100 played games on Steam 78% of them are rated either Platinum or Gold. In the top 1000 that drops a bit to 75%, with only 3% of them being unplayable.

Oh yeah and all the games I've listed I played on Wayland (except the competitive shooters) :)

[0]: https://www.protondb.com/

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#113

Post by forrestthewoods »

Lots of Windows hate on HN this week. It’s largely well deserved.

Unpopular Opinion: I still prefer Windows to both macOS and Linux by an extremely wide margin. For both normal use and development.

I’m extremely annoyed at all of the ad crap. And I probably wouldn’t recommend anything other than an iPad to my mother. But for devs Win11 is honestly somewhere in-between “just fine” and “ pretty good”.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#114

Post by yetanotherloser »

pengaru wrote: post #96

MS Windows is the daytime television of operating systems: If you're still using it in 2023 you have only yourself to blame. It's not like there aren't better options at your disposal...

Or you need a niche application that's only available on Windows, or you don't want to rebuy it or a near equivalent for the Mac.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#115

Post by harvey9 »

criddell wrote: post #93
gumballindie wrote: post #60

Move over to linux. KDE has the eye-candy, XFCE has the simplicity and OpenBOX is distraction free. Games work well and so do dev tools.

And most distributions have the permissions structure of, well, 1980's Unix. I know it's being worked on, but it's a little crazy to think that on most Linux systems you still don't get a permissions popup when your calculator app wants to turn on your microphone. You can't grant access to your contacts or email on an app-by-app basis. I say most because it has been largely solved on Android, for example.

Access to contacts seems like something that would be handled by the likes of owncloud.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#116

Post by Kye »

yetanotherloser wrote: post #114
pengaru wrote: post #96

MS Windows is the daytime television of operating systems: If you're still using it in 2023 you have only yourself to blame. It's not like there aren't better options at your disposal...

Or you need a niche application that's only available on Windows, or you don't want to rebuy it or a near equivalent for the Mac.

Or don't want to buy a Mac when you already have a perfectly serviceable PC.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#117

Post by sodapopcan »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #101
bottlepalm wrote: post #78

It’s funny for what is essentially a ‘file manager’ Microsoft makes it hell to manage your files. My friends and family and constantly confused by the 10 different interfaces there are for file management. Desktops are a mess of of half trash files. The cloud integration the file explorer is a confusing mess. The UI for saving a file from Office is the absolute worst. I’ve had to help someone just save a file and it…

So depressing because Explorer from the 2k/XP era was best in class and about as complete and discoverable as a shell ever got.

XP was the best OS and I miss it. You had to switch it to use the classic 95/97/2000 skin, of course :) I haven't used Windows since.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#118

Post by stronglikedan »

pengaru wrote: post #96

MS Windows is the daytime television of operating systems: If you're still using it in 2023 you have only yourself to blame. It's not like there aren't better options at your disposal...

In a lot of industries, there really aren't, unfortunately. Sure, there are other options in some cases, but they come at the expense of productivity, so they're not really better.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#119

Post by irrational »

JohnFen wrote: post #54

> As Microsoft puts it: “We are continuing the exploration of badging on the Start menu with several new treatments for users logging in with local user accounts to highlight the benefits of signing in with a Microsoft account (MSA).” What is Microsoft really thinking here? You have to go out of your way (and probably do a web search) in order to figure out how to install Win 11 without using a Microsoft Account. So…

Apple has a similar problem. On setup it wants me to set up siri, payment, etc. My options are to setup now or do it later. There needs to be a third option that I will never setup these things and never ask me again.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#120

Post by gumballindie »

hackinthebochs wrote: post #64
gumballindie wrote: post #60

Move over to linux. KDE has the eye-candy, XFCE has the simplicity and OpenBOX is distraction free. Games work well and so do dev tools.

Are fonts still ugly as sin? That was the biggest drawback last time I tried linux as my main desktop. That and having to muck around in config files for every little thing.

I use linux mint and everything works like a charm. Fonts are cool too in KDE. You can download macos fonts as well from apple’s website. It really has come a long way. I am amazed by it.
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