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Microsoft is driving users away

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Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#301

Post by Unfrozen0688 »

andyferris wrote: post #263
raincole wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's such a "first world question" haha. Sorry, not trying to insult or criticize you, but this is genuinely a question only people in developed countries would ask. People in poorer countries use pirated software. No, the don't need to be tech-savvy enough to know torrents to use pirated Windows. They don't need to know how to install an OS themselves. 20 years ago when I got my first PC, pirated windows was the nor…

Thanks. So the windows activation thing is simply disabled at the computer store or something? Security updates still function alright despite this?

massgrave activator - open source and on github lol

I use it for test VMs myself.

yes windows updates and all still works

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#302

Post by Zardoz84 »

Sayrus wrote: post #219
tux1968 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I hope that more people switch It's reached a point where it no longer really matters. Linux is good enough, usable enough, and supported enough, that getting more users won't change much. It might actually be worse if a lot more users, with a lot of wide-ranging needs and demands, switch to Linux. At least, I am happy with the current state of Linux usability, and no longer care to evangelize the benefits of being…

My own experience doesn't reflect that. I've been using Linux for work for years and tried to switch from Windows to Linux for games. NVIDIA drivers and game support on Linux is not an experience I'd recommend to anyone without experience. On laptop it's awesome, unless you have both an iGPU and dedicated GPU, then switching properly is a pain. WiFi drivers are a hit or miss: some cards are great, some others are not…

My own experience with an AMD GPU and gaming on Linux, has been awesome for the last few years. I don't touch Windows to play any game, except Fornite

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#303

Post by Zardoz84 »

firecall wrote: post #231
tux1968 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I hope that more people switch It's reached a point where it no longer really matters. Linux is good enough, usable enough, and supported enough, that getting more users won't change much. It might actually be worse if a lot more users, with a lot of wide-ranging needs and demands, switch to Linux. At least, I am happy with the current state of Linux usability, and no longer care to evangelize the benefits of being…

But I don’t think Linux is good enough, usable enough or supported enough! The out of the box experience on Ubuntu doesn’t even come close to modern macOS or Windows 11. Sure, if all you need to do is use a web browser then you’d be fine with a Linux GUI most of the time. But then a Chrome Book is better at that point.

Try Kubuntu. It's far better than Windows. I can't say anything compared against OSX, as I don't touch it.

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#304

Post by Unfrozen0688 »

I use Windows 10 & 11 for work and I agree and don't agree.

Yes they should keep all the old stuff for us that know how to use it.

But one thing, it IS stable. My Windows 10 install is 4 years old, and Windows updates never broke it. I am not sure what you are doing to your systems.

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#305

Post by pjmlp »

datagrimx wrote: post #124

For full Disclosure, I once upon was a software engineer at Microsoft. I witnessed first hand the evil decisions around Windows. I left Microsoft in 2006 but I am still part of the Alumni Network. IMO Microsoft can gain users back by: * Not requiring a Microsoft Account * Ending all data/telemetry collection * Not forcing Edge on its users * Stop releasing improved UI updates every week * Make bash, zsh, ... native f…

From my point of view, WinDev decreasing their religious stance on COM and related crap tooling for using it (VB 6, .NET Framework, C++/CX, .NET Native were the only usable ones for it), would already be a great improvement.

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#306

Post by pjmlp »

bee_rider wrote: post #243
datagrimx wrote: post #124

For full Disclosure, I once upon was a software engineer at Microsoft. I witnessed first hand the evil decisions around Windows. I left Microsoft in 2006 but I am still part of the Alumni Network. IMO Microsoft can gain users back by: * Not requiring a Microsoft Account * Ending all data/telemetry collection * Not forcing Edge on its users * Stop releasing improved UI updates every week * Make bash, zsh, ... native f…

Most of the Linux ecosystem is not really interested in selling Linux, they are interested in solving their problems using Linux and then sharing. This leaves space open for groups like Valve or Google to create a nice UI on top of Linux and sell that. How can they compete with free? It turns out free is not actually interested in competing with them… I still give it, like, less than 50% chance of occurring, but it w…

They already are, before WSL, I would be using VMWare Workstation or Virtual Box, now it is one software package less to install.

I am ok with Windows as thin terminal with great graphics and audio support.

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#307

Post by MikusR »

Takennickname wrote: post #76

I knew Windows was fucked when pressing WIN and searching for something brought up random crap from the internet instead of what I actually wanted. Do people at Microsoft use Windows or mac?

I have used every Windows version since Windows 95. And pressing Win and searching brings up the stuff I search for

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#308

Post by pjmlp »

shiroiushi wrote: post #293
rincebrain wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really, among people under 25, a lot of them see "the phone" as the computer, and treat using desktops as a burden any time it happens.

It's not just them. Even software engineers under 35 don't use desktop computers any more, except at work. At home, for personal use, they just use phones, unless they're into the latest video games.

The netbook I kept referring to in some comments has finally died, a tablet has replaced it for all pratical travel purposes.

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#309

Post by vetinari »

anothernewdude wrote: post #283
sithadmin wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone that’s been forced to reluctantly wear the ‘Windows sysadmin’ on and off for the past ~15 years due to circumstances beyond my control…this just sounds like the complaint of someone too lazy to learn PowerShell.

The linux subsystem, despite being about as wrongheaded as running linux user space on the Windows OS can be as an idea, solves that problem. Nobody needs PowerShell, unless you're dealing with very old systems. And in that case, you're already lost.

The point of learning powershell is not because it is some great shell, but the available bindings to many subsystems, that allow you to admin them; including many toggles and options, that are not available in any gui.

Bash running in wsl does not have these bindings.

Re: Microsoft is driving users away

#310

Post by pjmlp »

firesteelrain wrote: post #4

As much as I like Linux, tides won’t be shifting for desktop to Linux. It will be Microsoft Windows for years to come

Fully agree, around 2010 I made my peace with it never happening, and switched fully into Windows, using GNU/Linux either from a VM (VMWare/Virtual Box), or some server.

Also managed to get hold of one of the last Asus netbooks (1215 B), that after all these years has finally given the ghost.

Netbooks are now replaced by Chromebooks/Android systems that care about a full stack developer experience where the underlying Linux is a kind of implementation detail, Windows ships WSL (no need for VMWare/Virtual Box), and those that want UNIX proper have macOS.

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