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Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

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Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#151

Post by nolist_policy »

euroderf wrote: post #133
cmcaleer wrote: post #95

Unfortunate. Luckily, Windows itself can be removed. It's incredible how much Microsoft is resting on their laurels in terms of seeing Windows as insurmountable and so consumers must take whatever Microsoft decide to dish out. I would have been totally resigned to this fact a decade ago, but middle-school+ kids these days don't use Windows - they use Chromebooks. A huge minority of them use iPhones. Familiarity with…

Windows+Micro$oft still seems to be the default for big installations, like tens of machines on a LAN needing centralized authentication. What is the state of Mac/Apple for this ? Can it be done ? Can MS be banished from the premises, perhaps traded for a Linux server here & there ?

I don't know about Apple. But Chromebooks have this central authentication and management.

But really, 90% of companies don't need central authentication/Active Directory at all. They just do it because everyone else does it like that. Most admins don't know how to manage AD properly and how to nail everything down so you don't get owned.

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#152

Post by daghamm »

0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #94
beart wrote: post #63

These are the system requirements for recall according to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/retrace-your-ste... System requirements for Recall Your PC needs the following minimum system requirements for Recall: A Copilot+ PC 16 GB RAM 8 logical processors 256 GB storage capacity To enable Recall, you’ll need at least 50 GB of storage space free Saving screenshots automatically pauses once the device has les…

I was thinking you keep around a dedicated temp file you resize as required.

This will kill your ssd performance and eventually also kill your ssd since it will interfere with wear-leveling.

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#153

Post by akimbostrawman »

langsoul-com wrote: post #99

Currently using Ubuntu as my main driver, replaced Windows. I wouldn't really say the user experience is as good as Windows. Apps hang more often, steam freezes and restarts more. Games crash more often. All problems I wouldn't have on windows. Even though Linux has gotten really far, I wouldn't be using it if windows wasn't so shit now.

that shouldn't be happening. run the apps from terminal and look what the output is when they crash.

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#154

Post by akimbostrawman »

OsrsNeedsf2P wrote: post #128
icelancer wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched to Ubuntu on my work machine and had to go back to Windows for most of the same reasons you pointed out. Also, AppImage is so awful.

What's wrong with AppImages? They're basically .exes

answering your own question. They are nice for portability but bad for security because usually no updates and almost always downloaded from random websites without verification.

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#155

Post by jraph »

phito wrote: post #89
NavinF wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do. In fact I already record my screen and steam it to my NAS for automatic time tracking and OCR search. It'd be nice to have a less a less janky solution. I'm kinda surprised people just throw away their history. I love being able to restore deleted posts as long as I remember a few words of the content

To me it's weird that people need a history at all. It's always been disabled on my browsers and I never felt the need for it.

Browser history makes my browsing incredibly more efficient and is the number one reason why I copy my Firefox profile on new computers.

It lets me find back pages I know I browsed in the past with a (few) keyword(s) in the address bar without firing a web search, which might not return the same results as last time. Like, what was the exact crêpe recipe I followed last time?

The alternative is bookmarks but then you need to think of bookmarking the page at the time you access it, but you don't always know you will want to go back to a page later.

It also makes it very efficient to reach pages I visit frequently. Unfortunately it also makes procrastination very efficient, with slacking off one character away ('n').

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#156

Post by [deleted] »

stackghost wrote: post #139
jazzyjackson wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are, however, maintaining a separate cloud, and parent is not mistaken; windows professional running under group policies is a different animal than windows home https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescripti... >> Subscriptions in the GCC High and DoD environments include the core Exchange Online, SharePoint, and Skype for Business features. Given the increased certification and accreditation of t…

I'm not going to get any further into it, but the only one who mentioned "windows home" was the other poster, in an attempt at reductio ad absurdum. Whether or not "windows professional with group policies" constitutes "their own version of windows" as per bongodongobob is left as an exercise to the reader.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#157

Post by jazzyjackson »

stackghost wrote: post #139
jazzyjackson wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are, however, maintaining a separate cloud, and parent is not mistaken; windows professional running under group policies is a different animal than windows home https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescripti... >> Subscriptions in the GCC High and DoD environments include the core Exchange Online, SharePoint, and Skype for Business features. Given the increased certification and accreditation of t…

I'm not going to get any further into it, but the only one who mentioned "windows home" was the other poster, in an attempt at reductio ad absurdum. Whether or not "windows professional with group policies" constitutes "their own version of windows" as per bongodongobob is left as an exercise to the reader.

They said version of Windows, you said there's not a separate build

Okay, it's the same operating system, but DoD managed devices have a different set of features and capabilities that are allowed to run on that device so I would contend that counts as a different "version", if the disagreement is semantic so be it

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#158

Post by deafpolygon »

My money is that Microsoft knows we're all heading to a remote work environment within the decade. This "feature" will be something employers will be clamoring for, so having it baked in ensures that enterprises continue to deploy Windows as the OS of choice.

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#159

Post by masfoobar »

langsoul-com wrote: post #99

Currently using Ubuntu as my main driver, replaced Windows. I wouldn't really say the user experience is as good as Windows. Apps hang more often, steam freezes and restarts more. Games crash more often. All problems I wouldn't have on windows. Even though Linux has gotten really far, I wouldn't be using it if windows wasn't so shit now.

> I wouldn't really say the user experience is as good as Windows. Apps hang more often, steam freezes and restarts more...

hmm.. while i do not use my linux systems for steam or high-end gaming, I do not share the same user experience as you. To me, my Linux machines.. running web browsers, RDPs, Text Editors, Mail, etc.. are run rock-solid. If anything, is faster loading apps compared to my Windows 10 work machine and Windows 11 home laptop.

My Windows 11 home laptop (which upgraded itself over a year or so, now) only exists because of a job... but that is ending end of the year. I cannot wait! First thing I am doing when im done.. uninstalling Windows 11... hello debian!

Re: Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

#160

Post by varunnrao »

This might be a contrarian view to the rest of this thread but I think this is a decisive move by Microsoft. AI-enabled OSes are a part of the future (for mainstream consumers at the very least). By sticking with Recall despite the initial backlash, I think Microsoft is showing they're a serious player.

MSFT would not risk their enterprise and government business with features like Recall if they weren't sure that it had a need and requirement at some level. Fundamentally, MSFT isn't a company that preempts the needs of their users and haven't been for the past 25 years. They've lagged behind mobile and then cloud because none of their main customers thought they were important. They face they're going on the front foot is indicative that they have a larger strategic play going on here.

Coming to the product itself there appear to be sufficient controls in place on Recall. It's opt-in even if it cannot be uninstalled. It's all on-device and allocates specific space on the PC. I can specify if I don't want it to take snapshots of certain apps and it doesn't take snapshots of private browsing by default. IT teams can manage Recall through policies AND users can have further fine grained control over their settings beyond that. It's great that MSFT have included these right from the start because if we're frank, not all other tech companies would have thought it through.

Personally, I wouldn't use Recall but I can see the appeal and usefulness -- for both consumers and IT teams. You ask your computer what you did on so-and-so date and it'll tell you? That's great and what computers should do -- take cognitive load off of our minds. Plus it's a great audit trail in the office.

My only gripe with it -- as with anything MSFT really -- is security. I'm not entirely sure MSFT would be able to stop people writing malware that explicitly steal Recall data. I hope they have safeguards but being closed source that's the best we can expect unfortunately.

I know HN users are more likely to be anti-MSFT and more tech savvy than the average consumer -- it's a bit like the tech enthusiasts buying smart products and the senior engineer living alone in a forest off-grid. But what we have to remember that we're the exception than the rule. Most people are tech-illiterate and have no inclination towards learning more or towards spending more time with their computers. Products like this are for them.

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