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Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

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Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#121

Post by jackyinger »

r00t- wrote: post #108
rowanG077 wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Maybe someone will develop a new user-focused OS that's somehow compatible with Windows programs. Nothing as user focused as linux, and it's mostly compatible with windows programs with wine. Important to note though that user focused is not the same thing as easy to use.

I'm a linux fan but calling linux user-focused is insane.

I beg to differ. There is less corporate BS on Linux than any mainstream OS.

The software if largely by users for users.

Obviously it caters to the power user, but it also works well for extremely novice users. It’s those savvy with Win/Mac that get screwed switching. I’d encourage them to put a bit more into trying.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#122

Post by pjerem »

ryandrake wrote: post #109

Surely, at the lowest level, there needs to be some kind of a local account. I would imagine ripping out the very concept of a local account to be totally infeasible. As long as that's true, I'd expect there to be a way to create one, even if that way ultimately no longer comes from Microsoft.

And what’s your point ? Surely the users can continue to be treated like that ?

Continuing to use an operating system, the only software that have full control over your digital life, from a company that have so much disrespect for their users and that is actively hostile against your choices, at one point that’s Stockholm Syndrome.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#123

Post by mindslight »

lax4ever wrote: post #19
mindslight wrote: post #4

Is there a worry that torrent packagers won't be able to work around these, or what's the actual concern here? I mean if you're using Windows for anything beyond a VM binary compatibility layer for some software you must use, aren't you kind of asking to be abused at this point?

If you are getting your OS from some third party torrent packager you are doing it wrong. There are far easier ways to get around this without trusting that some mysterious third party hasn't embedded some malware in their custom Windows deployment.

I know there are more direct sources. But for the amount of mental energy I want to invest into Windows, discovery through torrents is far easier. My workflow consists of creating a VM, installing / updating everything, taking a snapshot, then removing network access before it gets access to Samba shares with any private information.

I suppose I might still be worried about targeted offline-acting malware if I were using Windows to control some enrichment centrifuges or something. But apart from that, I'm fine with whatever inhabitants it may have frolicking in their isolated jungle.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#124

Post by john01dav »

alexchantavy wrote: post #100
exabrial wrote: post #90

Why is _anyone_ still using Windows?

Can't make a custom gaming rig with Mac. Linux gaming isn't quite there yet too.

The biggest category of games that don't work on Linux are those that demand a root kit (where they attempt to justify it as anti-cheat), and not letting a root kit on one's computer is desirable for many reasons.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#125

Post by 49531 »

sersi wrote: post #106
alexchantavy wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't make a custom gaming rig with Mac. Linux gaming isn't quite there yet too.

At this point, there are very few games where I've personally had to switch back to windows. I don't play online though so not impacted by Anti-cheat systems

Yeah it really comes down to online gameplay. The _only_ thing keeping me in microsoft's orbit is online gaming.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#126

Post by baby_souffle »

alexchantavy wrote: post #100
exabrial wrote: post #90

Why is _anyone_ still using Windows?

Can't make a custom gaming rig with Mac. Linux gaming isn't quite there yet too.

> Linux gaming isn't quite there yet too.

The game industry uses the same argument that other industries use as well; tiny user base and the distribution is a mess.

I understand those arguments; they are valid, to a point... but if Autodesk uses mostly NodeJS and Python and OpenGL for Fusion360, why can't they ship a linux version, too?!?

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#127

Post by john01dav »

billfor wrote: post #88

How will this work for government clients that need a secure environment?

They will probably charge extra for it. I asked a public school IT person how he was handling FERPA with the new privacy violations on windows 10, and the answer was paying exorbitant fees.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#128

Post by fortran77 »

Can you use a Macintosh without an Apple account?

Sort of, but with similar limitations: The App Store, iCloud syncing, iMessage, FaceTime, and other Apple online services are unavailable unless an Apple ID is used.

What's the difference here?

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#129

Post by gjsman-1000 »

al_borland wrote: post #117
windows2020 wrote: post #94

Not sure Microsoft realizes the damage they're doing to the Windows brand. My first experience with Windows 11 was figuring out some dumb workaround to use a local account. When I think back to Windows 7, the good feeling isn't nostalgia. It was the last user-focused Windows. Maybe someone will develop a new user-focused OS that's somehow compatible with Windows programs. Or better yet, maybe Microsoft will realize v…

> compatible with Windows programs It seems with each passing year this becomes less important, as more and more apps are either web based or cross platform.

To the average consumer, Windows doesn't matter much anymore.

To enterprises, Microsoft has them under lock and key with Office 365, basically forever. LibreOffice is nowhere near a replacement for Excel in an enterprise setting.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#130

Post by gessha »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #79
browningstreet wrote: post #64

Two weeks ago, after Microsoft reset my default apps twice in a week, I bought an external drive, backed up all my stuff and wiped Windows. I’ve got Linux all over the place, in many cloud envs, and on older hardware. But I finally committed to it on my big, meaty, main desktop. The one I use for coding and banking and accounting. I’m running a Linux distro full-time. I had to hack a few minor hardware things. Nothin…

That's an interesting point. To what extent does AI support make Linux on the desktop more viable? Reminds me of a discussion recently that said something similar, that developing in Rust is easier now that you can have another machine do battle with the borrow checker, haha. To extend, maybe someone could build a "SysAd AI" distribution that administers itself given natural language directions? Let me know if anyone…

LLMs have probably trawled through ArchWiki+StackOverflow and can enough content to help you debug your system. That plus a few “are you sure” responses to LLM hallucinations have gotten me far.
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