Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11 • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#161

Post by Gigachad » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:50 AM UTC

GuB-42 wrote: post #84

ptero wrote: post #11

Microsoft lost its way much earlier than 4 years ago. It abused users at the time of Netscape wars and forcing Internet Explorer down people's throats. But they hit an infinite gold mine with government adoption and for the last 30 years no amount of bad engineering was able to shake off government use. Windows 11 is bad? Yes, but did you try Microsoft Teams? The only way to force Microsoft into "users matter" engine…

We could say that Microsoft never lost its way in that regard, it has always been predatory. Where it lost its way however is Microsoft actually cared about Windows, it was their flagship product after all. It was terrible in some aspects, but also excellent in some others. I particular, they took compatibility very seriously, which is far from an easy task in the wild PC ecosystem. They were also quite good in the U…

Windows used to exist in a competitive environment where they had to fight to remain relevant. For a long time now they have become complacent, no matter how many ads, product placements, and user abusive features they push, people will tolerate it.

The situation has only just changed now that Apple and Valve are getting close to threatening the Windows monopoly.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#162

Post by charcircuit » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:50 AM UTC

Draiken wrote: post #85

baq wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s quite common for companies to work their way up to the line of the most user hostile version of their product that users will tolerate. this is in general how the market for pretty much everything works (sometimes 'users' are replaced by 'the regulator', but it doesn't matter too much). lesson in there is 'majority of users don't care nearly as much as you think', usually.

I don't think "care" is the right word here at all. We simply don't have options. This is capitalism's biggest flaw: it's based on the assumption that there will be competition, but competition eventually leads to winners that then consolidate their positions and we end up with no real choices. You're telling me people would pick a worse OS because they don't care even if they had real options? I don't believe that f…

If people truly cared then there would be a high enough expected value to invest into building competitor to be financially worth it.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#163

Post by jacquesm » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:51 AM UTC

Gigachad wrote: post #155

chii wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> good luck getting the average person through the setup process. an enterprising hardware manufacturer can take on the mantle, and be the trail blazer with a no-setup machine that works. Personally, i would imagine something like framework laptop, and steam machine, are the best candidates.

This is what the Steamdeck is. But it took an absolutely massive amount of work over a decade from valve just to get gaming working. No laptop manufacturer could afford to do the same for fixing wine for desktop software since they aren’t getting a cut of the software sales like valve does.

That's mostly because they didn't care before. It also took a massive amount of work to get gaming to work on windows.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#164

Post by codeulike » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:51 AM UTC

I resisted upgrading to windows 11 for as long as I could because of all this hysteria. I actually did upgrade 6 months ago and it seems ... fine? I havent seen any adverts; they must be somewhere I'm not visiting. The start menu search still excludes web results like i told it to with Windows 10 (the setting must have come across). I havent seen copilot pop up anywhere annoying in Windows (although it is everywhere in ms office as similar things are popping up in whatsapp, jira, google search, every app).

I'd say the problem these days is not Ads, its Content. Firefox and Chrome (desktop and android) and Edge start with a tab of content - celebrity tat and sensationalistic world news. Windows taskbar was the same, weather and news gave me a load of tatty Content. You go and find the setting to turn it off and it goes away. But I hate Content much more than I hate Ads. Content is the problem and on that front Windows is about the same as everything else.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#165

Post by matltc » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC

skc wrote: post #77

no_shadowban_3 wrote: post #2

These flowers smell like shit. If you don't use Linux or MacOS yet, why?

Because Windows works just fine for me. I'm a dev, I don't game. No issues. Why people find this hard to believe is kind of puzzling to be honest. As if everyone's experience simply HAS to match your own.

Do you use powershell or run WSL

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#166

Post by voidUpdate » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:53 AM UTC

anthonylevine wrote: post #140

voidUpdate wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

React is a javascript library. Javascript needs its own runtime. Why not just write stuff in native windows controls and save having to run an entire javascript runtime for no reason?

> Why not just write stuff in native windows controls and save having to run an entire JavaScript runtime for no reason? Idk, and I'm not saying it's not a good question, but it's irrelevant to the comparison in OP's comment.

Using an entire javascript runtime and framework to make your OS start menu is using a ridiculous overpowered electric screwdriver that strips heads. Using native windows controls is using a proper manual screwdriver that just works

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#167

Post by jpfromlondon » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:54 AM UTC

'Microsoft was entering a mode called "swarming",'

Swarming, as in locusts, or else flies on shit.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#168

Post by gosub100 » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:54 AM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #82

jeppester wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only way this get better is if the user gets to choose between an OS with ads, lock-in, telemetry etc. and then one with none of that. As it is now, buying a laptop in a store is a "pick your poison" situation.

What bugged me for years is that I ended up paying the microsoft or apple tax that way. In the end I figured out a more efficient way around that than any of the rebates/refunds: just buy second hand hardware. Someone else paid for and used the windows license, I just need the box.

This is another way they rip off consumers. In a perfect world, the license would be resalable for someone else, just like you can sell a used Blu-ray. During piracy cases, they clamor about their "intellectual property". Ok so that means it's not physical, and once one person is done, they can sell it to someone else who needs it.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#169

Post by lizknope » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:55 AM UTC

I bought my first x86 PC in 1994 to install Linux on. I wanted a Sun workstation but couldn't afford it.

I know people run an operating system to run programs on so it isn't easy to switch but so many windows users make it sound like they have Stockholm Syndrome.

My advice as a Linux user of 32 years for normal people is to buy a Mac.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#170

Post by fainpul » Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 11:55 AM UTC

alexb_ wrote: post #120

Ranxer wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Better yet: don't pick any poison at all -- both System76 and Tuxedo Computers (as examples, sometimes you can buy a latop without an OS and save the money, same goes for PCs) offer laptops with Linux installed: no Microslop tax, and hardware that's guaranteed to work with OSS.

Most people want a computer that works with their software. No, "learn the FOSS version" is not a solution. Especially because nearly everyone has some niche thing they like, some 5% that isn't covered by the FOSS solutions, that only a niche Windows program can actually do correctly. And that doesn't even get into gaming.

Then at least let the company that makes your niche software know that you want a Linux version of it, even if you don't use Linux (yet). We need to solve this chicken / egg problem. Nobody wants to use Windows, they want to use some specific application. If most software is available on Linux too, then consumers can actually choose their OS.