For what it’s worth, `start ms-cxh: localonly` after Shift+F10 during installation still works. Another way is to prepare a custom installation image. Of course, such workarounds shouldn’t be needed, so this is nevertheless a good fight.
People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
231–240 of 640 posts
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#232Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone with a sizeable background in Linux system engineering.. I prefer Windows to MacOS. It's IMHO a better desktop now with the edge snap tile layout and etc. Excellent device compatibility. And I get my linux environment needs satisfied via WSL2 these days. But damn if they don't get in their own way. I have my own Pro licenses, and even with Pro turning off ads and features is text book whack-a-mole: * Frequ…
The only tolerable Windows 11 experience is a corporate PC with Active Directory login.
And an IT department vetting updates before they go out.
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#233hmm MS killing off MS Windows by employing the Google AI and surveillance in everything push....who would have guessed that MS ran out of product ideas!
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone with a sizeable background in Linux system engineering.. I prefer Windows to MacOS. It's IMHO a better desktop now with the edge snap tile layout and etc. Excellent device compatibility. And I get my linux environment needs satisfied via WSL2 these days. But damn if they don't get in their own way. I have my own Pro licenses, and even with Pro turning off ads and features is text book whack-a-mole: * Frequ…
Don't forget the search that doesn't work. You have app "X" installed? You type X and it doesn't find it, but gives you irrelevant results about X.
Same problem on MacOS.
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#235Earlier quoted context omitted.
I forgot about magical Mac memory. Just keep it under one browser tab, bro.
It actually is magic Mac memory. No joke. 8GB on macOS is good enough for 80% of people.
Do browsers and Electron apps magically take up less memory on Macs? What is "good enough?" I never notice problems on my 16GB Windows laptop, so just for fun I closed all of my 6 always-on Electron-type apps, all of the 10 browser windows I had open, a couple other ever-present apps, and it looks like without anything else Windows 10 takes about 4GB, which I think is in the same ballpark as OS X. And I probably have some stuff running that I didn't close, this is very unscientific.
Anecdotally also, my one laptop that I've upgraded to Windows 11 is a lot snappier. As a rule I haven't noticed memory pressure on any device I've owned ever as a "regular user," it only really applies to gaming and heavy development with lots of VMs, especially these days.
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#236This "make Windows better" push is far more political than technological. It's a fight with other divisions about using Windows as a marketing and sales channel for other products and services. It has to be a decision from the very top. I hope they realize that Windows is in significant danger, the majority market share for Desktop OS is not guaranteed anymore. It's not just 10% of revenue, it's a foundation for how…
+1 for Total Commander mention, its bizarre how many otherwise smart folks completely ignore this productivity enhancer. I keep showing it to colleagues but they all anyway revert back to basic clunky File explorer and variants. Doesn't matter if I show them that I can be easily 10x faster, do stuff simply impossible otherwise, has tons of plugins etc. its just ignored.
Also a big plug for Far:
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#237Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
They didn't mention cross-OS shortcuts, though. I interpreted "across the operating systems" as meaning "across the various versions of Windows". Yes, Windows is more consistent with their own common shortcuts. But Macs have exceedingly consistent shortcuts across Mac applications, compared to my experience with Windows and especially Linux. I might also point out that Mac had keyboard shortcuts before Windows existe…
Apple also invented their own key “Apple” now “CMD” for operation like copy / paste to explicitly not have the issue to overload the already know escape sequences. Windows being on a system without a normalized keyboard had to reuse keys that are common to keyboards used back then. Vertical integration played into apples cards even back then.
The location of the command key is also a lot more comfortable. Thumb vs pinky.
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#239Too little, too late. I switched to Linux and I'm never looking back. Good riddance, Microsoft.
The only two moats MS has for desktop OS usage are:
1) Kernel-level DRM for multiplayer games (looking at you, Marathon)
2) Intentionally nerfed MSO 365 apps on web and macOS
You could make a strong case that MDM (which InTune uses as well) negates the AD + GPO advantages of the past 20+ years in enterprise.
Re: People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fundamentally, I think you are driving at a legitimate complaint and it should be a concern with Apple products. The direct answer, though, is largely one of execution. Microsoft isn't just pushing this heavily. They are doing so poorly.
Mac doesn't require an Apple ID to use. iPhone only needs one for installing apps, and my only complaint is it's the strictest auth check on the entire phone besides disabling the account. Shouldn't need to input the Apple ID password just to install a free app, shouldn't even ask for passcode.
Setting up an iPad was rather obnoxious on this front, though. So, fundamentally, it is still very similar.