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The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

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Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#3
Not computer users, just the windows users.

I never understood the install wizards for windows software, in 99% of the time you just click "next" until it stops asking for more "next".

And now they all sneak garbage adware with the check boxes enabled by default because most people just click "next" anyway.

Also the whole download and install drivers/utilities etc after installation is very time consuming because the OS has almost nothing bundled and what is bundled is MS only like internet explorer, nothing you can choose in that "next" wizard.

Windows is like a granny in the OS world, she needs to retire.

Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#4
Agreed that the base installs are rubbish.

But clean install of Windows 7 or 8 + ninite.com. Windows generally has the drivers you need out of box, or at least the NIC / wireless driver so Windows update can find the rest for you, automatically. I can't remember the last time I had to manually get a driver for something, with the single exception of a USB to serial adapter I need for work.

Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#5
post #3

Not computer users, just the windows users. I never understood the install wizards for windows software, in 99% of the time you just click "next" until it stops asking for more "next". And now they all sneak garbage adware with the check boxes enabled by default because most people just click "next" anyway. Also the whole download and install drivers/utilities etc after installation is very time consuming because the…

>I never understood the install wizards for windows software, in 99% of the time you just click "next" until it stops asking for more "next".

Well, if you use the Windows Store to get applications, you can finally get rid of them.

>the OS has almost nothing bundled

Really? Windows 8, for instance, comes with much of what you'd need. It's bundles a lot more than previous versions of windows

>nothing you can choose in that "next" wizard.

I'm not quite sure what this means.

Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#6
I feel that this is one of the major reasons I find myself using tablets more often.

The UX on PCs has turned to crap. All programs want to run in the background, they all compete for my attention every 30 minutes, they all want to be updated all the time and they all want to install some stupid toolbar into my browser that you can't remove, or even if you do it will somehow come back. Installing new programs has turned into a 10-minute minigame of "spot the checkbox that screws up your computer deep in the Custom Install settings!". Or sometimes I have to re-read a question in a randomly intruding dialog box 5 times just to figure out if I should answer Yes or No to their vague question for them to just please leave my computer alone. It's extremely annoying. I also can't remember the number of times I've cleaned up my msconfig startup. The programs just magically insert themselves back somehow over time. It's infuriating and exhausting.

I feel protected on my iPad from this torture.

Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#8

Agreed that the base installs are rubbish. But clean install of Windows 7 or 8 + ninite.com. Windows generally has the drivers you need out of box, or at least the NIC / wireless driver so Windows update can find the rest for you, automatically. I can't remember the last time I had to manually get a driver for something, with the single exception of a USB to serial adapter I need for work.

Windows 8 has a factory reset button... this would be a great option, except I expect that on retail systems it would reinstall the crapware. Or maybe not?

Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#9

Agreed that the base installs are rubbish. But clean install of Windows 7 or 8 + ninite.com. Windows generally has the drivers you need out of box, or at least the NIC / wireless driver so Windows update can find the rest for you, automatically. I can't remember the last time I had to manually get a driver for something, with the single exception of a USB to serial adapter I need for work.

In addition to ninite, pcdecrapifier[1] is also handy, even for cleaning machines that aren't brand new. Doesn't look like it supports windows 8 yet though.

[1] http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

Re: The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

#10
post #2

And I fear this kind of crappy PC experience is a significant factor in why many people move to primarily using tablets.

The problem with mobile devices is that when they are prefilled with OEM crap (mine came with Motoblur, Blockbuster, and several other terrible media-streaming apps), there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. Windows may have a terrible default experience, but at least it's fixable.
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