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I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

extremetech.com

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Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#241

Post by probably_wrong »

GuB-42 wrote: post #171
alpaca128 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft really is one of the worst examples in the dark pattern department that I've ever seen. Same with their email service, where you can register an account without issues and after a few weeks of use I was presented with an unskippable input field for my phone number. Don't want to give MS your phone number? Too bad, better hope you don't need those emails anymore.

Google does that too.

That's how I lost my GMail account - they demanded a telephone number so I relented and gave them mine, but they refuse to accept it. They won't take my work number either.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#242

Post by bennyp101 »

kijin wrote: post #144
cmiles74 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Password recovery seems like another big reason to push this. Many consumers don't really have any tech support, aside from vendors like Dell or HP. With an MS account, Microsoft can manage this process.

Most consumers buy their PCs from big box vendors who can help with password recovery and whatnot. Microsoft might do it better, sure, but why would they want to pick up the cost of doing it themselves when they've been outsourcing it to OEMs for so long?

No, they walk into (or go online to) PC World/Currys/Amazon and buy a computer. Then they load it up and up pops Windows.

The make of the computer is irrelevant to 90% of people.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#243

Post by bawana »

Ms windows will become their gaming is. Linux will b their productivity os. Though Linux will b free, you will still need support contracts to get their enterprise software to work on it. Thus they will b able to significantly downsize their support department. If you don’t pay for the os you won’t b entitled to support.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#244

Post by vimacs2 »

swiley wrote: post #205
GuB-42 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Free, community maintained software have all sorts of problems too. Essentially, the problem is that the software is made to fit the developers needs, not the user needs. If they both have the same needs, that's great, if they don't most people are better off with a commercial solution. Also keep in mind that in most major free software, the "community" is mostly for-profit companies that want the software to fit the…

>fit the developers needs, not the user needs. This is why I qualified open source with "community maintained." When there's a strong partition between the community and the developers then FOSS looks a lot like closed software.

> This is why I qualified open source with "community maintained." When there's a strong partition between the community and the developers then FOSS looks a lot like closed software.

I'm just going to come out and say that I think Gnome and Firefox are two of the worst offenders of this.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#245

Post by HeckFeck »

nickjj wrote: post #117

I know the post is about Windows 11 but I installed Windows 10 for someone on a laptop about 2 months ago and it had the most crazy dark pattern I've ever seen to be able to proceed past the installation screen without a Microsoft account. Short of not connecting to the internet first the only way I saw where it was possible to create an offline account was to first attempt to sign in using an incorrect password with…

It is a shame to watch the decline of Windows. There isn't much I can recommend to non-technical users looking affordable computing relatively under their control. Manipulation and user hostility is unacceptable.

Any of these possibilities would be nice:

* The market presents a kinder (and equally-affordable x86) solution and users follow.

* ReactOS lurches leaps and bounds ahead.

* Microsoft realises this trajectory is wrong and rows back.

* Everyone wakes up and realises that Stallman was right.

For the foreseeable, none are likely. What we really need is something to go horribly wrong that demonstrates practically why remote control and data collection of your own system is a bad idea. That will be the only way the point is driven home for the passive masses, unfortunately.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#246

Post by tabulatouch »

JoeyBananas wrote: post #210
nickjj wrote: post #117

I know the post is about Windows 11 but I installed Windows 10 for someone on a laptop about 2 months ago and it had the most crazy dark pattern I've ever seen to be able to proceed past the installation screen without a Microsoft account. Short of not connecting to the internet first the only way I saw where it was possible to create an offline account was to first attempt to sign in using an incorrect password with…

it's time to ditch Windows for linux

I am always surprised by the lack of a proper "Linux Wine" OS, binary compatible with Windows, but with linux under the hood..

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#247

Post by nix23 »

alpaca128 wrote: post #149
nickjj wrote: post #117

I know the post is about Windows 11 but I installed Windows 10 for someone on a laptop about 2 months ago and it had the most crazy dark pattern I've ever seen to be able to proceed past the installation screen without a Microsoft account. Short of not connecting to the internet first the only way I saw where it was possible to create an offline account was to first attempt to sign in using an incorrect password with…

Microsoft really is one of the worst examples in the dark pattern department that I've ever seen. Same with their email service, where you can register an account without issues and after a few weeks of use I was presented with an unskippable input field for my phone number. Don't want to give MS your phone number? Too bad, better hope you don't need those emails anymore.

I really don't get it. Microsoft has an OS and a Cloud (Azure and Windows) and make pretty much good money with it, but both have a great need for privacy. I really don't get what Microsoft is thinking.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#248

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

After watching this fiasco unfold I have a hot take: We need to stop judging these decisions based on our needs and consider the everyday computer user.

Yes, these decisions annoy myself and most users on this site, but we are in the minority here. Most people do not care and just want to be up and running. They want security/configuration to be easy. They don't want to have to think about it. I think that a lot of this will be good in the long run for security.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#249

Post by xyst »

Haven’t used Windows as a main driver for awhile. Windows XP (and maybe Windows 7 after a few updates) was the last usable update for me. The only reason I keep a Windows 10 license is for the occasional gaming session on a custom build pc.

Some commenters report heavy dark patterns when trying to create a local account, but the experience is somewhat less burdensome on the “Pro” edition of Windows 10. If I recall correctly, I was immediately given the option to choose between an “online” vs “local” account after install. I opted for the local account and then immediately disabled all of the telemetry.

I have to recheck telemetry settings after updating to make sure they haven’t sneakily re-enabled it. I recall at least one time the existing settings were still disabled but they added a new telemetry setting which was enabled by default after an update.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#250

Post by Ygg2 »

streamofdigits wrote: post #156
Ygg2 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But if my client is thin, why would I buy hardware? I.e. this runs counter to hardware makers goals.

they switch towards selling hardware to datacenters

Assuming they all can. Still, that presupposed we will be able to connect to the datacenters in the future.
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