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My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

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Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This illustrates just how ridiculously screwed up Windows is now. No one should have to resort to registry hacking or the many scripts or hacks available to regain control over basic UX, privacy, or usability selections. It is absolutely absurd.

It's just config settings. It's not hard to understand. The registry is like Linux config files, and group policy is like a settings GUI menu. It's not absurd at all.

There’s official documentation for all Linux config files. Package managers are aware of config files and handle user changes during updates, if required. Config files are designed to be edited by humans and nearly all support some sort of comment syntax. None of these properties apply to editing registry settings.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#272

I hate when it outlook it shows me email following a keyword in "relevant" order and not in "recent" order.

It’s the dumbest, most complained about feature of the whole office suite - why would they enshittify search of emails? So bizarre.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thus proving OP's point: it's not your computer.

If you remove glibc in Linux, it will start breaking too.

There’s actually a few different glibc replacements available for Linux.

And if you think OneDrive is essential for Windows then I’d suggest you do a little reading on the history of Microsoft and how they falsely claim dependencies on their own software stacks. Especially the court cases around debundling IE4 with Win98, and DR-DOS vs Windows 95.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This illustrates just how ridiculously screwed up Windows is now. No one should have to resort to registry hacking or the many scripts or hacks available to regain control over basic UX, privacy, or usability selections. It is absolutely absurd.

While I agree with you, the registry is the windows way of hiding away config files. It's either the GUI, or it's the registry. Linux alternatively uses config files directly meant to be altered by the end user. It's less user-friendly, but better than the registry. The real crime is having a registry in the first place instead of a .config directory.

Yeah I actually miss the days of .ini files. They typically lived in the same directory as the program, so you didn't wind up with gigabytes of leftover tidbits from software you uninstalled or just ran once.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#275
post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, Linux configuration is not exactly straightforward in comparison to Windows. Dozens of obscure config files (each with a different syntax), stored in various random places in the filesystem, with the general expectation that every user should be able to run a terminal command once in a while to fix something. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Linux lover and user, but from an outside perspective Windows registry…

> Dozens of obscure config files (each with a different syntax), stored in various random places in the filesystem, with the general expectation that every user should be able to run a terminal command once in a while to fix something. The good thing is that explanations is often a `man` command away, and the location of these files is often listed in the same place. Also general computing is an expert subject. You m…

But with the terminal you still have to learn commands, it's not as discoverable as the windows 95 environment. There you could do things as a noob by just looking around and after a while you could do things without even thinking. Every windows version after that has broken that flow in some way. In Linux I keep forgetting what file to edit to get what I want. I need to look up location and syntax for most things every time I want to do something.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#276
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try completely removing one drive to understand the rest of our pain. Even if you manage to get the program gone, somehow the default file save location for many applications is still a (now deleted) one drive folder. If you forget and click save.. well now you have one drive again.

Don't. Do. That. Leave it alone, that's why Windows is breaking for you. You keep fucking with core components. It's not Linux. You can't do that and not suffer consequences.

Leave it alone? It's unnecessary bloatware, that performs absolutely zero required functionality. It's continuous prominent presence in the _always_ visible part of the file tree on the left of _every_ explorer window is a constant reminder that what used to be my favorite OS is now user hostile.

At least in Europe it did get a proper uninstall a while ago, which proves that it really was just there for promotion.

I'd gladly pay for a version of Windows that just leaves me alone. No I don't want Edge, Bing, a weather snippet, start search, Cortana, forced updates and a regular black pattern maze promising a somehow "improved experience" while trying to force metrics participation down my throat.

But I also don't want Linux, because many tools I rely on (plus games) won't run on it and I don't want a Mac because it's too opinionated. It feels exactly like being stuck in an abusive relationship at this point.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#277

Just to put things in perspective - MacOS forces you to run on their update treadmill for the OS, and you can't even update your xcode dev environment if you refuse. Ditto with Linux, you can't refuse OS updates if you use a package manager because eventually you can't update anything without accepting all the dependencies. Windows for all its warts did do something well with binary compatibility. I am happy as a pig…

MacOS doesn't force updates for general users. But if you want to run the latest Xcode, yeah you need the latest OS.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re the ideal windows user…whatever that may be??

It's not fucking with core components that aren't supposed to be fucked with.

How is OneDrive a core component? It even has an uninstall in Europe, because baking it in is clearly anti-competitive.

http://windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft...

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sure manage to get a lot of modern work done on my Linux desktop.

Here’s a representative example of what I mean, an issue from one “modern” Linux desktop: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/3787 At least with Windows you don’t have to gaslight yourself into thinking that blurry fonts are better. If you have a setup with multiple high-res monitors (or, God forbid, have to mess with scaling), it takes a lot of work to be happy with the looks and feel of a Linux desktop comp…

This is the quintessential Linux issue. The whole system works, but there's always some minor hitch that makes the experience less seamless than the "corporate" counterparts. Oh, there's lag when you scroll, or the scroll behaves erratically in general? That's actually been an issue for 10+ years, get used to it. Screen tearing? Well, here's the solution, but it has drawbacks and breaks something else somewhere else. System nukes itself after an update? You're on your own now.

In terms of modifiability and openness, open source anything is far superior to anything else - which is valuable for a community like this. But there's still plenty to do in terms of providing as seamless of an experience to some average Joe as what macOS/Windows does.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#280

It's pretty sad, but with each iteration of Windows, it feels more and more impersonal and intrusive. There could be a mass migration to MacOS and Linux for many of us.

ChromeOS could step up as the Linux destination. One way or another, I'd like to see Windows get what it deserves for treating its users this way.
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