I'm a big Windows hater, though I need to use it in order to build and test the binaries for win32. After experiencing any other OS, Windows always feels like a bully. Like you're using some kind of public computer in the airport and you have to go through all of the popups, ads, and shit in order to look up something quickly and leave. I hate it when at startup it shows me EVERYTHING I don't want, and there is no clear way to disable it without knowing about how to reach that nested five levels deep WinXP style setting wizard to do it. I would really love it to be COMPLETELY STILL when I enter the login password, without a single pixel of the interface moving away or animating, without a single network packet sent away, but windows is an arrogant pushy salesman who wants to shove up his context up your throat no matter what you think. I don't feel like I own any part of this system at this point. It feels alien. Rented. I would not be amazed if it was a subscription service, because it feels like one. The design is blatantly inconsistent and overstuffed with functions I would never use or want. Updates sometimes completely break my apps which just worked perfectly before. Privacy? I don't even want to think about it when I'm using this system because I know EVERYTHING I do is sent to the internet, and without my consent, it won't even install. Even buying a code sign certificate for this platform is a humiliating process designed for intermediaries to get their free money on sales. I don't understand how this still stands up as something popular, whereas almost every competitor beat it in quality at the current day.
Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
351–360 of 373 posts
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#352(Former Microsoft employee speaking :)
Windows has become ---let's face it--- a kind of malware. The various tricks they use to force you to use Edge & Bing are deplorable.
I almost only use Ubuntu now, which is much, much, much faster than Windows. I only use Windows for PhotoShop.
That said, some other Microsoft products and technologies are excellent: Office, Visual Studio Code, TypeScript to name a few...
With Microsoft, it's hate or love :)
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#353Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why not Linux (depending on your line of work). Wider hardware choice, easier to upgrade, and no corporate oversight. Doesn't cover all use cases but it's a good option these days.
The problem with PC hardware is that yes, there's more choice, but it's all mostly bad. Nobody other than Apple manages to put a decent and reliable trackpad on their machines for example, and all PC laptops I've used have at times gotten really loud. If you're okay with non-Windows OSes, hardware choice is the main reason to pick Apple machines. Also, Linux is coming along rather well on Apple Silicon machines.
> Nobody other than Apple manages to put a decent and reliable trackpad on their machines for example
Not my experience at all. High end Windows laptops have plenty good trackpads nowadays.
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#354Earlier quoted context omitted.
What should Windows 11 users do to let Microsoft know that such behaviors are intrusive and offensive? Downgrade to Windows 10. If enough users did this, they might realise that people still want to use Windows, but without the user-hostility, so will be more incentivised to change things back to how they were instead of just squeezing harder on what remains of their userbase.
> > What should Windows 11 users do to let Microsoft know that such behaviors are intrusive and offensive? > Downgrade to Windows 10. Windows 10 introduced things that would have been (and were) deemed unacceptable by people who care about things like this at the time, too. You could have said all this about Windows 8 or Windows 10 with a retreat to Windows 7 being the prescription. Many people did. The only message…
The frog doesn't jump out of the pot if you boil the water with him already in it.
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#355Now wait for the same PM to go work on vscode and github. "We see .idea files in your repository, do you know that VSCode can make your hair grow again" "You are running Linux, but have you tried Linux in Windows with WSL2, free 30 days license by clicking here"
A big reason for me to start learning Emacs again is due to the inevitable rot of VS Code. I'm even playing around with Neovim a bit. VS Code is like milk, but with an unknown expiration date. At some point, it will be spoiled by MSFT injecting their marketing garbage into the experience. This will take priority over improving performance and fixing bugs. And they've already added spyware into the software by default…
You're describing something akin to "timing the market." Why not just use the product until the shittification happens? You're leaving utility on the table otherwise.
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#356Earlier quoted context omitted.
> No we don't. AMD has working GPUs with working drivers now. Oh, no, they don't! I'm forced to browse using Windows right now because the radeon driver crashes when I open new pages in Firefox. Most of the time it resets itself and I get the display back, but sometimes it crashes completely and I have to press the reset button. (Gentoo, 5.15 kernel, Radeon HD 4250 onboard video)
Buddy that internal "GPU" is like 24 years old. Make sure Firefox isn't attempting to use hardware rendering because it sure as shit won't work or help. You know you can get a couple year old Thinkpad on ebay for like $200 right? One with a significantly more capable CPU, GPU, and battery and other things.
Yeah, but that laptop would come with UEFI and Management Engine and TPM and ... I'm not touching that if I can avoid it.
Besides, it's not like the kernel Matrox driver has any bugs and that's waaaay older than radeon.
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#357Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The easiest way is to stop using Windows. Either Microsoft sees decrease in users and rolls back ads; or its keeps pushing on and makes things even worse. Either way, you no longer see the ads. That's only easy if I have infinite time to take up a big personal IT migration project, which I don't. I've got other stuff that's much more important. So does everyone else. Which is why market solutions to stuff like this…
(modulo assumptions based on your being a reader of this site) - installing a dual boot linux on your existing Windows machine will take you a couple of hours. 2 <<< ∞
> (modulo assumptions based on your being a reader of this site) - installing a dual boot linux on your existing Windows machine will take you a couple of hours.
Doing a fresh install of something is like the smallest, most insignificant amount of work involved when doing a migration.
99% of the needed time will be solving dozens of problems like "can I get my P-touch label maker working with Linux," and if can I, does the solution actually meet my needs?
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#358Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just to add a data point, the HP ElitBooks have been my replacement for ThinkPads. I find the to be a good replacement. I've been running Redhat on an HP elitebook 840 g6, which Ive had for about a year now, and I've been very happy with it. The trackpad is mostly good, not great, but I'm more of a nub guy and that works perfectly.
> I'm more of a nub guy and that works perfectly I'd never had a PC with a trackpoint before the hp, but I can't get used to it. How do you configure it? I find it's either uncontrollably quick, or slow as molasses. I like the idea of being able to drive it without moving my hand to the trackpad.
One of the first things I do with a new Fedora install is turn down the speed in the control panel. It takes a little tweaking to get right for my tastes, but I find it a small price to pay. But I've also been using a trackpoint for years, and I don't think I remember how awkward it felt at first. It m8ght not be your thing, but I've found them to be very convenient and intuitive.
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#359Earlier quoted context omitted.
Modern hardware can power VMs within 1-5% of native and passthrough PCI-e devices... there's virtually no excuse to risk your machine's health and security by exposing it to Windows on bare metal in 2023. Stay smart, stay protected.
Doesn't nvidia limit gpu pass through to vms?
Not with their latest cards afaik, and the older ones have workarounds.
Re: Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome
#360Earlier quoted context omitted.
The problem with PC hardware is that yes, there's more choice, but it's all mostly bad. Nobody other than Apple manages to put a decent and reliable trackpad on their machines for example, and all PC laptops I've used have at times gotten really loud. If you're okay with non-Windows OSes, hardware choice is the main reason to pick Apple machines. Also, Linux is coming along rather well on Apple Silicon machines.
> Nobody other than Apple manages to put a decent and reliable trackpad on their machines for example Not my experience at all. High end Windows laptops have plenty good trackpads nowadays.
When was the last time you used a Mac trackpad?