Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

sambent.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

391–400 of 804 posts

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#391

Post by BloondAndDoom »

neves wrote: post #299

For me the worst is Microsoft Start news. I've already turned it off multiple times and it always come back. To add insult to injury, it always displays terrible gossip, sports or far right news. If any developer that works in MS news service is reading this message, please know that I hate you.

Use this https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10 or something similar, unfortunately without this level of tweaking it will be a shit show, not deeply modified windows feels like browsing the internet without an ad blocker.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#392

Post by hedora »

Silhouette wrote: post #203

In the end this kind of thing always comes down to trust and choices. Microsoft has by its choices and actions lost the trust of many of its customers. Some of those customers did not have a viable alternative available and so had to accept whatever Microsoft was offering even if they didn't really like it. For those who have had viable alternatives some will have chosen them and presumably will continue to do so. Wi…

^--- this

It is completely impossible to comply with European privacy law if you are using up-to-date Windows for your business.

The US CLOUD Act compels companies to provide access to data on machines they have the technical ability to access.

Starting in Windows 8, Microsoft granted itself the ability to pull locally-stored documents out of (non-onedrive) folders on all machines for "debugging" purposes.

Since then, EU courts overturned the Privacy Shield deal with the US because our laws are in direct contradiction with their privacy protections, so no, there isn't some backstop that lets Microsoft be the good actor if they get a bogus warrant.

If the EU could ban Windows, I'm sure they would have done so already.

Source on "they can read your files": https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/compliance/assurance/assur...

Note that this policy began in the Windows 8 days, and didn't originally have the Microsoft 365 branding attached to it. Now that Windows 11 mandates login, they changed the wording.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#393

Post by maerF0x0 »

nicoburns wrote: post #380
Macha wrote: post #7

It’s quite common for companies to work their way up to the line of the most user hostile version of their product that users will tolerate. Especially with software where they can just go flip a switch and turn off whatever feature did cross the line but keep everything they gained by inching up to the line, which seems to inevitably result in things like the condition of windows 11. I think the only way this gets b…

> I think the only way this gets better for consumers is if customer response more often insisted further roll backs than just the last straw if a company crosses the line. I think consumers have little power here. Our economic system fundamentally chooses to reward such behaviour. Until we change that, the power will always be with these kind of companies. Perhaps governments could levy punative fines in such situat…

> I think consumers have little power here. Our economic system fundamentally chooses to reward such behaviour.

Consumers have the final say, our economic system fundamentally is consumer spending. (Ok, save for most recent year(s) of mag7 AI buildout. But generally that's the case for USA economy).

We have to stop taking out our wallet and just accepting things like sheep. (nearly) Every one of the "scrapped" computers could have run a *nix OS and been a middle finger to microsoft.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#394

Post by carlosjobim »

aleph_minus_one wrote: post #127
9dev wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like most Americans don't appreciate the financial constraints under which European startups are operating :) The median series A is something like 1–6 million Euros over here. You have to seriously consider what you spend money for on these scales.

> I feel like most Americans don't appreciate the financial constraints under which European startups are operating :) The median series A is something like 1–6 million Euros over here. You have to seriously consider what you spend money for on these scales. I, living in Germany, rather wonder myself quite often why US-American tech startups don't act much more frugally: this would give them so much more leeway/runwa…

Quicker and bigger is better than slower and smaller. Especially in a competitive sector.

Better to go bust quick, than to eke out a tiny profit by being super frugal. The latter is a waste of everybody's time.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#395

Post by BloondAndDoom »

luckys wrote: post #330

Maybe it would be a good idea for Microsoft to split Windows into a version for business that supports all the cruft that has accumulated and is needed, and another version where they start from scratch. Something that is lightweight and respects the user. A man can dream.

Back in the day windows NT was serving this purpose and a lot of pro users would use it over windows 98. (At least in 3rd countries where all licenses are pirated).

It actually used to work well, and I think there are still some windows editions like this they are more strictly separated and not that good for daily en user usage.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#396

Post by zabzonk »

albert_e wrote: post #226
wildrhythms wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>sorry, I have never seen these supposed ads in win11 It's a setting called "Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen", and it's checked by default.

Not only is it enabled hy default ... it magically gets enabled by default after some days, desktop spotlight feature that pushes some lock screen wallpapers and trivia overriding my personal wallpaper, Edge trying to do the same thing to homepage, edge trying to steal browser favourites and extensions from other installed browsers once every few weeks, edge stealing default app linkage for PDF viewing, copilot in va…

I do get lockscreen wallpapers, but in general I find them quite pretty and interesting. I've never tried changing to a fixed lockscreen wallpaper, though I I do have a fixed, custom desktop one. I can't think that people are obsessing about the lockscreen???

I don't see any of the other things you do. I use Edge as my default browser, with uBlock installed and it all seems to work. There is a Copilot icon, but I think I could remove it if it irritated me, which it doesn't. My Asus Zenbook has a Copilot key which irritates me much less than other aspects of the keyboard layout which have nothing to do with Microsoft.

All in all, I like Windows 11. I don't see how it has made things worse than any of the other NT versions.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#397

Post by maerF0x0 »

sznio wrote: post #332
alexb_ wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people want a computer that works with their software. No, "learn the FOSS version" is not a solution. Especially because nearly everyone has some niche thing they like, some 5% that isn't covered by the FOSS solutions, that only a niche Windows program can actually do correctly. And that doesn't even get into gaming.

>No, "learn the FOSS version" is not a solution. It is a solution. Once you do it, your problem is solved, that makes it the solution. If you aren't willing to go with that, you can stay with Windows and just accept the constant abuse. As for gaming, I've been on Linux for two years now and I haven't had a single game not work.

And as for a better solution, Teach kids. Once I'm an ornery PTA parent I'm going to push for programming and *nix of some sort to be taught to the school, even if I have to volunteer to do it myself.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#398

Post by jamesnorden »

p_ing wrote: post #272
voidUpdate wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

React is a javascript library. Javascript needs its own runtime. Why not just write stuff in native windows controls and save having to run an entire javascript runtime for no reason?

.NET Framework needs its own runtime. Java needs its own runtime. What's the issue?

I wouldn't want my start menu to load the entire Java runtime before opening, that's the issue at hand.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#399

Post by browningstreet »

Ranxer wrote: post #104
jeppester wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only way this get better is if the user gets to choose between an OS with ads, lock-in, telemetry etc. and then one with none of that. As it is now, buying a laptop in a store is a "pick your poison" situation.

Better yet: don't pick any poison at all -- both System76 and Tuxedo Computers (as examples, sometimes you can buy a latop without an OS and save the money, same goes for PCs) offer laptops with Linux installed: no Microslop tax, and hardware that's guaranteed to work with OSS.

I recently made a decision between a Macbook and a Linux laptop. I went around and around on this, I really wanted the Linux laptop. I even considered Omarchy on one of the Panther Lake machines DHH says he's gotten it working on.

I made a decision I didn't want to make: I bought the Macbook Pro. If I was retired or completely cashflow positive in my endeavors, I'd pick the machine I want.

That being said, there were so many ecosystem, hardware, power management, GPU throughput and compatibility advantages with the Macbook Pro at the moment, and given that I'm firmly in founder/launch mode, I went with the safety option. My biggest risk is Apple making another anti-consumer choice.. I don't see the ads they've started pumping into their product, but I do miss GNOME.

I made a work decision, not a technology decision. That said, Windows never entered the equation.

Re: Microsoft's "fix" for Windows 11

#400

Post by kakacik »

lizknope wrote: post #169

I bought my first x86 PC in 1994 to install Linux on. I wanted a Sun workstation but couldn't afford it. I know people run an operating system to run programs on so it isn't easy to switch but so many windows users make it sound like they have Stockholm Syndrome. My advice as a Linux user of 32 years for normal people is to buy a Mac.

Is there a full equivalent of Total Commander there? I don't mean just something with 2 panes, I mean full equivalent. Those I have seen were clunky, slow and lacked features thus completely breaking the flow. When I see folks doing something more complex in File explorer or similar stuff I rather walk away, make a tea/coffee, have a chat or two, come back to watch them hopefully progress a bit, when it would take few quick operations in TC. Its like doing java development in Notepad vs Idea, both work but man I always thought engineers craved efficiency...

That program is so powerful when used in skilled hands, it saves me tons of time every day, easily 30-60 mins compared to other colleagues doing similar tasks. Editing files directly in archives (or archives in archives), quick file comparison, tabbed panes, dir sync, ftp client, etc.... and tons of customizations of behavior and visuals, plugins ecosystem, and its freakin' fast and stable.

Another one could be Notepad++, ie mass edit of lines as cells in spreadsheet is a powerful feature.

Post reply on HN