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

Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

751–760 of 1001 posts

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#751

Post by wltr »

wslh wrote: post #449
mythz wrote: post #300

The best thing to happen to Linux Desktop is Windows 11, with perfect timing too as modern Linux has been a joy to use as a daily driver. Normally I'd be unhappy when a sleazy corp forces me to give up on 25 years of muscle memory of using my preferred OS, but I'm thankful they gave me the push I needed to rip off the ad/spyware laced Windows Band-Aid that I only need to do once in my life. It's been over a year sinc…

I am looking forward for a good energy management on Linux notebooks. I think it is currently one of Linux blind spots.

What do you mean? My Intel MacBook Pro works better on Linux than it works on the latest supported macOS (Big Sur in my case). It works longer, and fans almost always stay silent. I have a fairly minimal sway setup, however.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#752

Post by yoyohello13 »

labrador wrote: post #709

I guess I'll be the contrarian in the thread: My main machine is Windows 11. I recently bought a refurbished laptop to make it a Linux torrenting machine with ProtonVPN. I first installed Fedora, which I hated. Where's the mininmize window button? Why are scrollbars practically invisible? What's with the hideous cartoonish desktop? I switched to Ubuntu, which I'm more familiar with. Installing ProtonVPN was an absolu…

I've stopped recommending Linux to other people. I use Linux every day as my main OS. I haven't used windows in over 5 years and I'm happier for it. But there is a learning curve no doubt. I happen to love what Gnome does, but it's definitely unlike any other desktop environment. If you're up for learning something new, and/or software freedom is important to you, I think Linux is definitely worth it. If you just want "Windows without Microsoft" you're in for a bad time.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#753

Post by __MatrixMan__ »

This is connected with windows 11 requiring a TPM. If all their users have a Microsoft account and that Microsoft account is needed to access all their passkeys, then they end up with a privileged position where they can aggregate info about user behavior based on their logins which, thanks to the TPM, the user is cryptographically locked out of interfering with, and their competitors are locked out of participating in by the fact that Microsoft controls the client.

As always, it's about controlling users via high switching costs. I hope we come up with an improved webauthn spec which ruins this for them.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#754

Post by joduplessis »

I've got an Ideapad that had Win11 on - completely removed it and installed Ubuntu. I've primarily used a Mac over the last decade, but it's insane how close the Ubuntu/Gnome experience comes - really have been super impressed. There are actually a few things I prefer on it too - the only (rather big) downside is that the web runs visually worse on it. I don't know how, but painting and font rendering feels suboptimal (compared to Windows and MacOS).

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#755

Post by 0cf8612b2e1e »

sekh60 wrote: post #732
giancarlostoro wrote: post #649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last I ever bothered to buy a CD key I got it off one of those gaming key sites. I have since moved on to Linux, but you can get a Pro key really cheap on those sites. I refuse to overspend to upgrade what should have been a computer with Windows Pro OOTB. If you spend over 2 grand on any computer you should not be getting Windows Home edition.

I have to ask, why even bother paying some key site? It is violating the terms of the license agreement anyway, so why not just pirate?

I guess if things get ugly they have some (terrible) plausible deniability? “What do you mean my $10 Windows Enterprise key is stolen? I thought that was the going rate. Linux is free”

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#756

Post by charcircuit »

samiv wrote: post #727

I just love it how the people in Redmond are so altruistic and continuously thinking about what's best for us users.

Yes, this is one of the reasons why modern Windows is so good compared to older versions. The ability of them to continually make the operating system better and have the telemtry to back that up along with internet updates being a thing allows iteration to improve things much more rapidly.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#757

Post by slowmovintarget »

prerok wrote: post #731
thorum wrote: post #609

Am I the only one who has simply said “no thanks” to Windows 11? There were hints of where Microsoft was heading in Windows 10, but at least a lot of the worst “features” could be disabled. I find 11 just completely unacceptable software to run on any system I own.

Really? I found them reenabled after the next update. I just gave up and switched to Linux a year ago.

Same, but two years ago. Needed a hardware refresh and just bought a System 76 desktop with Pop!_OS. Good decision.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#758

Post by Night_Thastus »

exe34 wrote: post #711
Night_Thastus wrote: post #598

My biggest annoyance is that I specifically bought a Windows 11 license, from the MS store, using my MS account. I did this because I assumed that if something went wrong, I would always be able to recover it. I could never 'lose' the key if it was tied to my account. Well unfortunately, MS screwed me. When I upgraded my PC I was apparently supposed to transfer the license before deleting the old PC from my account.…

can you claim it through the small claims court? it's the kind of thing I'd do out of spite.

I could, and maybe I should, but it's just too much effort, time, and money. It's not worth what I paid for the license. If the license was $10k that would be different.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#759

Post by dns_snek »

philipallstar wrote: post #686
observationist wrote: post #665

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies that cannot run their businesses responsibly at scale should not be allowed to run their business at that scale. If Microsoft can't do it, if Apple, Google, Facebook, X , OpenAI can't do it, then maybe we shouldn't allow companies to operate at scales which inevitably lead to widespread consumer harm. They should be required to provide human customer service, with some sort of legal liability to ensure thei…

I guess they don't want Windows to cost $10000 per licence.

I mean it's one phone call Michael, what could it cost, $9900?

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#760

Post by charcircuit »

josefritzishere wrote: post #593

Microsoft is so hostile to their users, it's genuinely surprising they maintain market share.

Making sure people's operating systems are properly setup is not being hostile. In fact it is the opposite, it should result in a better user experience.
Post reply on HN