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Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

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Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#91

Post by zelphirkalt »

archerx wrote: post #43
snailmailman wrote: post #21

I’m still holding off updating to windows 11 as it still doesn’t have feature parity with windows 10. The biggest one was the option to not merge apps in the taskbar down to one icon, and the option to show titles. They finally brought that feature to 11, but apparently the smaller taskbar is gone too? The only option was a larger one that always takes up much more space. I like it to show all the time, so I’d prefer…

I don’t know what microsoft is thinking, there is no real reason to use windows 11, it is a downgrade in a lot of ways. At least windows 10 held directx12 hostage as an incentive to upgrade. Its funny, everytime I boot up one of my systems that still has windows 7 installed it feels so nice, even better than 10 much less 11. I think microsoft is playing a dangerous game with messing around with windows like this, it…

Yes, they are losing users over this. Although I have also heard of technologically capable people running into having their system auto-upgraded somehow and now using 11. Don't ask me how in the world they accept this. If that happened to me, I would reinstall the previous OS, even out of principle alone.

And then MS seems to think they are doing any better with their online office suite. Well no, there are many people, who even want to quit their jobs, because of having to use that shit and how dystopian bad it is. MS losing more reputation there as well.

I feel there is a notion now, that MS is simply no longer able to make any quality software product. They got VSCode, but that will be enshittified before long as well.

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#92

Post by appstorelottery »

microtonal wrote: post #85
appstorelottery wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose I'm talking about how they continue to lock-down the os, in combination with their App-store. For example, hooking into the kernel is now very difficult - apps like Little Snitch running on Sonoma have a much harder job. Apple has wholesale telemetry going on that nobody seems to talk about. Apple have very little commitment to backwards compatibility, which is something that Microsoft took very seriously.…

Contrast this with the "old" Apple in 2005/6, I could write a game, put it up for download as a DMG file You still can? The binary has to be notarized, but Apple doesn’t take a cut, you can run your own store and sell a game. For example, hooking into the kernel is now very difficult - apps like Little Snitch running on Sonoma have a much harder job. For most people that’s a good thing. I had many family members that…

> You still can? The binary has to be notarized, but Apple doesn’t take a cut, you can run your own store and sell a game.

Yes, however the binary did not have to be signed back then - and I didn't need to pay apple for the privilege of writing software for their OS.

> Also, about little snitch specifically, obdev now sells are more user-friendly version in the App Store that uses the new user space filtering API.

And again, Apple takes their cut and more or less forced Obdev to go in that direction. I agree with you about dubious kexts - however it's just a trend I note - antivirus / third party software filled that hole in the past.

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#93

Post by Ringz »

TLLtchvL8KZ wrote: post #63

I'm currently sitting on Windows 10 LTSC IoT and refuse to move. I am now planning, because my laptop is a little old now, to purchase an M3 iMac in a few months or at the end of the year. I've tried 11 a few times. I do not like it, I do not like the look of it and most of all I absolutely HATE that I cannot have the taskbar on the left hand side of the screen.

Switched to MacOS 10 years ago. Never looked back. And I started with DOS, teached WindowsNT on admin level and kept my Windows installations “alive” through fiddling with the registry (while everyone reinstalled it). Nowadays I live more and more in the terminal…

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#94

Post by NKosmatos »

Another indication that the soul searching and decay inside Microsoft is doing its thing (in cycles). It’s a pity seeing a multibillion company not focusing on its core values.

HN readers of a certain age, will for sure remember Windows 8, Windows Vista and Windows Me :-) Windows 11 feels the same for me, and is the reason why it’s not installed in any of my PCs.

Mind you, it’s not that macOS is in a better situation, it’s following the same trajectory for some years now.

This is what happens when a big and established company gets tired and starts loosing its soul (see Boing).

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#95

Post by glitchcrab »

appstorelottery wrote: post #71
microtonal wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is Apple doing? macOS doesn’t seem to have changed much in the last few versions, which is great, because it’s a mature OS. macOS had been completely uneventful for me the last few years and recovered well from the terrible Mojave/Catalina days with the slow overheating Intel MacBooks.

I suppose I'm talking about how they continue to lock-down the os, in combination with their App-store. For example, hooking into the kernel is now very difficult - apps like Little Snitch running on Sonoma have a much harder job. Apple has wholesale telemetry going on that nobody seems to talk about. Apple have very little commitment to backwards compatibility, which is something that Microsoft took very seriously.…

The only reason Microsoft still have the old control panel is because they haven't gotten around to removing it entirely yet. The old UI has been slowly being killed off for years now. If you think that they're keeping it around to keep people happy then you're very much mistaken.

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#96

Post by zelphirkalt »

Springtime wrote: post #39

Microsoft still haven't implemented a native vertical taskbar after all the years of it being in the top voted[1] request (part of the request to move to any side of the screen) and the fact it's been part of Windows for like 15 years. It's a dealbreaker tbh. Third-party tools that restored the W10 taskbar in W11 allowed users to continue having a taskbar that's usable for them yet the latest W11 betas show they're r…

Funny, how many GNU/Linux desktop environments allow you to do that easily, while being developed by a handful of people, while MS has probably hordes of people working on the UI of Windows. They just don't seem to get it or have complelety incapable UI/UX designers or something.

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#97

Post by out-of-ideas »

supernes wrote: post #55
jiggawatts wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's because the Windows 11 UI was designed by people who've never used anything other that an Apple Mac. Yes, Microsoft hires employees with zero Windows experience to design their operating system. That's why the Windows 11 taskbar has the icons centred -- because Apple OSX does too. That's why there's no way to drag the taskbar around -- because Apple OSX doesn't allow this either. Etc...

You can move the Dock to the side of the screen and in fact many people do. What's the excuse for not copying that functionality?

this assumes the programmer knows how to change app settings; ive seen many a great programmers know quite little about the actual apps they install (or comes with) and use; dont even get me started about folks who "program" but simply just edit a file and dont use the actual app to test things (and instead rely on build-systems) - strange i must say, but it happens so much im not surprised by it, just forever saddened

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#98

Post by ktosobcy »

thyrox wrote: post #73

Guess it's time to jump to macOS finally. I've always wanted to try that but due to prohibitive costs never did. But with more and more Windows shenanigans I guess it's time to bite the bullet and make the switch .

as someone with about 15y exclusive (and then on and off basis) windows experience and then 10y of mac experience I'm finally contemplating moving to Linux... before I moved to mac I already tried to use open source, multi platform apps (libre office, thunderbird for example) so the switch was relatively painless. And I also stopped playing that many games (age and mac limitations). I also use a lot of Linux (mostly servers and mac shell) and got steam deck recently and oh gosh it's so nice - everything just works, you can run virtually any game and it's not so imposing as windows or mac

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#99

Post by a2128 »

ykonstant wrote: post #18
HlessClaudesman wrote: post #4

Not being able to customise my environment is a dealbreaker for me. I will be converting my day to day machine to Linux rather than being nagged into a user hostile OS upgrade. Clearly Microsoft has given up on powerusers, the people who notice and sometimes fix flaws in their monolith. Seems shortsighted.

How good is running Windows in a VM with a Linux host nowadays? Does it work well for office users who want to run Office? How about people who want to run Adobe or Autodesk software? These use cases seem to be causing the most friction for the transition in my circles (apart from gaming, which is a different story).

I'm not a professional Office user, but I personally found OnlyOffice to be a very suitable replacement (you can get the FOSS version on Flathub)

Re: Microsoft blocks even more customization apps in Windows 11 version 24H2

#100

Post by jiggawatts »

userbinator wrote: post #89
jiggawatts wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's because the Windows 11 UI was designed by people who've never used anything other that an Apple Mac. Yes, Microsoft hires employees with zero Windows experience to design their operating system. That's why the Windows 11 taskbar has the icons centred -- because Apple OSX does too. That's why there's no way to drag the taskbar around -- because Apple OSX doesn't allow this either. Etc...

You're being downvoted on only 1/4 of the points you made, but the other 3/4 is true: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30019307

I've always been fascinated by forum up/down voting patterns. It's a lens onto human group behaviour.

I've said things that are totally wrong and been voted up, and said things that are essentially correct except for some tiny detail and been voted down into oblivion.

What especially gets people riled up is if there's an element of tribalism involved. Can be anything: text editors, political party, operating system, programming language, or whatever. You don't even have to be pro/anti any specific tribe. Just mentioning anything to do with such a topic gets people worked up and angry even if your point is strictly neutral or objective.

It's always fun to watch this play out in the microcosm of some obscure topic...

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