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Microsoft's big Windows 10 push is part of broader strategy

34 Comments
By BRANDON BAILEY

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34 Comments
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The price is that they will spy us as never did before. That´s why users must take security measures ASAP. The problem is that average users are not capable to doing it.n There is no free lunch!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

A nefarious thing about Windows 10 is that it is trying to force us into cloud based, subscrption based siftware and ithwr nedia like strwaming movies and TV. I recently found out that Windows 10 gas eliminated its free Microsoft Media Pkayer, and does not incorpirate a free DVD player driver. It has also rendered PC manufacturers like Toshiba's proprietary media pkayers as incompatible. If you want to watch a DVD on tour PC, you have to pay MSFzt $15 US for a DVD driver app. I winder what other PC features will be blocked in future releases? Maybe the Hard Disk Drive will not be supported? Hmm

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I hope people will give Linux a try. Lots of flavours out there. I've been a Linux Mint user for a few years now. It's based on the Windows of Linux, Ubuntu, but with some local tweaks to keep it workable. All the GUIs you want but the hood is ajar if you want more.

If all you do is run a browser and such it really doesn't matter what OS you're running. Linux would be a nice getaway from the Windows direction to pay-per-program. With Linux you don't have to pay anything because that's the design. Package management is easy as well. You get out of the torrent/software cracking mentality because you have everything you need.

You then become a computer user, making and doing things.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

wnagler1:

If you want to watch a DVD on tour PC, you have to pay MSFzt $15 US for a DVD driver app.

Won't VLC Player work to play the DVDs?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Another example of Microsoft hating and punishing its customers. It's not just the money and pressure to upgrade all the time. It is also the need to waste time learning the new applications continuously.

Do they ever think of this?

I like Windows 2003 best. How about you?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Am very happy with Windows 10. It works fine and does not have the awful user experience of Windows 8.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ah so? Fiinally found someone who has something good to say about 10, and something negative to say about 8!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If ya want a more touchscreen GUI, then Win8 is preferable.

If ya want a more desktop GUI, then Win10 is preferable.

Win10 GUI is like between Win8 and Win7.

Win10 also seems to consume less power and resources than Win8 since our Win10-upgraded tablets last longer than before when they were Win8 tablets.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

How many new OS' is that in a few years now? And each time they make things on the previous ones, which people had to buy, incompatible. Microsoft continues to spit on its consumers and insist they like it.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

If ya want a more touchscreen GUI, then Win8 is preferable.

If ya want a more desktop GUI, then Win10 is preferable.

And if you don't want to deal with the hassles, OSX is preferable.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

And if you don't want to deal with 10x the price, then Linux is the best

2 ( +2 / -0 )

And if you don't want to deal with 10x the price, then Linux is the best

There is no denying you can't beat the price of Linux. But it's a pain in the ass dealing with the hassles of it. If you have a problem, you're on your own. No Microsoft or Apple support. Just a lot of googling and confusion.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Simple answer - stick to Apple.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I am very unhappy with windows 10. It is made for the STUPID and it is a full-time job to keep malware and virus off of it. I use it for programs unavailable for my Mac Pro. What I detest it keeps coming up with "helpful" messages. Like do you want to text or share photos? baka yo!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I haven't 'upgraded' yet.

Are they putting out free upgrades to get people on a subscription model where they bill you every so often for updates?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@wnagler1

windows 10 does include the usual microsoft media player

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How many new OS' is that in a few years now? And each time they make things on the previous ones, which people had to buy, incompatible.

MS Windows is about every 3 years. Mac OSX is about every year now. WinXP being the exception only because its successor was constantly delayed. Win7, Win8, and Win10 still share the same kernel, so most stuff are cross-compatible.

If ya want a more touchscreen GUI, then Win8 is preferable.

If ya want a more desktop GUI, then Win10 is preferable.

And if you don't want to deal with the hassles, OSX is preferable.

You're more limited with the options though. For instance, touchscreen OSX.

And if you don't want to deal with 10x the price, then Linux is the best

There is no denying you can't beat the price of Linux. But it's a pain in the ass dealing with the hassles of it. If you have a problem, you're on your own. No Microsoft or Apple support. Just a lot of googling and confusion.

From experience, it's actually not common for people to call Microsoft or Apple support, unless it's a business. Linux distributors have their own support too, but people don't call them neither. They usually go to friends or the local computer persons (and there's usually some of those around). lol

I haven't 'upgraded' yet.

Are they putting out free upgrades to get people on a subscription model where they bill you every so often for updates?

Updates are always free for consumers. The free Win10 upgrade though is only until June 2016.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

One thing I always liked about Windows was the way you could set up the interface to suit your work style, vision and other preferences. In Windows 10 (and in Office since 2007), Microsoft has progressively crippled user configurability. Windows 10 lets you choose from preset "themes" but there are limited options for editing themes. After days of trying, the only way I could get my close to my preferences was by importing a custom theme from Windows 7. When you contact MS to ask why you can't change the color of title bars, etc., they first pretend there's something wrong with your computer or your head. And then they tell you it's a "feature" that you can only have a black taskbar or white title bars.

I have a brand new desktop with W10 as the native operating system. I had it a week and a huge MS update came through. After that I could only switch off my computer by unplugging it. Great start, even for Micros**t.

They say W10 is more secure, but with Micros**t on your computer you don't need viruses to screw things up or compromise your privacy. I'm looking seriously at Apple.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Unfortunately, the major companies all do privacy violations now, even the latest OSX and Linux flavors sigh

http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/opinion/security/fightback-against-apple-on-privacy-is-just-beginning/

2 ( +2 / -0 )

First I apologize for all of the typos in my post. I wrote it on my Apple iPhone (yes not MSFT phone, lol) early this morning on my way to work. I think that it is outrageous of Microsoft to arbitrarily delete the ability to play DVD's without paying them $15 to do so. It is because they want us all on subscription based software and programming. Hence their aggressive pushing of Surface tablets and compatible machines made by HP and Dell. I have a good friend at Microsoft in Sales, and he agreed with me that this was not a customer friendly decision on MSFT's part. Nor was it communicated to him or anyone else in their sales force.

Second, to answer Shonangreg, VLC is not compatible with Windows 10. In fact, VLC is quite out of date, if you visit their website.

Not being able to own your own software, DVD programming and games, is similar to eliminating all bookstores, and libraries and forcing us all to rent whatever we want to view or use through third parties. It takes away our rights to own and use these kinds of products as we choose, within copyright laws and legal restrictions. Rather 1984 don't you think? Maybe Apple was rather prescient when it aired that famous 1984 commercial during the Super Bowl broadcast in January 1984?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Then just install Linux. I put Linux Mint on my parents' Window box when the Windows crashed and wouldn't boot, several years ago. They haven't asked for any help except installing printer drivers once and "why's youtube not working?" once. And they're not techies at all.

There can be a few days delay between when out-of-date-due flash plugins for youtube are blocked, I guess by Firefox due to security failures in those version.

A junior high kid can install it on a broken Windows machine. Just disconnect the existing hard drives and add a new hard drive for the install, so nothing on your old drives gets overwritten.

And no problems with DVD player, either.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Windows 10 is working well for me too. Not keen about Edge (sticking with the other browsers), but everything else is running fine. I'm sticking with windows because since I can build my own PC desktop from scratch It's the easiest OS for me to deal with. Linux would be next, but until I learn more about OS software management etc, I'm still going with the simplest install.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It takes away our rights to own and use these kinds of products as we choose, within copyright laws and legal restrictions. Rather 1984 don't you think? Maybe Apple was rather prescient when it aired that famous 1984 commercial during the Super Bowl broadcast in January 1984?

In some ways, Apple too has become like Big Brother, especially on the business side of the market. They can be quite obsessive about controlling things. Which makes that 1984 commercial kinda ironic (that Big Brother ad was aimed at IBM btw, but now Apple has become an IBM).

(And on the consumer side, they also limit the kinds of products and software they let you choose.)

I'm sticking with windows because since I can build my own PC desktop from scratch It's the easiest OS for me to deal with. Linux would be next

"MacOSX" is installable too BTW, just to let ya know

1 ( +1 / -0 )

MacOSX" is installable too BTW, just to let ya know.

But it's still a pain to install on PC from what I've heard. Apple wants folks to buy macs. And I for one will not spend a crud ton of money just to build a Mac since the parts for it are so specific to Apple's rigid guidelines. They make a ton of money off of parts alone, and really limit the types of parts I can use with that OS even on PC.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

These constant new editions are a pain in the rear end. I was perfectly happy with WinXP. Everyone I know is totally annoyed with Microsoft.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

MacOSX" is installable too BTW, just to let ya know.

But it's still a pain to install on PC from what I've heard. Apple wants folks to buy macs. And I for one will not spend a crud ton of money just to build a Mac since the parts for it are so specific to Apple's rigid guidelines. They make a ton of money off of parts alone, and really limit the types of parts I can use with that OS even on PC.

Still, they don't have to be Mac parts though. Could build with PC parts with the same specs but a lot less than Apple charges. For the Apple price, you're pretty much pre-purchasing the cost of assembly, the OS updates, and technical support, that's included in the price.

These constant new editions are a pain in the rear end. I was perfectly happy with WinXP.

Ya can still keep XP (still keep mine); there just won't be any more updates. It's over 14 years old (PlayStationOne was still around then; we're up to PS4 now) - ya can't expect any company to support it forever. No other company would even support an OS version more than a handful years old - Microsoft only does it because businesses are slower to change.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Strangerland

There is no denying you can't beat the price of Linux. But it's a pain in the ass dealing with the hassles of it. If you have a problem, you're on your own. No Microsoft or Apple support. Just a lot of googling and confusion.

As someone who did technical support for over a decade, I can say unequivocally that it's the Windows and Apple users who are the most confused versus Linux users. Linux keeps improving and the notion that it is difficult is just no longer the case and hasn't been true for a long time now.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It helps if you pick the right Linux distro to install, that is, one easy to work with. Linux Mint has been at the top of distrowatch's hits page for a long time now. And even better if you pick Linux Mint Debian Edition to get rolling updates.

http://distrowatch.com/

Hits

Linux Mint: 3153

Debian: 2085

Ubuntu: 1600

openSUSE: 1486

Fedora: 1164

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Nice. I'm also a Linux Mint user. ;) Much easier to use multiple language keyboards than Windows.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Much easier to use multiple language keyboards than Windows."

What? For me, inconsistent keyboard layouts and switching input from English-Japanese are the most buggy, annoying things about my LInux rig (Zorin). Everything else is really good, though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@JeffLee

Linux Mint (and I believe Ubuntu as well) has a GUI controller for keyboard layouts, like a Windows Control Panel. I had Esperanto, Japanese, and English keyboards running in a few minutes bound to a shortcut key.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Microsoft already stopped (without notifying anybody) the "upgrade" on any Windows7 in Japan despite their website telling you can still do it, what a scam. Try to upgrade your windows 7 "personal" / "pro" to an "ultimate" and see what is happening .

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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