Aaand … it’s ads. What a surprise.
Article says (but don't believe them):
But it’s not all ads. In fact, Microsoft does make useful changes from time to time
Oh boy! Not all ads! Oh yippee! I have been blessed on this fine day! 🥰
There's always some post in here saying for people to use Linux. I find an admonishment to be pretty hollow, so I'll share my recent experience installing a Linux distribution rather than simply saying it's something people should do.
I installed one of the many Debian variants. Getting the installation media is certainly going to be a challenge for casual users. Otherwise, it was easy. It walked through the steps. It was different from installing windows, but I felt it was no more difficult. I am well versed in this stuff, but I feel like nothing in the installation process would be a problem for a casual computer user.
It offered several desktops programs at the login screen. This could likely throw off a lot of people. However, if you just logged in and ignored that you might never even know there were different options. The default was KDE. Everything worked. Nothing needed to be tweaked. This is in starck contrast to Windows, where once you get past installation, you need to get rid of a ton of crap it throws at you. The Windows 10 start menu is an unbelievable collection of weird boxes and shit and the task bar is similarly full of junk. The KDE start menu is just a menu. The task bar has your tasks. There's nothing to do.
I did try Cinnamon too. I prefer the simplicity. I don't think casual users are going to care.
Overall, I think for casual users, it's actually easier to set up and use than Windows. Getting installation media prepared is not something most people are going to readily do, but I think it's the same with Windows. They have the advantage there of having manufacturors install it. Otherwise, whatever issues there have been installing Linux distributions in the past aren't there now. Conversely, installing and especially the configuration after installation is much harder on Windows than it used to be. If you're slightly tech savvy, give Linux a try.
Chiming in to add that the KDE application menu icon (aka the Start Button) is easily changed to whatever picture you want. Mine is currently the TARDIS control console from Doctor Who which is quite fun.
I installed mint recently and I kept the windows partition because I thought I would need to dual boot a lot but I haven't launched windows in the past couple of months
I have a laser HP all-in-onr that I thought I'd have issues with but it worked automatically with the printing and scanner app, not even in windows it works so strangely
My only issue right now were self inflicting, because I created a shared NTFS partition to keep media a torrents and it sometimes give privilege errors after a bit update (it wouldn't happen if it was ext3 from what I've been reading)
My wife needs to use the computer occasionally and I think she had more issues with windows 11 than mint, the only "issue" was that she was trying to find Microsoft word instead of openoffice
What did you do with your file system? I haven’t tried to dual boot Linux yet but I think bothering with partitioning and file systems is keeping me from taking the plunge.
(BTW it reminds me of why I didn’t go to law school, I hated filling out the paperwork for even doing the LSAT and realized the whole job is that. Dealing with partitioning and file systems and shit seems miserable and it’s just the start.)
If you have the port and money for it, I'd recommend a separate drive for the second OS. Windows is kinda notorious for stomping over GRUB if you rely on partitions for your dual boot.
If you're worried about installing to the wrong drive on accident, you can always physically disconnect the existing drive until install is complete, then plug it back in and set the boot order in the mobo config.
Why do these articles never have a screenshot of the change. So annoying.
Because if they embed an image to the article, it would distract you from all the ads that are between paragraphs.
I'm running Windows 10 LTSC with a custom start menu (StartIsBack). So far I have avoided all of Microsoft’s nonsense.
As long as I’m not ready to switch to Linux 100%, this is probably the best possible solution.
I went 10 years ago to Linux. To avoid all Windows non sense..
Many people want that, but can't bc of their jobs.:-(
Well.. at least at home you can run Linux. That's a start. And otherwise try to switch or create your own business. It seems the latter is the only option to fully get rid of Windows, since soon companies will move to Windows 11 with Windows Recall and other AI bs. No thanks, I'm out.
Any company worth anything will keep recall disabled. Obviously, with Microsoft, it will get "accidentally" activated in an update, so admins will have to play whack a mole, but nobody should enable that malware when it's released.
I agree. Fun fact: You can't uninstall Microsoft Recall.
Everything about it is so bad. It's like someone woke up one day and thought, what is the legally worst piece of software I can make and force in people?
Users of Microsoft accepted more and more. And slowly we are all in this situation (if you would still use Windows). Similar to the The Boiling Frog Syndrome. Get out now, while you still can. Try to search for alternatives. You have been warned.
At my job I run what my employer wants me to run. I get paid for it, they get to decide the OS.
But at home I've been running Linux since 2006.
So far I've managed to avoid most this kind of crap with minor tweaking, but with end of life coming soon I've been meaning to make the switch for ages, but there are always more urgent priorities.. If you don't mind me asking, and if you know - is it still possible to switch from win10 to win10 LTSC, and if so, what does it entail (do I need a fresh install, or can I just upgrade?)?
I'm pretty sure it'll be a fresh install, even if you do it from within your existing install. It'll do a parallel install.
I have been using custom start menus since the whole win8 full screen disaster. Every time I see the default win 10 or Win 11 menu I cringe. So much crap in the way.
Process optimization reaches a point of diminishing returns. Then if tweaked further it degrades the performance. Microsoft reached the close to the optimal OS design at Win7. It's all been downhill since then.
The mobile OS systems are reaching the same point. Optimization has occured and most of the "new" additions degrade the user experience.
Yeah, I really should switch to Mint or something
Mint with Cinnamon is great if you like the start menu style of Windows 7/10. Generally speaking Linux distros are mostly the same under the hood.
I'm attempting to normalize calling it CinnaMint. I get a few up votes Everytime I mention it, but I haven't seen anyone else use it yet.
mint or something with kde.
Screenshots here: https://www.windowslatest.com/2024/09/12/windows-10s-start-menu-design-is-changing-to-make-room-for-microsoft-365/
TL:DR: There is barely any difference at all. They added some account manager, but in general the start menu looks how it looked before.
Yeah, fuck MS and everyone should try to run away as fast as possible, but this isn't the big thing people should be worried about. I literally didn't notice what was different in those screenshots until I read more. Maybe this is done to add things in the future that'll be bad, but it itself isn't. I'd be much more concerned about Recall.
Apparently it nags you if you don't have a 365 account. So it's just more enshittification.
Microsoft 365 is fucking garbage. I tried using it one time on my work computer and couldn't even export an Excel sheet into any other format besides a PDF and an Excel file. The only two things I never need to export an Excel sheet as. I couldn't even export it as a god damn text file. And the fact that I need an Internet connection makes it so much more finicky. I guess on the plus side when the Internet is down I don't have to do my job until it comes back.
Don't get me started on OneDrive
Switch to Linux, get it over with, get rid of the Microsoft bullshit
Disabled Windows Update and have never been happier.
At that point please just use another OS. You should be keeping your OS up to date.
Number of times I've been hacked: 0
Number of hours I've wasted reinstalling everything because Microsoft bricked my Windows install with a faulty update: 6.022140857×10^23^
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
