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Win10 Haters: Bash Away! — Parallax Forums

Win10 Haters: Bash Away!

Here's an alternate thread for Win10 bashing for those who have no plans to download it. Enjoy!
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Comments

  • I am not going to bash Windows 10 as I have not tried it or plan to. I am going to stick with Windows 7

    for as long as I can. I now use Debian 8.1 for everything.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Ah, thank you erco. 
    No hate here but be prepared to deal with all these privacy violations of Win 10 after you have it installed:
    https://i.imgur.com/iHge6RJ.jpg
  • I'm not a Windows hater, I've always liked it and have been using it for over 20 years, but the privacy issues with Windows 10 are significant.

    The amount of information about yourself and your computer and internet usage that you are asked to provide to Microsoft by default is absolutely ridiculous and almost unbelievable. There is so much spying capability built in to Windows 10 that I don't think it could ever be trusted even if you think you have it all turned off.

    Do some research first if your thinking about switching to Windows 10.




  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    What I don't understand is why valid, sincerely meant, well reasoned criticism of Windows or MS and it's practices, or Apple and it products or any other company and it's products is branded emotionally as "haters" and so on?
    Why are people so quick, and compelled, to put down and insult those who point out problems with these solutions and defend those whose business is to exploit for a handsome profit?
    No, I'm not a pinko subversive who thinks profit is a bad thing. But I do believe that as providers of that profit us consumers have a right, indeed a duty to ourselves, to question everything. From operating systems to toothpaste. 
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    I'm with ratronic. I have no intention of moving to it until I absolutely have to. I have mostly Windows 7 Pro machines and two Windows 8.1 machines I tolerate. ;)
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-08-01 19:33
    OK, this is the last straw, the last nail in Win 10 coffin:
    No more Solitaire without adds, unless you want to pay a regular fee to turn off adds. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-07/30/windows-10-paid-ad-removal-solitaire
    This is actually ransomware.
    Talk about taking the pee...
    By the way, why do all articles such as that Wired article make the point that Win 10 is free. It is not. I have yet to figure out anyway of getting it without laying out about 100 dollars. That's a tube of Propellers that will be much more useful. 
  • It's free in that you don't have to pay cash money for it, as long as you don't mind upgrading from Windows 7 or 8 (no other OSes need apply). The reason is because it's just about the biggest con job any company has ever tried to put over on the unsuspecting public.

    By default it pretty much allows them access to a ridiculous amount of personal information about you and gives them control over many aspects of your devices. Having to pay for ad-free Solitaire pales in comparison.

    Coincidentally, Microsoft's new "Privacy Policy" and "Service Agreement" went into effect today. You can read an overview here:

    https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/

    That article contains links to the actual Microsoft web pages if you want to read the whole thing yourself.
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    I have installed windows 10 on a small ASUS touchscreen convertible notebook. 
    I was impressed with it. MUCH better than windows 8.1
    After I give a really good work out, I will probably update my main notebook from 7 to 10. 
    The only problem I had was I had compiled PropBasic as a 64 bit app and the computer is only 32 bit. It just kept saying it couldn't run the app, but it didn't tell me why. Really confusing until I figured it out.
    I have installed Lazarus, Propeller Tool and SimpleIDE without any issues that I have found yet.
    Bean


  • Wait, they're trying to make money off that?Problem is, you got no choice, as Windows comes preinstalled on most computers, for some arcane reason. An on the ones that dont, they put FreeDos? Why not some kind of linux, that one can use to do other things than write silly bash scripts or play daggerfall?Microsoft wants to take over the world!Whats next? Will they make robots with guns and have them attack the FSS?That wouldn't mean a problem tho, just connect a PnP printer so it crashes. :/
  • I installed it on two virtual machines: one as an upgrade and one from scratch. I was underwhelmed.

    I've used Windows since version 3.0 (when it became somewhat usable), and my favorite version is still Windows XP. Most of my systems run Windows 7 but I turned Aero and other special effects off because I think they are useless and they slow me and the PC down. I use the "Classic" windows theme which makes most programs look like they're running on Windows 2000. I've never used Windows 8 and I avoid software that uses the Windows 8 style of big rectangles with no edges and lots of space wasting.

    To me, Windows 10 looks like a lot of user interface "improvements" that I don't need. I like my smartphone with touch screen but if anyone gets their fingers close to my computer screens, they know they can expect a swat. All those dumb rectangles that are all the same color with monochrome icons make it harder to find things that I look for in daily life. If I want to open My Computer on Windows 7, I click on the blue icon that looks like a screen on my QuickStart bar. Firefox is a blue and orange circle. Visual Studio 6 is an "infinity" symbol in primary (Windows 95) colors and Visual Studio 2010 is an infinity symbol in blue and grey. I don't want all those to be replaced with a red (or whatever) rectangle with a few white lines on it. Menus are a Good Thing (Microsoft has been discouraging menus for years, with their stupid Ribbon interface and now Windows 10) and mixed upper/lower case in the menus makes them friendly. Windows 10 is so dumbed down that that I feel insulted. Want to get something done? Push the big red square, talk to Cortana and get a cookie. Sorry folks, not for me.

    It took me a long time to get used to Windows 7 and I only tolerate it because some hacks have shown up to do things that I like and that were taken away (the QuickStart bar, the My Computer icon, the Firefox Theme Restorer plugin) and though I get free upgrades to Win10, I'm not very eager to update at this time. I reverted the upgraded VM back to its latest snapshot where it still runs Win7. I don't know if there is an XP Theme for Win10 but until there is, I say: Meh.

    ===Jac
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-08-02 02:01
    RDL2004,

    It's free in that you don't have to pay cash money for it, as long as you don't mind upgrading from Windows 7 or 8

    As in, not free at all then.
    One has already paid or Win 7/8 when it came pre-installed on that computer one bought.
    One has already paid for it when one buys every peripheral and widget that comes with a Windows compatible logo on it. I don't believe manufactures get the licence to do that for free. See here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn641154.aspx 
    The product(s) that you plan to advertise or distribute that bear the certification logo must be licensed under the applicable Logo License Agreement (LLA) and meet all Windows Certification Program requirements.
    You pay for Windows with every keyboard you buy, see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_key
    Microsoft regulates the appearance of the Windows key logo picture with a specially crafted license for keyboard manufacturers.
    You pay for Windows with every Android phone you buy:
    http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-is-making-2bn-a-year-on-android-licensing-five-times-more-than-windows-phone/ 

    This is a very sick situation, everybody endlessly paying MS in all kinds of ways, even if they never use any MS products. Then constantly being told "it's free".

    Finally, one really has to lay down cash for Windows 10 if one happens to not have any old MS operating system licences lying around.

  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2015-08-02 03:15
    Of all those scenarios, income from Android is the most offensive to me. Microsoft isn't adding any value for that revenue.

    There is value in the works with windows logo licensing. Drivers get shipped, and or compliance is backed by regression testing, etc...

    Using things is better, easier now than it was before that certification program existed. The worth of it can be debated, but there is something there, and it is meaningful, tangible.

    The Droid revenue stream consists mainly of money not paid in litigation, or avoidance of product dilution, or redevelopment, all mostly barriers that really don't need to cost what they do.

    As for 10, firewall it and deal. On one hand, they do want to integrate with our activities and that requires info to do. Google does this too.

    Lots of value potential there. Not all of us will take that deal, and as long as there are some reasonable options.

    You know, I do let Google have a lot of info, and the value is really high. Worth it. Microsoft wants to do the same thing. I personally won't go there because they want OS lock in, or it just happens because of how they tend to work.

    But people will, and I can't say I blame them for going this way.

    I won't upgrade right away, but I will do my main machine after some time. Let a few of the teething pains get resolved. And doing that has nothing to do with any new appeal. There isn't any over Win 7. It has to do with application support and money to be made on demos and other vendor specific activity.

  • Microsoft makes really silly moves.
    I have windows phone 8.1 handset, Lumia 822 from Verizon.
    I wanted it to be silent at nights, so no sms, email notifications, etc. are heard.
    8.1 update finally bought us "quet hours", BUT! to enable it, you must have Cortana enabled, and for Cortana to be enabled, you have to turn GPS on!
     
    Cmon microsoft, all I want is just to silent my phone at certain hours, why so much mess? no wonder that windows phone market is shrinking day by day. Also I guess, Windows 10 is the beginning of the end of the Microsoft...
     
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    In the other thread it was said that 10 now finally has native multiple desktops.. well, it's about time! The Sun computer I used back in 1990 or so had that already. :)
  • Sweet!  That's actually a feature I will look forward to.  Huge fan of MD.

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-08-05 01:36
    Over there on the Windows hostages thread RDL2004 said:
    Windows 10 is basically malicious, predatory spyware thinly disguised as an operating system.
    And Roy said:
    It's pretty trivial to turn off or adjust the privacy stuff.
    And I have been reading all over the net about the privacy invading nature of Win 10 and all the ways to prevent it.

    I am totally amazed by all of this.

    Back in the day we deployed anti-virus/trojan software to protect us from malicious code that may have slipped in. We used add blockers and firewalls to keep the bad guys out of our systems. And so on.

    Today, with Win 10, we see people suggesting all kinds of ways to protect us from a threat on the inside. The hideous trojan monster that is Win 10. That we have perhaps been duped into using.

    It's not just Win 10 though. This is everywhere. The other day I was invited by a colleague to join some collaborative development service, sorry I forget it's name, sure enough it has an extension for Google Chrome which, when you try to install it, requires permission to have free access to your browser history and your google account. WTF!

    I'm likely out of a job soon for refusing to go along with this. After all how can I collaborate with my coworkers without it?
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2015-08-04 19:55
    VM to the rescue.. with one dummy account, using the browser for only one thing, use a dummy google account.
    It should do it. And yes, it's horrible that we have to resort to that. I've separated out certain types of software that way for years.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2015-08-04 20:38
    As I just posted in that Happy Days thread, Just turning off everything Microsoft has told you about doesn't mean you have everything turned off.

    It's ridiculous to have this kind of stuff in an operating system in the first place, but for it to all be turned on by default simply should not have happened.
  • Where is the start menu? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/04/windows_10_start_menu_replacements_hot_cakes/

    hmm- there is sort of a start menu if you right click instead of left click the start button. At least this makes it possible to turn the machine off now.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Speaking of "Bash" does this Windows version have a usable command line interface now?

    :)
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2015-08-05 04:00
    That's powershell ;P
    I'm likely out of a job soon for refusing to go along with this. After all how can I collaborate with my coworkers without it?

    Yeah. Try a contract with Google, or one of the companies it owns. You better have a gmail to collaborate, or... you just don't.

    Now, to be fair, when the tools are used as intended, it's lean, productive, and all that. You can use almost any OS too. No worries.

    Similar things are in play at Microsoft too. Different tools, but same idea. It's like company culture exported and mandated in some ways.

    But still, lock in seems to be growing more pervasive.
  • Heater. wrote: »
    Over there on the Windows hostages thread RDL2004 said:
    Windows 10 is basically malicious, predatory spyware thinly disguised as an operating system.

    Not that I disagree in principle, but lets be fair and call a spade a spade.

    Linux had this before Windows, even though it was limited at the time to Amazon.

    /Flame-on
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    koehler (your post looks like a quote btw - the new forum is a bit tricky that way)
    I believe you are talking about what Canonical (a commercial entity) did with Ubuntu at one point. Ubuntu, not Linux. I've never used Ubuntu. And as there are lots of alternatives there was a backlash and as far as I know Canonical backed out. The system works.
    Again, not Linux at all. A distro. I use Debian, but that's not necessarily "Linux". You can get Debian with a FreeBSD kernel, and even Hurd is an option.

    -Tor
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-08-05 11:19
    koehler,

    Your posts, here and in the anti-thread, are so mangled, I can't be sure what is quote and what is post.

    What is this thing that Linux had before Windows and has something or other to do with Amazon and spying? I have no idea.

    Yes, of course, we all often casually say "Linux" when referring to distros like Debian, Redhat, and the hundreds of others. But it helps to be clearer when making OS comparisons.

    Notice though nobody says "Linux" when referring to Android, Chrome OS etc.

    You are right, my printer story is a reflection of the sorry state of Canon drivers, their documentation, their web site, and the available means of download. Canon suck big time. Amazing really for such a mainstream provider of a common or garden printer.

    My colleague is as adept as I say he is. He is a smart cookie.

    The point of the story is that neither Windows or Linux is easier to use when you are up against such issues. Yes a draw, they both loose, all operating systems suck.

    However not all of them are designed to be a means of extorting money out of you and exploiting your personal information.
  • So I guess some people have to back pedal, or go directly to Wikipedia and make some changes. Or I guess more fine tuning of the message.

    Ray

    Linux (pronounced Listeni/ˈlɪnəks/ LIN-əks[4][5] or, less frequently, /ˈlaɪnəks/ LYN-əks[5][6]) is a Unix-like and mostly POSIX-compliant[7] computer operating system (OS) assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution. The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel,[8] an operating system kernel first released on 5 October 1991 by Linus Torvalds.[9][10] The Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to describe the operating system, which has led to some controversy.[11][12]
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Rsadeika,
    I guess some people have to back pedal...
    I guess you mean me.

    No, what we have to do is restate the case more forcefully :)

    Wikipedia is a wonderful thing and always a good place to start ones researches. However that entry is incorrect in almost every detail. How do we know that:

    1) You can get the source code for Linux from here: https://github.com/torvalds/linux. Certainly when you have done that and built it you will not have any kind of usable operating system. You could boot it up on a machine but when it gets to run the first program, which does not exist, it will be wedged.

    2) Linux is trade marked. See here: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/programs/legal/trademark

    3) The wiki states: "The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel". This is not true, as I said before we do not call Android, Chrome OS, FirefoxOS, etc "Linux".

    4) The wiki states "mostly POSIX-compliant". I may be wrong here but I don't think that is true. Linux on it's own does not support any POSIX API's. Not without a bunch of libraries on top, libc, libpthread, etc, etc, etc. None of which are part of the Linux project. In fact much of it is from the GNU project that was started a long time before.

    5) Richard Stallman, who started the GNU project, will forcibly remind you that an OS built from Linux and GNU libraries, tools, compilers (GCC) etc is not "Linux". He will call it "GNU/Linux". Quite rightly he is miffed that people call his project "Linux".

    On the other hand...

    You are right. If we look at the README of the Linux repository we see:
    WHAT IS LINUX?

    Linux is a clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by
    Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across
    the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

    It has all the features you would expect in a modern fully-fledged Unix,

    Even the kernel devs describe their product incorrectly. What can we do? :)
  • Or how about this from Linux.org, are you still sticking to the "Linux is a kernel" message? I am sure that if I search long enough I will come up with a direct quote from Linus Trovalds himself disagreeing with your message.

    Ray
    Beginners Level Course: What is Linux?

    Linux is an operating system that evolved from a kernel created by Linus Torvalds when he was a student at the University of Helsinki. Generally, it is obvious to most people what Linux is. However, both for political and practical reasons, it needs to be explained further. To say that Linux is an operating system means that it's meant to be used as an alternative to other operating systems, Windows, Mac OS, MS-DOS, Solaris and others. Linux is not a program like a word processor and is not a set of programs like an office suite. Linux is an interface between computer/server hardware, and the programs which run on it.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-08-05 14:35
    Ray,

    You know that story about the king that ended up not wearing any clothes and everyone agreeing that he had such fine garments?

    There is what people say. And then there is physical reality. You cannot operate a computer with just Linux alone.

    In this case you can do the experiment for yourself. It's simple, download all the software from the Linux github repository, build it and run it. Then report back what kind of an "operating system" you have.

    That quote from Linux.org is incorrect in saying "To say that Linux is an operating system means that it's meant to be used as an alternative to other operating systems, Windows, Mac OS, MS-DOS, Solaris and others." That is clearly impossible. You have to add a lot to Linux before it starts to resemble Windows of Mac or Solaris. Or even MS-DOS.

    They are of course correct in saying "Linux is an interface between computer/server hardware, and the programs which run on it.". That is not sufficient to be an operating system as generally generally understood my uses of Mac, Windows etc.

    Having said all that. I'm quite happy to refer to Debian, Ubuntu, RedHat and may others as "Linux" in casual speech. In the same way that all vacuum cleaners are referred to as "hoover" or the act of using any search engine is to "google it".


  • Can we get back to Windows 10 bashing? :innocent:
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-08-05 14:50
    Publison,
    Can we get back to Windows 10 bashing
    Sure. I have to finish up some real bashing here first.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash_(Unix_shell)
This discussion has been closed.