Windows 10 User Poll

[jakeroot]

What exactly is this continuing aversion to Windows 10? It's a million times better than any other version of Windows I've ever used. Granted, I never had any issues with installing it, but certainly there are going to be some incompatibilities, as there would be with any new OS. That's sort of how upgrades work.

[Roadrunner75]

What exactly is this continuing aversion to Windows 10? It's a million times better than any other version of Windows I've ever used. Granted, I never had any issues with installing it, but certainly there are going to be some incompatibilities, as there would be with any new OS. That's sort of how upgrades work.

Not everybody feels like wasting their time learning a new operating system and dealing with the upgrade process and any incompatibilities.  Not everybody likes constant change.  Microsoft doesn't understand that Windows isn't the main event - it's the means to an end, but not the destination itself.  We don't sit down at our computers to use Windows.  I just want an OS that works consistently and allows me to do the things I sat down to do - use the internet, use Word, etc.  I don't need any bells and whistles or fancy graphics while I'm launching a program.  Windows 7 with its 'Classic' theme works fine and does exactly what I need it to do - unobtrusively launch my programs and keep them running.  When it comes time to buy another computer, I guess I'm stuck with it, but for now it'll be Windows 7.  Microsoft can get off my lawn.

[vdeane]

I don't like the spying in Windows 10, I prefer the Windows 7 start menu, and I'd hate to lose the Aero glass theme.  I just don't see a need for the touch-centric features and the return to the Fisher Price style UI.

For those who are having forced upgrade issues: https://www.grc.com/never10.htm (I've also had automatic updates disabled for a while, as my Windows laptop is not my primary computer, and the automatic check that would start shortly after turning it on was interfearing with my attempts to manually check for/install updates).

[jakeroot]

What exactly is this continuing aversion to Windows 10? It's a million times better than any other version of Windows I've ever used. Granted, I never had any issues with installing it, but certainly there are going to be some incompatibilities, as there would be with any new OS. That's sort of how upgrades work.

Not everybody feels like wasting their time learning a new operating system and dealing with the upgrade process and any incompatibilities.  Not everybody likes constant change.  Microsoft doesn't understand that Windows isn't the main event - it's the means to an end, but not the destination itself.  We don't sit down at our computers to use Windows.  I just want an OS that works consistently and allows me to do the things I sat down to do - use the internet, use Word, etc.  I don't need any bells and whistles or fancy graphics while I'm launching a program.  Windows 7 with its 'Classic' theme works fine and does exactly what I need it to do - unobtrusively launch my programs and keep them running.  When it comes time to buy another computer, I guess I'm stuck with it, but for now it'll be Windows 7.  Microsoft can get off my lawn.

I totally get what you're saying, man. And I pretty much entirely agree, which is why for several years, I owned a Mac (I was tired of Windows trying too hard to be really fancy, looking good but ultimately achieving very little). My point is simply that Windows 10 really harkens back to the old days of Windows. No glass themes, tons of keyboard shortcuts, really fast/relatively light-weight. The list goes on, and while it isn't perfect (my computer loves to restart after I shut it down, for some reason -- very annoying), it's by far the best Windows I've used since XP (I was born in '95, so I have little experience with pre-XP).

I don't like the spying in Windows 10, I prefer the Windows 7 start menu, and I'd hate to lose the Aero glass theme.  I just don't see a need for the touch-centric features and the return to the Fisher Price style UI.

I can't speak for the spying (I have no idea what you're on about), but I've always thought the glossy Aero theme was kind of ugly. The flatness of Windows 10 is far more attractive to me.

[roadman]

On a different note, is Microsoft ever going to finally wake up and recognize that NOBODY these days uses keyboard commands to activate menus or functions anymore.  I am a faster typist than many people, and I am sick and tired of having Word or Excel or whatever else I'm working in (including on websites like this one) suddenly go into an unexpected mode just because the computer confused my fast typing with a command.  All because the programmers they hire don't understand how to remove outdated code instead of just building on top of it.

I work with Excel on a daily basis at-work, and do use some of the keyboard combinations to trigger menu items and such, simply because it allows me to keep both hands on the keyboard. One of our applications we use is built on the IBM 3270 terminal, and while there is a simplified web-interface that includes many buttons to navigate, it is often faster to just tab-and-type instead of clicking.

Yeah, I use key commands to access menus all the time. It's still quite a bit faster than reaching for the mouse once you have the key sequence memorized.

Fair enough.  Now for my next question.  Is there any way to shut that "functionality" off?

[vdeane]

A lot of the privacy issues are due to Microsoft's LARGE reliance on cloud services in Windows 10 (especially Cortana).

http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/17/technology/windows-10-privacy/

This part is particularly worrying:

"We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

[Bruce]

It took about 5 hours last night to install Windows 10 on my laptop, which was running Windows 8.1. I gotta say it's not spectacular and I quite miss some of the third-party programs that haven't been ported over (OblyTile, mostly...the one way to make the Metro menu useful). Haven't tried out all the features yet, but hoping to get up to speed in time for a transcontinental trip next week.

Definitely not ready to pull the trigger on my primary desktop, though. It's too much of a risk!

[Otto Yamamoto]

What exactly is this continuing aversion to Windows 10? It's a million times better than any other version of Windows I've ever used. Granted, I never had any issues with installing it, but certainly there are going to be some incompatibilities, as there would be with any new OS. That's sort of how upgrades work.

Not everybody feels like wasting their time learning a new operating system and dealing with the upgrade process and any incompatibilities.  Not everybody likes constant change.  Microsoft doesn't understand that Windows isn't the main event - it's the means to an end, but not the destination itself.  We don't sit down at our computers to use Windows.  I just want an OS that works consistently and allows me to do the things I sat down to do - use the internet, use Word, etc.  I don't need any bells and whistles or fancy graphics while I'm launching a program.  Windows 7 with its 'Classic' theme works fine and does exactly what I need it to do - unobtrusively launch my programs and keep them running.  When it comes time to buy another computer, I guess I'm stuck with it, but for now it'll be Windows 7.  Microsoft can get off my lawn.

I totally get what you're saying, man. And I pretty much entirely agree, which is why for several years, I owned a Mac (I was tired of Windows trying too hard to be really fancy, looking good but ultimately achieving very little). My point is simply that Windows 10 really harkens back to the old days of Windows. No glass themes, tons of keyboard shortcuts, really fast/relatively light-weight. The list goes on, and while it isn't perfect (my computer loves to restart after I shut it down, for some reason -- very annoying), it's by far the best Windows I've used since XP (I was born in '95, so I have little experience with pre-XP).

I don't like the spying in Windows 10, I prefer the Windows 7 start menu, and I'd hate to lose the Aero glass theme.  I just don't see a need for the touch-centric features and the return to the Fisher Price style UI.

I can't speak for the spying (I have no idea what you're on about), but I've always thought the glossy Aero theme was kind of ugly. The flatness of Windows 10 is far more attractive to me.

http://www.classicshell.net/ this brings back the classic start menu to Windows 10. It works quite well. I had a similar problem with Unity in Gnome in Ubuntu. There's an app for that that brings a drop down menu in Gnome, which speeds things up.

XT1585

[SSOWorld]

A lot of the privacy issues are due to Microsoft's LARGE reliance on cloud services in Windows 10 (especially Cortana).

http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/17/technology/windows-10-privacy/

This part is particularly worrying:

"We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

Then don't do those things

Also, Facebook invades your privacy as much as Cortana/Siri/Alexa do if not more. 

The only true way to get "off the grid" is to stop using computers altogether.

[vdeane]

It's to be expected that Facebook could figure out what you do on its site and rational people act accordingly.  It's not expected that what one does on their own private computer is going to be anything other than completely private.  Back in the day, things like keyloggers were considered MALWARE, and if malware was using a microphone to listen to everything one says, there would be outrage.  Now nobody cares if such things are built into an OS, turning a private device into a treasure trove of information for advertisers and the NSA.  Next thing you know, even one's own internal thoughts won't be private any more.

As far as I'm concerned, if you're not explicitly going on the internet, what happens in your computer, should stay in your computer (even internet stuff should be between you and the website, no other parties, and yes, I'd outlaw the modern form of targeted advertising that targets individuals instead of just demographics).

Even not using a computer won't help soon.  Some cities are installing cameras with microphones all over the place.  There's even a UN plan to connect them in a global database to fight terrorism or something like that.

[kkt]

A lot of the privacy issues are due to Microsoft's LARGE reliance on cloud services in Windows 10 (especially Cortana).

http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/17/technology/windows-10-privacy/

This part is particularly worrying:

"We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

Then don't do those things

Also, Facebook invades your privacy as much as Cortana/Siri/Alexa do if not more. 

The only true way to get "off the grid" is to stop using computers altogether.

Not true.  You can stop using Facebook and still use computers.

[Scott5114]

A lot of the privacy issues are due to Microsoft's LARGE reliance on cloud services in Windows 10 (especially Cortana).

http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/17/technology/windows-10-privacy/

This part is particularly worrying:

"We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

Then don't do those things

Also, Facebook invades your privacy as much as Cortana/Siri/Alexa do if not more. 

The only true way to get "off the grid" is to stop using computers altogether.

Or use Linux.

[Stratuscaster]

That's not a guarantee of anything either - reduces the chances, but no guarantee.

[kkt]

The only guarantees are death and taxes.

[paulthemapguy]

The only guarantees are death and taxes.

And also that for everything that exists, there is also a pornographic version of it.

In other news, when I release my next indie rock album, I'm entitling it "Death and Taxes."