Poll:How's That Windows 10 Upgrade Coming Along?

[easysurfer]

Microsoft posted a public admission that their Windows 10 update was too aggressive.

Microsoft Admits It “Went Too Far” with Aggressive Windows 10 Updates

Not that that will HELP anyone who got pushed into Windows 10, and didn't want it.

Microsoft definitely used the stick instead of the carrot motivation with that change.

Kind of reminds me of when Intuit had that need to verify your copy approach that year when folks just wanted a working program to file taxes .

 

[Options]

I'm among those that refused to assimilate with Win10. I'm just fine with the Windows 7 that came pre-installed on my computer I bought earlier this year. I know enough about computers to know that I don't want to roll the die and see if I get to spend countless hours wrestling with unknown software issues coming up at unpredictable times.

+1
I dislike all things Microsoft. A couple years ago they completely screwed up their Hotmail accounts repeatedly. Their updates are positively laborious as compared to Apple updates.

Yesterday, those idiots sent me a text, which is supposed to be used to for security purposes that literally read: "The wait is over. Your security changes have been made. Click here [link embedded] to view the changes". I immediately thought my account had been hacked due to the nonsensical text, worried who had gotten access to both my account and my phone number, and even worried that my computer had somehow, despite the most elaborate of precautions, been compromised. I proceeded to access the account (not by using their embedded text link) in both sandbox and incognito mode, only to discover it was Microsoft once again at their finest: the nonsensical text with an embedded link (a huge security no-no) was in fact MS confirming a security change I'd made over 30 days ago.

I see an Apple in my future.

 

[Ian S]

I tried WIN 10 on my Desktop but because of a particular CAD software issue, I reverted back to WIN 7 and will keep that for the foreseeable future. However, I plan to configure a dual boot with a purchased copy of WIN 10 Pro and will migrate most of my software to that while keeping the WIN 7 for certain CAD and video software that would be too costly or painful to switch over to WIN 10. I have a 10 year old laptop that has been upgraded to WIN 10 Pro and it works OK even with only 2 GB memory.

 

[easysurfer]

I'm happy [-]upgrading[/-] downgrading back to Win 7 until Win 7 security updates are no longer supported in 2020.

Though probably about 80% or more of my computer use is on the internet (web surfing, Facebook etc.) I'd still miss some really need or nice to have Windows programs like my garmin GPS update, Turbotax and Macrium Reflect backups).

 

[easysurfer]

The recent pushing by Microsoft makes me think of hanging onto Windows 7 longer or looking for an alternative .

Do you use Windows 7? Microsoft MSFT -0.30% says you are placing yourself in danger…


In a new post on the official Microsoft Newsroom, the company has warned Windows 7 users the ageing platform suffers from a number of serious failings including security deficiencies and hardware restrictions while reiterating all support for the platform is ending. It’s scary stuff.



“Today, [Windows 7] does not meet the requirements of modern technology, nor the high security requirements of IT departments,” says Markus Nitschke, Head of Windows at Microsoft Germany.
The Microsoft post (originally written in German) goes into more detail actively attacking Windows 7 for its "long-outdated security architectures" and warning any users and businesses who are running that they are more susceptible to cyber attacks.

Let me be absolutely clear: Microsoft is taking extreme liberties with the truth and Windows 7 users should not panic. Instead they should see this for what it is - a desperate attempt by the company to push users to Windows 10 after the infamous nagging stopped.

Don’t be scared by Microsoft and don’t let other, less technical, friends and family members be scared by it either. Share this post and take comfort from the fact that for the next three years Windows 7 will continue to serve you very well indeed - whether Microsoft likes it or not…

Forbes Welcome

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Seems Microsoft decided that Windows 7 warning was a bit aggressive

That article points to Born's tech and windows world , which is a pretty interesting read.

 

[easysurfer]

Seems Microsoft decided that Windows 7 warning was a bit aggressive

That article points to Born's tech and windows world , which is a pretty interesting read.

I like how the article ends:

If you choose to move from Windows 7 to Windows 10, that’s great. But if you decide to stick with Win7, you shouldn’t be bullied by ill-conceived PR. Even if it comes from Microsoft.

The warning from Microsoft about just how "dangerous" Windows 7 is now reminds me of when buying a car. The dealer says how great the car is until you sign on the dotted line, then the dealer says how crappy the car is and you really need a maintenance warranty.

Because of Microsoft's bullying tactic, I've been poking around a bit over the few days looking at various Linux distros .

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

I like how the article ends:

The warning from Microsoft about just how "dangerous" Windows 7 is now reminds me of when buying a car. The dealer says how great the car is until you sign on the dotted line, then the dealer says how crappy the car is and you really need a maintenance warranty.

Because of Microsoft's bullying tactic, I've been poking around a bit over the few days looking at various Linux distros .

Agreed. I would be interested what you think about Linux. I looked at my windows apps. and I can't see one that I can't live without, or find a replacement under Linux. It's either that or a Chromebook for me next.

 

[Totoro]

I put my Linux (Mint) move on hold, there is something wrong with power management (BIOS / Kernel interaction) causing my fan to go 100% all the time instead of only when needed. Since I like silence ..

.. looked around for fixes, none to be had so far. Should have done my research upfront before buying this laptop.

So still dealing with the Microsoft scourge until I get it sorted out.

 

[Peter]

My experience with Linux Mint:

Put it on a very old Toshiba Satellite laptop, Celeron M processor. Everything works; power management, WiFi, etc. And of course it runs all the standard apps much faster than it did on WindowsXP. Overall rating 100%.

Also put it on my main computer as a dual boot option. This is an ACER desktop i7-2600 processor, about 4 years old. Everything works except power management. In particular, when coming out of sleep mode, the graphics is all screwed up. Possibly this is a function of the Radeon HD6450 graphics card I have installed, but whatever the reason, it's a minor frustration. Overall rating 90%.

Finally, I have it running on an Intel Atom Cherry Trail machine. It runs, and it's faster than Windows 10, but lots of stuff doesn't work; WiFi, sound, power management, etc. Overall rating 50%. I have this machine running all the time to filter out spam e-mails, and it's ideal for that purpose.

Could I switch totally to Linux? Not quite. No TurboTax, no Adobe Lightroom, and a few others that are not available on Linux. It's a shame, because otherwise the OS is streets ahead of Windows.

 

[easysurfer]

Agreed. I would be interested what you think about Linux. I looked at my windows apps. and I can't see one that I can't live without, or find a replacement under Linux. It's either that or a Chromebook for me next.

My disclaimer is as far as Linux, I've only dabbled. My initial impression is I both like Linux and also find parts frustrating. Exciting for one, outside of Microsoft's [-]grasp [/-] changes. But can be frustrating too when having to go in unfamiliar territory like using the terminal at times. Was playing around today with a distribution (to test and play, I removed my Windows hard drives, and installed Linux on a blank drive). Did, after some poking around get the printer/scanner to work.


I spent a good part of the past couple of weeks looking at different distros (there are so many out there). Initially, I had Linux Mint on my laptop but decided to look at others. Wasted about 3 days trying to get one called Manjaro installed but just wouldn't work on my laptop.

Eventually found a distro that I really like called Zorin (haven't heard of before). I release 10 of Zorin that feels pretty much like Win 7. The most current version of Zorin is supposed to be more like Win 10.

There's also a distro out there called Elementary OS Luna is a Mac look alike.

I'm not ready to jump ship yet, but tempted to eventually. Been listing out what Windows programs I use and if there are Linux counterparts. For the most, there are for me. Some there won't be like Garmin GPS update and Turbotax. I think using a virtual machine (VM) they would work, but then that'll be installing a copy of Windows anyhow on the VM. So, wouldn't then I'd still be having to deal with Win updates and all?

 

[RetiredGypsy]

So, wouldn't then I'd still be having to deal with Win updates and all?

Yep. It's still treated like a complete computer, just one you don't need completely separate hardware for.

Linux has WINE, that's supposed to be a pseudo-Windows application that you can run a lot of Windows applications from.

 

[easysurfer]

Yep. It's still treated like a complete computer, just one you don't need completely separate hardware for.

Linux has WINE, that's supposed to be a pseudo-Windows application that you can run a lot of Windows applications from.

I've played around before with WINE which allowed me to run some Windows applications (my password manager, budget program as examples) that I'd still use on Linux.

But for the ones that I'm pretty sure don't work on WINE, such as Turbotax and Garmin map updates, I kinda don't like the idea of having to keep a whole Windows system, but that'll be unavoidable. Thus, will still have to keep the system updated and maintained anyhow, though less often.

 

[broadway]

Just did a complete install of Windows 10 Pro on my mom's old laptop.
I bought the license key from someone on eBay.
I am hoping the key stays legitimate. Apparently Microsoft can revoke it.
The laptop had been running Windows Vista, but I want to sell it.

I think I managed to get all the drivers installed.
The biggest problem was the AMD ATI video driver. The latest driver seems to fix the Windows 10 black screen.
With older hardware tracking down drivers can be a problem.

Not impressed with Windows 10. Tolerable, but I will stick with Windows 7.

I mainly 99% use Linux Mint.

 

[Totoro]

Regarding video: my laptop under Windows 10 with an NVIDIA 960M regularly has a video crash or a webbrowser blackout.

Depending on the latest updates the problem gets worse or better.

 

[easysurfer]

Regarding video: my laptop under Windows 10 with an NVIDIA 960M regularly has a video crash or a webbrowser blackout.

Depending on the latest updates the problem gets worse or better.

After Win 10's Anniversary update, my desktop crashed regularly because the desktop uses an onboard NVIDA chip. Thus, I'm back on Win 7.

 

[GrayHare]

If Microsoft was seriously concerned about Windows 7 deficiencies it would correct them. I might even pay for such an update. Once I like an operating system I do not wish to swap it out for one with a different user interface, such as Windows 10. Just fix the problems without forcing me to simultaneously accept other significant changes.

 

[Totoro]

.. and yesterday I got a full "BSOD" crash on my hands, including the words "critical structure corruption".

No instructions, no helpful information on what happened.

Seems no data lost, but I guess yet another wake-up call to get moving.

 

[JoeWras]

Linux is OK, but there are too many distros. It's a free world when it comes to open source, so I understand there's no stopping that.

But for the casual user pointed to Linux, you can understand why they would be overwhelmed.

 

[Totoro]

Well, just point to Linux Mint then. It's the most popular by far for a reason.

It's like the smartphone landscape, it's mostly Iphone and Samsung. Maybe HTC. The dozen other suppliers are there to confuse or help you, but for most people it doesn't matter.

 

[JoeWras]

Well, just point to Linux Mint then. It's the most popular by far for a reason.

It's like the smartphone landscape, it's mostly Iphone and Samsung. Maybe HTC. The dozen other suppliers are there to confuse or help you, but for most people it doesn't matter.

Sure, but just a few years ago it was Ubuntu.

I'm glad to hear one is winning and may become defacto. That will help. I may try Mint on a piece of old iron collecting dust. I wanted to like Ubuntu, but I thought it was overrated for desktop. And it still needed too much "I.T. hand's on" activity.

 

[easysurfer]

Linux is OK, but there are too many distros. It's a free world when it comes to open source, so I understand there's no stopping that.

But for the casual user pointed to Linux, you can understand why they would be overwhelmed.

Yes, too many distros. Some like to try the lastest and newest (but not necessarily greatest). I've been feeling like a distro junkie lately, kicking the tires of several .

In my recent Linux dabbling, discovered Distrowatch. Also, read about something called linux flatpak which could be a big deal.

Distributing applications on Linux is a pain: different distributions in multiple versions, each with their own versions of libraries and packaging formats. Flatpak is here to change all that. It allows the same app to be installed on different Linux distributions, including different versions. And it has been designed from the ground up with security in mind, so that apps are isolated from each other and from the host system.

Flatpak - the future of application distribution

 

[target2019]

I put Chrome OS on old notebook. I would point someone needing simplified UI to that.

Next level up would be Mint, or similar.

 

[easysurfer]

Well, just point to Linux Mint then. It's the most popular by far for a reason.

It's like the smartphone landscape, it's mostly Iphone and Samsung. Maybe HTC. The dozen other suppliers are there to confuse or help you, but for most people it doesn't matter.

My suggestion even before taking a distro out for a spin is to read reviews or watch youtube reviews on them. Some reviewers give a pretty detailed tour which saves the time of downloading and installing yourself. But ultimately, you gotta try one out to see if the distro just feels right or not.

The first distro I even installed was Puppy Linux but with that version, I wasn't able to create folders (maybe could have but I didn't know how by command line), so I felt totally lost. Then I put on Ubuntu, then Linux Mint and most recently Zorin. But all still aren't ready to make me jump ship just yet. I did find one (looked at youtube review) called Peppermint OS 7 which looks very promising and I'll have to definitely give a try.

If all else fails, as long as there still is a working version of Classic Shell, no move might be the best as long as I can tolerate Microsoft's tactics of pushing [-]crap [/-] improvements and forcing updates .

 

[broadway]

But all still aren't ready to make me jump ship just yet.

What is making you not want to jump ship?

Granted I am probably more of a geek than most people.
I do have a Dell desktop PC running Windows 7 Pro. It is/was for specialized software that I would use on the job and also Microsoft Office 2013.