Windows 11 - Full production release - Easy upgrade, no problems - and no thrills.

[bravomail]

I have yet to hear a single new good feature in Windows 11, but keep reading articles about problems in it. Let's wait til they stop supporting Win10?

 

[pseudoid]

Does MS do this on purpose? Little things just to annoy users, or do they really think they are offering 'added value' by making folks relearn what they already knew how to do? I can't even imagine how screwed up the thinking of the people in the MS user interface design department must be.

Microsoft WindowsOS may not be the best horse in the glue factory but it certainly is not the worst.
Yes, 'simple' turned into 'complex' in everything we call computing, maybe even all the way down to our simple doorbell and key (less) entry.
I am trying to convince myself that I am doing the 'green' thing by keeping my old work-horse as long as it is productive before that 'glue factory'.
Or maybe I have to stop building rugged PCs, so that they don't last that long.
With that throw away mentality, I might as well do the same with crappy audio hardware and don't bother with.... errrr... whether Oracle-02 'hybrid-op-amps are for real or clones.

 

[restorer-john]

I have no interest in Win11, especially as my main PCs are supposedly unable to run it. Sure, I can force them to work and maybe even get the updates to work, but it's just not worth it. I've always hated W10 as they royally messed up Win7 to make it.

It's ironic that a low end Lenovo laptop (celeron dual core+64GB SSD) I bought for kicks is able to run Win11 and yet a TOTL Gaming pooder with an i7 6th Gen, 48GB ram, 2xraid SSD/1xSSD will be a fight to install it. That's enough for me to stick to 10 until the machines stop working.

 

[anmpr1]

Microsoft WindowsOS may not be the best horse in the glue factory but it certainly is not the worst.

I agree totally. The new Win is arguably much better than MS-DOS 4.1. Of course I'm being ridiculous, but really... why do they screw things around, constantly. Why do they do that? For what (as far as I and many others can tell) is no good reason?

FWIW, I tried out their browser. I'd read a lot of good words about it. Upon opening, it was one huge advertisement for MS and its partners. I mean the whole thing was like one big commercial. Neon, up front and in your face. Look, I just want to visit a few Web sites. I don't need the news from orgs I don't trust, travel tips and how to book a hotel at places I'll never stay, I'm not interested in what's on Netflix for a price..., and all the other crap MS was hawking.

Things have definitely deteriorated on the Web. Netscape Navigator was about the high point. AOL and Javascript was the beginning of the end! LOL

 

[Doodski]

I agree totally. The new Win is arguably much better than MS-DOS 4.1. Of course I'm being ridiculous, but really... why do they screw things around, constantly. Why do they do that? For what (as far as I and many others can tell) is no good reason?

FWIW, I tried out their browser. I'd read a lot of good words about it. Upon opening, it was one huge advertisement for MS and its partners. I mean the whole thing was like one big commercial. Neon, up front and in your face. Look, I just want to visit a few Web sites. I don't need the news from orgs I don't trust, travel tips and how to book a hotel at places I'll never stay, I'm not interested in what's on Netflix for a price..., and all the other crap MS was hawking.

Things have definitely deteriorated on the Web. Netscape Navigator was about the high point. AOL and Javascript was the beginning of the end! LOL

R U using Google Chrome? with AdBlock+ to eliminate ~98% of the ads and bugz too?

 

[anmpr1]

R U using Google Chrome? with AdBlock+ to eliminate ~98% of the ads and bugz too?

I've mostly been using Brave for the last year or two. Sometimes Firefox, but only because that opens up automatically when I click an email link. I can probably change that. Both do use ad blockers, which is a necessity these days.

I admit that I can't get too hardcore. Too lazy. I just would like 'one and done'. Plus, I'll never be in Stallman's leauge, using Emacs as my browser...

 

[Doodski]

I've mostly been using Brave for the last year or two. Sometimes Firefox, but only because that opens up automatically when I click an email link. I can probably change that. Both do use ad blockers, which is a necessity these days.

I admit that I can't get too hardcore. Too lazy. I just would like 'one and done'. Plus, I'll never be in Stallman's leauge, using Emacs as my browser...

I 've used chrome for so many years now and my life is in the email and in the bookmarks. Can't imagine using anything else. I did use firefox, Mozilla and Linux stuff on my linux boxes... It's really what a person is used to that is the most comfortable. I really appreciate that I can use multiple PCs and have all the passwords and bookmarks automatically on each one... Makes life so convenient.

 

[mhardy6647]

Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 can be manually installed on computers that do not meet the requirements, but the system will not automatically update
2021-11-27 05:48 HKT
From <https://min.news/en/tech/4aa45f54c99c99f4e7b0e16fa59cbd28.html>

BONUS!!!
The auto updates are one of those typically annoying MicroSoft "features"
... like the travesty that is the most recent desecration of the Office 365 apps' "look and feel". Looks like it was done by preschoolers, for preschoolers.

I think I am goin' back to analog... finding a browser might be challenging, though, I do realize...

Heathkit analog computer by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

As a bizarre aside: I actually had one of those (in functional condition) for a while in the mid to late 1970s; given to me by Robert Ballentine at Hopkins (a story in itself). I tried on multiple occasions to get it to do something worthwhile but it was well beyond my ken in those days. It was so big and heavy that I ended up giving it to a CB radio buddy of mine in the late '70s -- something I regret whenever I think about it.

 

[pseudoid]

Why do they do that?

We all know but wish not to admit: They are trying to stay relevant with their version of an abacus.
Only because profits matter and competition is fierce!

R U using Google Chrome?

I would have imagined that the ASR cognoscenti would avoid Alphabet products (search, chrome, android, etc.) as if 'they' were a new mutation of some invisible virus.
I try to minimize my exposure to google products but when more-than-half of the 93% of US population w/phones are using android products; it becomes near impossible to become the 7th degree of KevinBacon (in the eyes of ggle).
I use Brave to connect/text with my android peeps, strictly as a placebo effect but know it is in vain!
FireFox has been with me going back to the beta Netscape versions and have zero reason to change my browsing needs.

 

[mhardy6647]

I agree totally. The new Win is arguably much better than MS-DOS 4.1.

Yeah, but what about DOS 5? Those were rose-colored days, mein Freund.

 

[pseudoid]

DOS 5? Those were rose-colored days

Back then, anything was better than BASIC but who were we to complain? ...of course, the whining was muted because we all knew that Windows was [errrr...] right around the corner and smack-talk about each released-version should fall on our deaf ears.
We gotsa have the Haters, Deniers, EarlyAdopters, and FanBoys: They serve all of us users!

Has there ever been a poll to find out what ASR members use as their primary computing element?
Personally, I have zero use for anything smaller than size9 font or less than dual 27" monitors.

 

[storing]

size9 font or less than dual 27" monitors

Doesn't mean too much without mentioning DPI or similar Recently switched to dual 27" (2560x1440 no scaling) from dual 24" (1600x1200 no scaling) and while the added space is awesome and just right for programming, the 27" is a bit much. Either the far edge of one of the monitors is just too far, or I have to rotate them more but sitting with my your head rotated half of the time isn't comfortable, or I have to sit centered meaning the center of my view is 2 monitor edges. Didn't really have that with 24".

 

[anmpr1]

Yeah, but what about DOS 5? Those were rose-colored days, mein Freund.

5 was a humdinger, for sure. I remember buying the boxed upgrade floppy discs. I think there were two of them. Might have been three. Very modern, with commands such as UNDELETE. and the DOS Shell. And the ability to load some drivers 'high'. A big improvement over 4. 6.x iterations were mostly incremental 5.0 improvements, with some add-ons (like drive compression).

I think DOS 5 was the last version of any OTC MS OS where you actually got thorough documentation inside the box. 5 came with a book of commands, tips and tricks for using it. A regular reference quality book. Maybe you got that with Win 3x, too. After that, boxed upgrades just shipped with a colorful brochure highlighting some of the 'features' of the new build. I think it was about at this time that MS made a push to shift end user 'support' to hardware vendors, and system builders.

Those were the days before copy protection, and there was no on-line activation. My first Win 3.x experience was installing colleague's copied floppies. I think there were six Win 3.x floppies.

Then it evolved to 'system restore' discs that came from your PC builder. Couldn't really pirate that, because it was all system specific. Then came on-line activation. Now, almost everything is downloaded via your MS (and other software developer) accounts. I still have a Win 7 Pro CD that came with an OEM build. 7 was really user friendly and pretty intuitive. IMO the user friendly aspect of MS went downhill from there.

Someone at one of the major PC press organizations should interview the head of MS. Ask him why they do the stuff they do? Ask him if he can explain it? But they won't. The mainstream PC press is pretty much like the mainstream audio press. Worthless for getting to the meat.

 

[storing]

IMO the user friendly aspect of MS went downhill from there

Went both ways imo. I toggle betweeen 7 and 10 almost daily and while there are enough weird/stupid decisions made in 10, it does have some things going for it which are clear improvements over 7 and which I actually miss there (just to name some: window snapping, just typing in start menu to look for things, Defender is a bit mixed but still, fast boot, DPI scaling, better multi-monitor).

 

[pseudoid]

...Either the far edge of one of the monitors is just too far...
...Doesn't mean too much without mentioning DPI or similar...

I have my 2 Acer 27" (#XG27OHU) monitors canted inwards to form about 70degree angle. With their vertical screen-centers about 1" below my eye-level, when my noggin is facing straight ahead and about 32" away from the monitors (see my desktop setup photo here).

"9point" statement (and chosen size) was RE: a 'desktop' normal font size (w/o getting bogged down RE: dpi) and was really referring to miniature screens on phones.

 

[storing]

monitors canted inwards to form about 70degree angle

Sounds reasonable. Perhaps I should just try and get over it and ignore the monitor edges in the center.

was really referring to miniature screens on phones.

Right. And then to compensate people seem to bend their neck even more towards it instead of just holding the thing up. Really makes one wonder what the genereal population's spine curve is going to look like in a decade

 

[pseudoid]

Sounds reasonable. Perhaps I should just try and get over it and ignore the monitor edges in the center.

One of the problems with such a setup )canted dual-monitors( is the fact that both monitors need to be the same brand/model AND MUST be purchased at the same time. My Acer (#XG27OHU) monitors were purchased 6 moths apart and even the firmware and settings are quite different.
There is also the option to go for a single "Curved" monitor but I get an indescribable 'vertigo effect, or like I was in a fishbowl, or sumsuch... that my mate does not seem to be bothered by the curvature (or the crappy sounding white speakers; since she is more into Feng Shui color-matching than performance...)

 

[jhaider]

Are there any open-source dictatorships?
Askin' for a friend.

Arguably the formula for modern dictatorship is open source now…

The Bad Guys Are Winning

If the 20th century was the story of slow, uneven progress toward the victory of liberal democracy over other ideologies—communism, fascism, virulent nationalism—the 21st century is, so far, a story of the reverse.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[anmpr1]

As a critic of the usual MS way of mucking stuff up badly, whenever they introduce their latest and greatest product, I want to point out and give credit whenever credit is due. With this in mind I'd like to highlight their little calculator applet.

Calculator began life (I believe) as an added feature to Win 3.x. It was pretty good then, but better now. Because, through all the versions of Windows, MS not only kept its original simple functionality, but improved on it, always keeping the needs of the end-user in mind. Yes, it's still the same old simple point 'n click (or, use the keypad option) thing it always was, but now offers a lot of functions and conversion sets not found in the original. Very helpful and useful for those times you need a quick addition or subtraction, and don't have enough fingers, and don't want to deal with the hassles of an Excel formula.

After uncounted billions of dollars in R&D, and with some of the best minds on the planet working for them, I think we can all agree that Calculator has proven to the world how MS can actually take a good idea and make it incrementally better over the years. It might not be the best calculator out there, but it's certainly not the worst. And it's not like they hid some of the keys, like they always hide the other stuff users are familiar with, whenever they come out with new versions. I'm sure Calculator Team struggled with that, but overcame the temptation.

I'm thinking that at least some of the credit has to go to the Ballmer 'monkey dance'... an inspiring bit of choreography that to this day no doubt continues to inspire the company's employees. Making them want to do the right thing.

So after all my criticisms, I want to be the first to say: Thanks MS. For doing good!

PS: I really think they need to monetize Calc. Maybe charge a monthly subscription. Or some pop-up adds. Put a news feed on it. I'm sure they are working on that idea , as I type.

 

[litemotiv]

If i had strong negative feelings about Windows i would surely switch to a different OS, after all there are good alternatives.

I used linux exclusively for about 10 years, it's still my favorite OS because of it's customizability, but eventually i got fed up with the recurring manual maintenance. I used OSX for about 4 years but it wasn't for me, i never really felt at home in their philosophy. I've also used Chrome OS devices for a few years which were pretty nice, and i have a large Android tablet with keyboard that is surprisingly flexible and powerful, i could technically use that as my sole machine.

On my main laptop i switched back from linux to Windows when Win10 arrived with WSL and it just worked™, i haven't really felt the need for anything else since.

However if things started annoying me greatly or breaking all the time, then surely i would just move again to one of the alternatives, instead of going online and complain about Windows not being what i want it to be. That just feels like a waste of time and energy.

Life's too short to spend your time complaining instead of just fixing the things that bother you.