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Windows 7 is okay. Windows 10 is what Windows 8 should have been. Same as Windows 7 is what Windows Vista should have been.
I didn't have any issues with the last Windows update. But I always have my files backed up to OneDrive. That issue has been fixed. The way I understood it, the user profile was the issue; files were not lost so much as people were logging into a user profile that did not reference the files on the device.
Good practice is to have your files in various places anyway. Cloud, another PC if possible, some people keep files on their phone, there are 256 GB and 512 GB cards out there, some people use a hard drive. Small files you can still keep in your email.
1. If you don't update your Windows (or any other OS) with bug and security patches, your computer is vulnerable to hackers.
2. The only safe way to run an unpatched computer is to never connect it to the Internet. Even at that, it's possible (probably unlikely) that malware might get in via removable media such as a thumb drive.
3. Windows 7 has about 14 months left to live. Security updates will end as of Jan. 14, 2020. After that date Microsoft won't patch Win7 for any new vulnerabilities, so please see #1 or #2 above.
In other words Windows 7 has a fatal disease and is expected to die January 2020. Consider that before you install Win7 on any new system.
I was going to make a thread about this... now that windows on the phone is basically dead, are they ever going to admit they screwed up botching up the user interface of the desktop version of windows and give us back the windows 7 user interface basically every PC user wants? We don't need square blocky icons on 26 inch 4K monitors. If anything Windows 7's icons and glass and UI would fit in with modern processing power and displays even better than it did when it came out.
They were going in the right direction when they came up with the sidebar and gadgets but then they discontinued it and decided blocky and plain was better, because they didn't want to make a seperate OS for phone, they wanted to use windows on both windows and phone and make it easier for a phone's processor to handle... despite this they've been doing well as a company thanks to their non-windows offerings. Still, perhaps we'll finally trend away from this square blocky crap and get back to rich graphics and actual icons as it should be.
I navigate through windows 10 and I still roll my eyes.. you've got 3 or 4 different types of window styles that don't compliment each other one bit.. it's like they just patched the new stuff over the old and never bothered to fix and integrate yet... better idea.. ditch the new interface and give us window 7's interface back. It's even more of a joke in a corporate environment.. no large corporation wants windows 10's interface.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rummage
Why do you need to run Windows? Is there an application you must have on Windows? Switch to Ubuntu. It's free.
I'm not using the terminal. Once linux has a terminal free experience that is as easy to use as windows, I'll switch.
I was going to make a thread about this... now that windows on the phone is basically dead, are they ever going to admit they screwed up botching up the user interface of the desktop version of windows and give us back the windows 7 user interface basically every PC user wants? We don't need square blocky icons on 26 inch 4K monitors. If anything Windows 7's icons and glass and UI would fit in with modern processing power and displays even better than it did when it came out.
Quick answer: No way in hell!
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwiz
They were going in the right direction when they came up with the sidebar and gadgets but then they discontinued it and decided blocky and plain was better, because they didn't want to make a seperate OS for phone, they wanted to use windows on both windows and phone and make it easier for a phone's processor to handle... despite this they've been doing well as a company thanks to their non-windows offerings. Still, perhaps we'll finally trend away from this square blocky crap and get back to rich graphics and actual icons as it should be.
Yes, that was a fatal mistake, thinking they could use the same (crappy/ugly) OS on everything from a cellphone to a 100" TV.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwiz
I navigate through windows 10 and I still roll my eyes.. you've got 3 or 4 different types of window styles that don't compliment each other one bit.. it's like they just patched the new stuff over the old and never bothered to fix and integrate yet... better idea.. ditch the new interface and give us window 7's interface back. It's even more of a joke in a corporate environment.. no large corporation wants windows 10's interface.
You have to understand MSFT's motivation on all the crap Windows releases after 2k/XP. They make money on software. To make money on software you have to have repeat business. If they just sold Win2k (or XP or 7) their OS business would tank. They have to keep changing things to justify anybody moving to a new version. Making old Windows versions obsolete kills them off to prevent them from interfering with new sales.
Also take into account the income makes from licensing PC manufacturers so pre-installed systems can be sold. (And damn! With no media in case you need a full re-install.) They can BS manufacturers into believing this is what customers want. Or anyway, the new version is the only version they'll sell to PC manufacturers so they have no choice either.
I just realized yesterday that since my present laptop (Win7) is on its last legs (5 years old) that I'll buy just one last laptop (and I'm stuck with Win10 Pro, won't take Home), and the way tablets are advancing I predict that with my decreasing needs I might be able to ditch Windows altogether with some advanced 2022 or 2023 model super-tablet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwiz
I'm not using the terminal. Once linux has a terminal free experience that is as easy to use as windows, I'll switch.
Linux has had desktops for years: Gnome, Xfce, etc. I've tried a few of them and they all suck.
Microsoft got it perfect with Win2k. WinXP was easy to tweak back to look like Win2k. Win7 can be tweaked back too, the first step is to replace the start menu with "Classic Shell" (Google it.) I've tweaked my Win7 back to mostly looking similar to 2k/XP.
Win10 can be tweaked to some degree but impossible to get anywhere close to looking good with those crappy tiles. I forgot if Classic Shell works on Win10. With Win10 the first thing you gotta do is NOT sign up for any account with MSFT. Then you go around killing as many features you don't like as you can. Replace the browser with Firefox or something.
As bad as Internet Explorer is, it blows my mind that MSFT actually came up with a worse browser for Win10.
Internet Explorer would be almost insignificant in market percentage if it didn't come pre-installed. Many users are not techie enough to install Firefox or other browser of their choice.
BTW Firefox (Mozilla) has now started thinking the same way, and as far as I'm concerned Firefox is nearing MY version of end of life. They had Firefox perfect years ago, yet they keep junking up with new features, and worse, change the version every month. I'm about ready to move to Pale Moon which is a fork of the Firefox code, and the PM developers have a philosophy to not junk it out... like the current Firefox... like Windows 10.
Software manufacturers just don't know to stop when they get it right. They have to keep junking in new features to justify new sales and/or new installs. I don't understand where Firefox is going but I don't like it. In the last year they've made almost all my add-ons obsolete. One of the most popular things about Firefox is all the add-ons available for you to customize your browser. I estimate they have now made about 75% of the old add-ons obsolete. Many if not most (or all) of those add-ons were written by third parties, and the third parties don't want to keep fixing something that isn't broken.
Anybody who agrees with me about Firefox and the direction they are taking, check out Pale Moon. It's sort of like "Firefox Classic." http://palemoon.org
Last edited by Lovehound; 11-04-2018 at 11:01 AM..
Indeed.. I do still like the simple look of windows 2000, though I never had any big complaints about windows XP, Vista, or 7 honestly. I know some people did, but I built all of my own computers and never had any major issues nor did the fruity looking UI on windows XP bother me.
Do people still buy desktops for home use in large numbers? I'd imagine kids still need something to type up homework or essays on. Still I'd imagine more and more of this stuff could be integrated into an all in one device.. the merging of desktop and game console, for example, where basic OS functionality can be offered on the console itself.
Home PCs are becoming more niche items perhaps, and smartphones and apps are where the big bucks are, so it's easy to see why there's so much of the market focused on that. I have a HTPC with a Geforce 1080ti and 8700K but I'd imagine that's not the norm for a typical home.
Seems to me the largest PC market is now going to be corporate, but they are so slow to upgrade that many of them are still using windows xp.... I guess it's just a matter of people putting up with it because they have no choice.. the majority of people dislike windows 10's UI but what are they going to do about it? Windows used to be sort of a passion of mine.. I'd sit and tweak it for the sake of tweaking it. Since Windows 8 came out, I just install classic shell and tolerate it.. I'm not passionate about it... I stick to enjoying the hardware aspect of the hobby and just tolerating windows. It's a necessary evil that has the potential to be great, but a few higher ups made their decision and everyone else has to suffer for it.
Stockwiz, we have a lot in common. I began with the first IBM-PC and made sideline money buying 20MB HDDs and installing them for friends and colleagues. DOS 2.0 was the OS then, until they made the first popular version: Windows 3.1. I built all my own computers right up to when I bought this laptop in 2013. And of course we can't build laptops. I used to charge a flat $100 for my PC building service, I'd get togeter with my customer and discuss their needs, then we'd go to Fry's Electronics (or the popular PC swap meets of that era) and they'd buy the parts, and then we'd go back to my house and I would put their PC together and install the OS as I chatted with my friend or colleague. I've always had one bedroom of my house as a dedicated electronic lab, and still do, altough the days of building PCs are mostly gone. More people are like me, discovering that the portability of a laptop trumps the power of a desktop. I could never go back to a desktop. My basic "office" is the couch in my den.
BTW, DOS 5.0 was the best DOS they ever made. They made the same mistakes with later releases of DOS that they did with Windows.
I'd say some people prefer desktops, gamers require desktops, and some/many corporations prefer desktops. However I'm seeing more and more corporate environments switching to laptops. Kids can write essays and do homework (even FB) just as well on laptops. And, laptops take a lot less space. -- Important: get a WiFi printer so you can use one printer for the whole house, and you won't have stuff dangling off your laptop. I have a major home network including a business sized laser printer, WiFi inkjet/scanner, and about 20 TB of NAS (network attached storage) of which 15 TB is RAID. You won't be surprised that I'm a retired electronic engineer (I did mostly software and firmware.)
There is IMO a much better way to do home theater. Just look this up, I won't go into details. I have the Sonos 5.1 WiFi connected speaker system (about $1,800 for the full setup). It connects to my 75" Samsung via optical cable, and just works with the TV. There's an app for iOS/Android to control additional features, like selecting other sources than your TV. I can pick up my tablet (or get on my laptop) and select playing Amazon Prime or their Music Unlimited, or services like Pandora, TuneIn, and the best part is that the Sonos system integrates perfectly with NAS. I have all my music on network servers so my CD collection stays pristine stored safely in my garage. -- And now the clincher. I have three full Sonos systems, living room 75" Samsung with full Sonos, den 42" Sony with full Sonos, bedroom 32" Samsung with full Sonos. That's right, in effect I have three home theater systems!
If anybody wants to find out more about Sonos, just visit Amazon and search Sonos, then find the full package of sound bar, sub-woofer, and 2 rear speakers. Last time I looked: $1,800, but IMO well worth the price!
Any corporation using XP is making a big mistake. I didn't Google but I think XP is already after end of support, so all those PCs are vulnerable to hackers. A NAT router is not going to protect you from malware unless your PCs use up to date and fully patched OSs. I hear there are even ATMs running XP!
I'm really frustrated because I like designing and building my own gear, and I mean from components, not purchased boards and modules. The recession of 2007 killed my hardware/software/firmware consulting business and I've been frustrated ever since. Technology has passed what I can design and build at home. I get my jollies these days with my own dedicated server (near the Internet backbone, not at my house) and writing website code and running websites.
I've decided to mostly give up my electronic hobbies (got my ham radio license at 15 years old!) and focus on my art, music (guitar), cooking, and ... women!
Indeed.. I do still like the simple look of windows 2000, though I never had any big complaints about windows XP, Vista, or 7 honestly. I know some people did, but I built all of my own computers and never had any major issues nor did the fruity looking UI on windows XP bother me.
Do people still buy desktops for home use in large numbers? I'd imagine kids still need something to type up homework or essays on. Still I'd imagine more and more of this stuff could be integrated into an all in one device.. the merging of desktop and game console, for example, where basic OS functionality can be offered on the console itself.
Home PCs are becoming more niche items perhaps, and smartphones and apps are where the big bucks are, so it's easy to see why there's so much of the market focused on that. I have a HTPC with a Geforce 1080ti and 8700K but I'd imagine that's not the norm for a typical home.
Seems to me the largest PC market is now going to be corporate, but they are so slow to upgrade that many of them are still using windows xp.... I guess it's just a matter of people putting up with it because they have no choice.. the majority of people dislike windows 10's UI but what are they going to do about it? Windows used to be sort of a passion of mine.. I'd sit and tweak it for the sake of tweaking it. Since Windows 8 came out, I just install classic shell and tolerate it.. I'm not passionate about it... I stick to enjoying the hardware aspect of the hobby and just tolerating windows. It's a necessary evil that has the potential to be great, but a few higher ups made their decision and everyone else has to suffer for it.
Not that they are a niche item, it is just everyone has one or more by now, and any improvements in them are rather trivial year to year, for most users, and they last longer than before.
Not that they are a niche item, it is just everyone has one or more by now, and any improvements in them are rather trivial year to year, for most users, and they last longer than before.
I disagree. I'm seeing increasing numbers of people (friends, acquaintances) switching from desktops to laptops.
This is tantamount to the "cutting the wire" revolution where so many of us have cut our landline service in favor of cellphone only.
Desktops will have a place in the market for a long time, especially for professional workstations (like for CAD), and for gamers who need maximum performance.
More of the processing is happening at the servers (particularly using AJAX technology, websites are getting more powerful), and many people are transferring some activities from their desktop/laptop to their tablet. Tablets are getting really hot!
Companies like Microsoft want us to switch to dumb terminals, with all our processing and data in the cloud. They want you to rent software, not buy it. Adobe has already switched to the rental model (or so I hear).
I do have a brother Wi-Fi printer and as for home theater I have a Dolby atmos 5.1.4 setup hooked up to a 65 inch LG 4K OLED and that HTPC I mentioned. I have a mega account and can access a number of movies in 4K with Dolby atmos. My favorite using atmos so far is probably the first john wick.
Most of the ones by us still using xp are using old software and are disconnected from the network.
Stockwiz, just curious, are your speakers wired or WiFi? That's the genius of Sonos, that you just plug them in an AC outlet and you're done. (Well, a bit of setup stuff.) Also, the Sonos has built-in automated room tuning. You activate it on your tablet or cell, it plays strange sounds ("whoop! whoop! ...") while you walk around using your cell/tablet's microphone, and after a minute your setup is room tuned. I'm amazed at how much my listening experience improved comparing before and after.
IMO it makes no sense now to have anything but WiFi printers (and scanners) unless you don't have a home WiFi router.
XP is fine as long as it can't see the Internet.
What's even better is to D/L stuff and put it on network storage, and then you can play it anywhere in your house. I think my NAS can deliver content to remote locations, but I have my NAS devices blocked from the Internet. All my data are belong to me! I don't trust cloud services AT ALL.
My entire music library is on NAS and I can play it on any device in my house. (Well not so good on my dish washer.)
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I don't trust cloud services AT ALL.
