July 14, 20169 yr Don't worry, MS is grabbing you by the balls even with that program. MS might have you by the balls, but my balls or MS free. Here's an older article that answered my own question about Win10 being free from Digital Trends. A. Windows 10 is a Massive ad for Windows Store.I don't use the Windows Store, and I have a program that blocks all ads and spying for now from Microsoft. Even if MS would create a workaround there's a way to manually go in and block ads. B. Contra funnels users to BingI don't use Bing or Contra. C. OneDrive (MS Cloud Service) is free until it's used upWith all of my external hard-drives, flash drives, and micros I have damn near 9 terabytes. Free space is NOT an issue. D. Microsoft Office might be included but it's not freeMy personal copy of MS Office 2014 still runs fine, I even get the occasional updates. As a side note, Windows 10 doesn't support Windows Essentials anymore, Movie maker does still work assuming any of you use it. Also with Start10 gets rid of those crappy charms MS introduced in Win8, from those screen shots I posted in my other comment you can see it looks like I'm running windows 7. Not too shabby I highly recommend clicking on the links provided if you use Win 10, you might thank me. -NoX
July 14, 20169 yr Windows 10 is a Massive ad for Windows Store.What? Where? I haven't got any single advertisement thus far. Default menu is pretty much what you want, and if you need more -> Welcome to RMB where you've got everything you need shortcut for. https://i66.tinypic.com/2nun514.jpg
July 15, 20169 yr You obviously didn't read the article I posted. I'd copy and paste the paragraph but, I feel I did enough. -NoX
July 15, 20169 yr I obviously did. Not a single advertisement was present to me from Microsoft store. So no points for conspiracy theory from me.
August 5, 20169 yr https://windowsitpro.com/site-files/windowsitpro.com/files/imagecache/large_img/uploads/2014/10/win10skype.jpg :: It seems that with Windows 10 Anniversary Update there's an ensured blast from the past - Skype - as reported here.
November 12, 20169 yr :: Eugene Kaspersky sounds the alert regarding Microsoft's conduct pertaining the anti-virus segment here.
November 12, 20169 yr Well enabling Defender if your other AV license expired is OK I think, at least you don't lose all the protection, but other points are very valid.
January 25, 20179 yr :: RPS' Alec Meer spoke with Kevin Gammill, Partner Group Program Manager, Xbox Platform about Windows 10’s new Game Mode as reported here. PC Gamer's Wes Fenlon too had a chat with the gentleman as conveyed here.
October 5, 20187 yr :: Alert: Windows 10's October 2018 Update seems to be causing some serious issues, as reported by Digital Trends here.
November 15, 2025Nov 15 *dusts off the cobwebs* Right, so here we are a few years later and things are not looking up for the average computer user with a Windows PC. If the advent of Windows 10's "end of life" and Windows 11 forcefully taking over center stage for no apparent salient reason hasn't given you much reason for pause, then you may want to have a look at some of the videos out there (example 1, example 2). Suffice it to say, things are not exactly rosy when you're clearly no longer really in control of your own computer - Microsoft holds the keys and it can change whatever it wants in it, whenever it wants, say... in the next OS update come jolly old "Patch Tuesday". The problem is there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative to this monopoly and so you're just stuck with it - get used, then, to being abused... forever! "Wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up, and smell the ashes." - G-Man, Half-Life 2 Not quite. Because Linux may finally just have had a major win. This past Wednesday, the Steam Machine, a mini-PC, was announced and its operating system is SteamOS, a gaming-focused Linux distribution developed by Valve, based on Arch Linux. What really matters here is that, what once was a major hurdle for those gamers not wanting to deal with the nitty-gritty technical hurdles of running some games under Linux, with emulation layers, driver woes, etc. - now have that problem mostly neatly solved for them with this little machine, in one fell swoop. As for standard, non-gaming, daily life personal use of a PC, Linux has the software for that already there, with open source solutions such as OpenOffice for word processing and spreadsheets, Gimp for image editing, Thunderbird for e-mail, etc. Hardware is what may pose a bit of an entry-level issue, as one needs to ensure monitor, printer and other peripherals are compatible with your Linux of choice. But, if the Steam Machine takes off, well, I'd wager Microsoft is going to have more to worry about than just simply the death of its Xbox.
November 21, 2025Nov 21 Shit, the dystopian future is TODAY. Quote This past Wednesday, the Steam Machine, a mini-PC, was announced and its operating system is SteamOS, a gaming-focused Linux distribution developed by Valve, based on Arch Linux. I mean, a glimmer of hope? Also, I just may postopone buying a new comp a bit, till this W11 mess subsides and a new order emerges. That said, it is scary that M$ actually has the guts to pull off a scam like this. It may just be that they figured we're all (sufficient majority) completely complacent and ready to just take anything as long as the games run well enough? I don't like this crap one bit. Even less a byte. Of anything.
November 21, 2025Nov 21 5 hours ago, Space Voyager said: Shit, the dystopian future is TODAY. In a nutshell, yes. You've said it right. Now for the loooonger ranty but crucial explanation, if I may. *sigh* The signs of the increasingly sorry state of Windows under Microsoft's "care" are by now overly evident, SV, even when not considering the injection of AI into it. The last couple of years there have been multiple, consecutive, occasions in which an OS update messed things up for regular users, to the point of making hardware malfunction or stop working entirely (printers, audio, bluetooth peripherals, etc). When it happens a couple of times one can perhaps turn a blind eye, but the repeated incidents, over a span of years, are an indication of poor quality assurance work. It's not like they lack the funds to deliver quality software, so we can only surmise from this that Windows is not at all high on Microsoft's priority list anymore. What is? AI. Billions upon billions are being dumped on AI, by Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, Amazon, etc. *cynically soothing voice* "So, what you must do is use AI - we can't have anyone uninterested in AI. Your computer absolutely needs it, right? Cutting edge stuff!" *annoyed voice* "Stop protesting, it's going to happen. Alright, that does it, we're forcing it down your throat right now with Windows! Take it and like it!!" Here's a recent article about Microsoft's thinly veiled plans, by RPS's Hardware Editor, James Archer. There's no if anymore, it's a matter of when. They're locking down your computer with bitlocker and injecting it with AI. No two ways about it. Do I dare ask what could possibly go wrong? They just have too much money thrown in to back down now. There will be no escaping this treatment. Especially when they take the everyday PC user for granted and neatly tied down to their OS after years of habit and personal investment in Windows-based software and hardware. And now that I mention it, I wouldn't advise you to wait to buy that new PC. Hardware costs are going to skyrocket very soon. Another side-effect of the AI craze is that AI hardware needs are huge and production is already booked for literally years ahead. Scarcity will be a real problem given enough time. The first clear indicator is RAM which is already seeing the price _doubling_ in a short period. And don't forget, RAM is needed in substantial amount in graphics cards. And then there's SSDs and AI needs boatloads of storage too, gorging on data to process and grow. Have a look at this other article by PC Gamer's Hardware writer, Jeremy Laird. All this has, after all, already been confirmed by certain elements of the manufacturing side of the industry itself. It doesn't stop here, unfortunately. Intel, MS and its peers are looking to have AI "neural" processing chips *gasps* onboard in every future generation of PC hardware. We've already seen it with MS's so-called Co-pilot PCs. In my opinion, this bubble of fake progress they're pushing is eventually going to burst. But it may well take years before anything actually good comes out of this for anyone, even if it's just the tech giants learning to eat a good slice of "humble pie" after choking a little. Look, for what it's worth, I have enough confidence in what I'm saying to tell you that I've already committed to a different path - I already took the red pill, my friend. This past Tuesday I've ordered the assembly of a full fat custom Linux workstation from a recommended Linux hardware partner. It wasn't my intention to buy a computer now as the one I have still works great for everything I do, be it work or gaming. My hand was literally forced, for all the reasons already stated above. I'm throwing away a lot in the process too - making moot several perpetual software licenses I own that are not transposable to Linux, peripherals that may not be supported, games that may not be compatible. But, much as I love gaming, there are more important things in life other than a reduced or lapsed gaming library, like our very freedom and freedom of choice. There's of course always also the learning and adaptation involved in making such a leap, which will take time. But at least nowadays there are friendly enough Linux distros to cushion that, making for pretty frictionless ordinary daily use from what I could gather. I'm not getting any younger either, so if I was to make it happen it might as well be now. If you happen to see me less active posting it's because my time is now even scarcer, in addition to the usual work-life balance, as I prepare to make this move and there's lots to contend with. The change has a definite cost on the purse and otherwise but, trust me, there's also a potentially tremendous cost for not changing. Our so-called "digital life" is no longer just a catchphrase. Our own identity is now tied directly to the technology we use - we need an e-mail address, a mobile smartphone and phone number to make proof of our identity before our banks online, national institutions, internal revenue services, online stores, etc. There's no going back either, like it or not. We can therefore no longer afford to have any of our computational devices' security compromised so willy-nilly, virtually at any time, by an external party, and without our consent - a negligent external party who then doesn't have to deal with the consequences. A significant concern like eventual loss of access to personal finances is not a joke; identity theft too is no laughing matter. Any of those is sure to ruin your day - nay, your life, for extended periods of time. Distributed AI, by injection, is the end of personal data privacy and an enormous, "invisible" risk, particularly in the hands of those who have already demonstrated poor practices and misappropriation of what they do not own, both in physical form and data. And you don't even feel it when they're doing it, how grand is that? A bloated, advertisement-sponsored, "AI"-driven operating system that now mostly exists with the foremost aim and future prospect of harvesting data of all sorts, including personal, behavioural, is one I don't want to have much of anything more to do with if I can help it. And, luckily, right now, we still can help it, SV. Do as you may but it has never been more appropriate to quote it: Carpe diem. As I type this there are several major PC hardware and software sales ongoing. There are processors and graphics cards that you can buy today that are powerful enough to last you for many years and currently are not yet so tainted with "AI"-specific grafting. After this tech generation though, all is up for grabs. It will be what it will be and we already understand what the sought trajectory is. Don't get me wrong, if we're dreaming, maybe one day there will be an actual Artificial Intelligence and it might be worth talking to it. If it even speaks our language or deems us worthy of a word or thought to spare. I imagine we'd be seen as too low tech, too analogue, too slow to be considered relevant. Like someone once said: like talking to a tree. Presently, this we call "AI" has a road to travel. I just don't want it to tread over me just yet. Humans - you know who you are - unite!! Oh, click that box now to prove that you're one.
November 22, 2025Nov 22 14 hours ago, Thorondor said: Now for the loooonger ranty but crucial explanation, if I may. *sigh* By all means, please go ahead! I did read (well, mostly watch) quite a lot on AI lately but I have to admit none of the articles were quite as doom-spelling as what you have written. Thank you for your insight, friend. So, in a desperate attempt to make any sense of it (as I'm far from being tech savvy) from the gathered thus far; - AI has become an insanely huge investment for big tech and therefore a huge risk, - AI has not become what some hoped it might - a general AI - the development on current AI models has shown it might be stalling considerably and will never advance past certain threshold, - Sam Altman has already hinted the possible development losses of AI should be covered by the state, which points at high uncertainty of future profits; - as profits fail to meet expectations, the value of the AI developing companies might plummet back to what they are actually worth or (far) less, meaning the burst of AI bubble. And now, from your writing, I'd add - as AI development might not reap profits as high as hoped (or far, far worse) nor would people choose to become sufficiently AI dependent, big tech is trying to make us AI dependent forcefully to try and prevent the burst of AI bubble by incorporating the AI into the software we are accustomed to - and what better way than "infecting" the OS, - to insure this dependency they are setting up all kinds of controls (like Bitlocker), - it is completely left to individuals to fight this. Is this summary correct? And no, I'm not asking whether it is complete as this is obviously not the case. If it is correct, I'm kinda scared. Really, as - as said - I'm not really tech-savvy and fighting this as an individual is frightening. And for most people more or less impossible. How are consumer organizations not jumping in protest?! But it definitely seems as though staying on W10 for now and postponing a purchase of a new comp is the way to go. Taking the time to see reactions and study options. Not going for Windows is a huge step for a computer user, especially when what you're looking for is ease of use primarily, but you're unwilling to just let yourself be... assimilated into the Borg cube.
November 22, 2025Nov 22 Scarily, yet happily, you're summarising pretty accurately, yes, SV. As to how come we're not seeing more pro-consumer movements reacting, that's down to, well, let's be frank, powerlessness and inertia. We are talking about "fighting" *scoff* companies that are each worth more than many countries put together - Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, etc. Money _is_ power. Immediate gains will always speak louder amidst the ranks of those in higher places with actual decision powers, be it in private or governmental circles. In the case of Windows itself, saying it is in widespread use is an understatement. It is an ideal AI target and very hard to shake off even if you're trying, when virtually everything available for purchase out there today in the consumer segment - hardware or software - is made to run on this OS almost exclusively. This kind of plug and play, outright convenience, as you've said, is extremely powerful, particularly when people don't want to have to deal with even minor techical challenges this day and age. Think about setting up IRQs and DMAs for playing a game with audio from a dedicated soundcard back in the DOS days - nobody wants that sort of hassle now. So, as you've understood and well, the deck is stacked and there's no mistaking it. Staying with Windows 10 is ok for now - maybe for another year - but as time goes by the security risks will definitely increase as defenses will be lower without critical updates. Past that, even Steam stops supporting prior Windows versions at some point as you know. There is only one outcome on that path in the end, the next version of Windows. Maybe it shall be redeemed post-AI bubble burst? And when will that be? Who knows. What I know is that I no longer trust Microsoft et al to decide what is best for me. They've clearly shown they no longer deserve such trust going forward and they're definitely not acting in our best interests right now. The writing is on the wall. How much is too much? What needs to happen for us to change course? To take our fate back into our hands instead, when we still can? These are the questions you need to ask yourself and then act accordingly to your own personal judgement. Have you noticed, by the way, how much this is starting to resemble the conversation pertaining the fight against another "fictional", "imaginary" threat? Climate change. This is no less real; we'd just prefer to believe that's not really the case so we can all carry on as usual, hoping it will all blow away. Have you heard of the "bystander effect"? One way or the other, we are responsible too. It's our responsibility to protect ourselves and our family members who delegate such decisions on us.
November 23, 2025Nov 23 23 hours ago, Thorondor said: Have you heard of the "bystander effect"? One way or the other, we are responsible too. It's our responsibility to protect ourselves and our family members who delegate such decisions on us. :takes the blue pill: I love the lady in red. I guess we have a new constant worry... Children, war, genocide, climate change, AI... WHAT ELSE?! Things were so simple 30 years ago.
December 11, 2025Dec 11 :: Microsoft and its blunders with Windows 11 are ironically one of the major driving forces towards the recognition of Linux as a growing, trustworthy, viable alternative, as ZDNET's Senior Contributing Editor Steven Vaughan-Nichols' recent article conveys.
December 12, 2025Dec 12 Quote Yes, that's right, if you widen the Linux end-user operating system metric to include PC, tablets, and smartphones, you can make a reasonable argument that Linux, and not Windows, is already the top dog operating system. Take that, Redmond! (considering Android is, as the article says, a derivate of Linux) Sounds cool! I guess Microsoft is so convinced of its own supremacy that it is making pretty huge mistakes. This is how empires fall.
December 15, 2025Dec 15 The bit that really felt insane is at 16:08... Win11 can just delete your Linux OS partition?! WTF?!
December 15, 2025Dec 15 That's what happens when you've come to think you're so powerful and your user base is so cornered that every draconian measure is fair game. I wasn't kidding when I said we've unfortunately reached a point with Windows where you no longer own your own personal computer as anything can be extracted from, or injected into it. It sounds almost unthinkable. Ludicrous. Yet that's where we're at now - Windows is no longer a defender as it has been made into an intruder. By the way, I'm now typing this from my brand spanking new Linux workstation. I've still got a bunch of things to iron out here of course, it'll take more time to fine tune some things, and I've had to change from one flatbed scanner I was using to an older one I had, I've had to get several new applications for certain use cases, but other than that things are running absolutely smoothly. Adieu, Microsoft! 😎
December 16, 2025Dec 16 Ok, ok, the most important user experience... GAMES! Any problems there? Steam, running games... ?
December 16, 2025Dec 16 Probably the biggest stumbling block are multi-player games that use anti-cheat software that will only run under Windows. However Valve themselves, what with the OS that runs the Steam Deck being a Linux distribution, are getting there with making games playable under Linux. I don't use Linux for gaming a lot, but I have run some of my Steam games under Linux, and some of the games in my GOG library have Linux installers, and those that I've tried worked brilliantly. Emulated console games run beautifully too. I'm rather enjoying all the variety to be honest.
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