'Free' Windows 10 Has 3 Massive Unanswered Questions
1. Define ‘Lifetime of the Device’
2. Reveal Lifecycle Support
3. Explain The Consequences Of Forced Updates
'Free' Windows 10 Has 3 Massive Unanswered Questions
1. Define ‘Lifetime of the Device’
2. Reveal Lifecycle Support
3. Explain The Consequences Of Forced Updates
My feelings exactly. I have uninstalled all the previews I had and cancelled my reservations on everything. What is free? Have you noticed the pop ups? A leaked report from a shareholder meeting indicates Micro$oft expects to re-coup all the lost revenue from 'giving away free' it's newest OS in three years. From where? Paid pop-ups for one. You are guaranteed maybe two years before the next shoe drops. Who gets out of this mouse trap?..... The purchasers of the Enterprise edition, who are on the 'long time support' program and even they may be subjected to yearly/monthly fees. Another interesting fact is, the Enterprise editions do not get the highly touted "Edge" browser. The whole thing stinks.
And that's why I plan to stick with Windows 7 until 2020, or until some very costly lawsuits force Microsoft to back off much of their "Windows as a service" crap. DirectX 12 may help revolutionize PC gaming, but if it's got adware attached to it, then I'm about as interested in it as the eurozone debt crisis.
Same here. At the last minute, cloning a few SSDs....good for awhile.
SSDs don't store well. They need power.
-Noel
They do yes, but JEDEC requires data retention of an unpowered SSD which has reached 100% of its write/erase cycles to be a MINIMUM of one year, with that time increasing the younger in the lifespan a drive is, exceeding 10 years if you were to use a brand new drive and write data to it once. But if you were going to put things in cold storage for archival purposes, you would use SanDisk Memory Vault drives which have a retention period of 100 years, or an M-DISC which has a quoted lifespan of 1000 years. Even a new cheapo SD card with its bottom of the barrel NAND can hold data easily for 5 years, which far exceeds the time you would leave data on there without powering it up to add more.
Thanks for expanding on that. Just remember that reality doesn't always match specification, and not everyone stores SSDs at JEDEC-approved temperatures. It's not hard to imagine putting a backup SSD on a shelf that gets afternoon sunshine through a window...
Consider:
SSDs can lose data in as little as 7 days without power | ExtremeTech
Some SSDs Can Lose Data After Just A Few Days In Storage
There are many such articles. Certainly the "blogsphere" picked up on a "doom and gloom" scenario and blew it up for shock value, but it's something to consider.
-Noel
Here's one way they're going to make their money back
Office for Windows 10 will require Office 365 subscription on PCs, larger tablets | Computerworld
Viva LibreOffice.
Microsoft needs a competitor. You kids want to pay off those huge "educational industry" loans off...get busy and get me and black_zion some new OS software!
black_zion:
'Free' Windows 10 Has 3 Massive Unanswered Questions
1. Define ‘Lifetime of the Device’
2. Reveal Lifecycle Support
3. Explain The Consequences Of Forced Updates
1. I have a Personal System Builders License for Win 8/8.1(equates to 10 differing builds(obviously linked to my use only).I am planning on 2016 complete new build(Win 8/8.1 will transfer over).Would be nice to know if upgrade to win10 will carry on my license to transfer to new 2016 build if I upgrade now.
2.Will this not last longer than xp with sp1.sp2(3...4...)
3.Even with Pro vers...don't like the sound of it.
As for the c-rapware that comes with it.delete it.
All editions of Windows 10 get 10 years of updates, support | Computerworld
"Microsoft today refreshed its Windows support lifecycle fact sheet to include Windows 10, saying there that it would provide updates to the new OS for 10 years, or until October 2025."
But with forced updates, who's to say in a few years when Windows releases their new version, their unnumbered paid Windows version, Microsoft won't load 10 down with nagware? I'm still sticking with 7, you can have your DirectX 12.
Yup.
Define "support".
The promise of continuous updates equates to NO promise to support any particular features for any given length of time. In other words, current performance is no guarantee of future results. Is Microsoft currently taking Windows in a direction you want / need it to go? It hasn't for me. Do you trust them to continue that path or somehow magically get back on the straight and narrow?
Example: Windows 7 Backup is back. It was called that in Win 8.0, then disappeared (though you could still run wbadmin commands) in 8.1. Now it's back as Windows 7 Backup again in Windows 10, most likely to placate Windows 7 users they never did get to migrate to 8. When will it disappear again? I'm betting inside of a year.
Now name your favorite feature. Something you require of Windows in order to do whatever it is you do.
Maybe it's the ability to run an older desktop application you like using compatibility settings for Win XP, and for which there's no modern substitute. When will those compatibility settings just vanish? When will the desktop - already called "legacy" by Microsoft - just disappear?
You're thinking, maybe, to stop updates at some point and stick with what you've got that works? Don't even think about it. Your system will just expire / deactivate at some future point.
-Noel
I have been re-thinking this. If someone could give me a good reason why I should upgrade my Toshiba laptop, the default OS is Windows 8.1 , I7 processor, 1920x1080p screen. and no external graphics at all. Just the IGP HD4600 graphics which is capable of everything I want/need. Away-from-home standards like Defense Grid 1 & 2 , Half-Life , and Left-For-Dead will work. HDMI out to the TV works good at the cabin.
And as a kicker...no WMC ! (even tho I use Kodi it's the principle of the thing )
And I get what? Oh yeah, Micro$oft will take over that irksome job of downloading and installing updates and stuff for me.
I think Microsoft's first ad for Windows 10 makes it clear they're targeting the stupid and the ignorant who want zero responsibility for everything. You know, like Mac people.
Was going to make a new thread, but I'll just post it here. Thanks to a borked nVidia driver update (that update was bricking some systems, sending them into Windows Recovery Mode) and a borked patch KB:3074681 which causes Explorer.exe to crash under numerous cases, both in Windows 10 and both required updates, Microsoft has now released a tool to block updates you don't want. However, this only works after the fact, so you could still end up with a malfunctioning system where you can't use this tool.
Microsoft releases tool to hide or block unwanted Windows 10 updates | ZDNet
I'm sorry, but I'm only seeing incentives there.
1. Define ‘Lifetime of the Device’
Is it not common knowledge that the Windows TOU has always described the Device as being specific to the motherboard? AMD CPU owners benefit from only being bound to the motherboard, since AMD CPUs have a long history of socket compatibility.
2. Reveal Lifecycle Support
Lifecycle support is published. The OS will outlive most components in a system, so this is not a very good point.
3. Explain The Consequences Of Forced Updates
Sometimes an update is released that breaks functionality for some systems, this is the nature of software and is not limited to OS and Drivers. Forced updates are more of a benefit, as it provides better global security... try to think about the big picture, and not just how it affects only you; because in the end, it does affect you.
In fairness, a lot of your points are based on earlier posts when Microsoft had not yet identified end of service life for Win 10 nor the option to disable WU if desired. Just saying...
Is Windows 10 opening upgraders to more risks than it should? - 29 Jul 2015 - Computing News
"
As identified by a self-confessed member of Anonymous, the new Microsoft Update is based around a peer-to-peer (P2P) system which could conceivably be based on Pando Networks' Media Booster software, once in wide use across the videogames industry for leveraging end user systems in order to deliver large files.
Acquired by Microsoft in 2013, Pando could now be powering Windows Update, which the Anonymous poster says results in "turning your PC into a zombie host server, wasting your bandwidth serving updates to other computers"."
I will continue this here. Microsoft has forced through an update which now disables the ability to disable app updates from the Windows Store.
Windows 10 Automatic Updates Take Dangerous New Direction
Better hope your favorite app isn't hacked and a malware infused update published, because you will get it.
And I'm sure we've all heard this little change in Windows 10 too
I'm extremely surprised the EU hasn't pitched a fit over Windows 10 yet, considering their huge hissy fit over Microsoft including Internet Explorer in previous editions, but they haven't said a peep about 10...I think that about reveals the amount of information Windows 10 collects and is shared.
With Windows 10 installed in a virtual machine, I have been investigating the use of Windows Firewall set to "deny, with exceptions" for outgoing connections. If you don't know, normally it's set to "allow, with exceptions". This is a fundamental difference.
You wouldn't believe the amount of communications there are. This thing tries to send data all over the world, all the time. And you might also be surprised to learn that with most of them blocked the system works just fine (with a local account).
It's probably true - perhaps to a lesser extent - that older systems send a lot of info out too. I'm going to see, once I get things tidied up, how applicable / effective the strategy could be for my Win 8.1 main system, in addition to the other half-dozen or so measures I've already taken.
I'm sure Windows 10 is not yet ready to be my main OS here. Whether one can ultimately become its master, tweak and augment it, then expect it to give good service for years... That's the real question isn't it. Microsoft has reduced user control over the Windows Update process, has made everyone sign everything away with the EULA, and has promised to keep changing Windows with ever growing cumulative updates.
Does anyone really think all the continuous updates will equate to continuous improvements? Or headaches?
-Noel
People may actually be reverting in mass from Windows 10. According to Statcounter, Windows 10's usage share has dropped almost a full percentage point since Sunday. They say it may be due to people going back from their home computers to their work computers which are using 7 or 8, but a full percentage point is a fairly massive drop. Could Microsoft actually be forced to realize forced updates and spyware practices were a very bad idea? They're already losing big time with Edge, which isn't even charting even against the pathetic 1.78% usage of Opera worldwide, and only hits 1.26% in the USA (source: Statcounter)
Windows 10 is gaining market share but not, apparently, from Win 7 users... Windows 7 usage seems to have pretty much leveled off.
StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share
Windows 8.1 users appear to moving "up" to Windows 10. Lesser of evils, I guess, plus pre-lowered expectations - though I'm personally running Win 8.1 and not planning to upgrade - yet. I imagine the "- yet" part is missing from the minds of Win 7 users.
-Noel
In case you either haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 or simply aren’t keeping up with the ongoing drama, updates are installed automatically on Windows 10 computers. Users can opt out by jumping through a few unnecessarily complicated hoops, but that could leave them open to security holes in the future.
It’s an unfortunate change, but the worst part about it is that Microsoft is refusing to let Windows 10 users know exactly what is being changed in the updates. Cumulative updates are worming their way on to millions of computers, and your guess is as good as mine as to what’s being changed.
Here’s the most amazing element of this ridiculous saga: Microsoft is writing release notes for each and every build — the company just isn’t sharing that information with users.
What the heck, I'll post this here. The Windows 7/8/8.1 upgrade to Windows 10 nagware patch (KB3035583) has been re-added to the Important Updates pane even if you had it set to hidden, so be careful come Patch Tuesday that you don't re-download it.
I have been using Windows 10 for over a year now.
The reasons are not enough to persuade current windows to 10. I did the switch a while ago and now still on my Win7 box. There are so many comparability issues with the new release.
I have not experienced any major issues with Windows 10, the most recent build has been very solid and the performance is now excellent
I strongly disagree.
Windows 7 and w8 (not 8.1) had much more issues and driver/ software incompatibilities the first year than windows 10 had on day 1.
99% of the bugs that were present under the preview builds were fixed before the RTM version was... ready.
Microsoft ask's for infomation to be sent to them when you set up windows and also for them to have permission to view your PCs activity if an error occors, but some employees of Microsoft have been misusing this perk.Id rather not get windows 10.
Ehhh, I have to tell I caught .vvv File Extension which showed fake alerts on my desktop and degraded the PC speed. Learning from Google (reference-1), I need to pay more attention when browsing the web.
From [TT] Windows 7 users aren't budging, despite free Windows 10 upgrade - Page 41
And to be fair, the ability to mount an ISO, which makes Win 8+ VASTLY better than Win 7 (in a galaxy far, far away where there's no downloadable software that would do that), was somehow accidentally left off.
-Noel
Windows 10 is perhaps the most polarizing operating system Microsoft MSFT -6.00% has ever released. It’s adoption rate is both lauded for its speed but mocked for only matching Windows 7 given it is free. Similarly its user tracking is both attacked a privacy invasion and defended as a necessary evil. But there is one place where consensus exists: Microsoft’s Window 10 upgrade tactics – and now a key rule for them is changing…
Taking to its TechNet blog, Microsoft has announced it will step up the intensity of its ‘Get Windows 10’ campaign for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. The nagware has already been heavily criticized for its persistent attempts to push consumers to upgrade (including automated downloads and reducing choices) but now business users are going to get the same treatment.
“Small businesses and organizations will soon be able to receive notifications about the upgrade and then directly upgrade to Windows 10,” explained Matt Barlow, Microsoft’s general manager of business group marketing, in the blog post.
This is a notable change as previously Microsoft had decided not to push business customers in the same way as consumers, recognising many businesses have mission critical legacy software and hardware which may or may not run into compatibility problems.
So how does it all break down? Microsoft says the rollout will begin in the US later this month followed by additional markets “shortly thereafter” and will impact devices which meet the following criteria:
It is now 2016 and this OS still has a lot of bugs.
A new build came out today, so back to basics to see what does not work
Good to hear about the new build. I will definitely check that.
4. Microsoft getting more intrusive presence within the build.