We're is windows headed?

[Pc6777]

We're is windows going in there future? And whenever windows goes with it's software, will there be good future backwards compability with current games/applications? And compatibility with stuff from the xp and win 7 era? And will microsoft ever do an online only authencation thing or will it let you install and use offline indefinitely in the future? I know nobody has a crystal ball hoping someone knows something I don't.

[Stahlmann]

I'd say they will try to be as backwards-compatible as possible, as this was always one of the biggest arguments. I personally haven't found a single app or game i couldn't get to work on WIndows 10. I'm currently even playing some games from 1998 for nostalgia. Might not work perfectly right away, but i always found ways to make it work.

 

Idk what you mean with authentification, but you already have the option to either make an offline account for your Windows login or use a Microsoft account.

[pythonmegapixel]

3 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

Idk what you mean with authentification, but you already have the option to either make an offline account for your Windows login or use a Microsoft account.

You say "option" - it's more of a begrudging permission... currently the only way to not use a MS account is to tell the system you don't have an internet connection when you set it up. Then when you do connect it to the internet it will keep asking you every few weeks to add one.

 

Microsoft want people's data for use with targeted ads. That is probably worth more to them than the license fees these days.

[Ashleyyyy]

1 minute ago, pythonmegapixel said:

currently the only way to not use a MS account is to tell the system you don't have an internet connection when you set it up.

if you have 10 Pro it's a lot easier to do. 

[Stahlmann]

5 minutes ago, pythonmegapixel said:

Microsoft want people's data for use with targeted ads. That is probably worth more to them than the license fees these days.

That's about it.

 

5 minutes ago, pythonmegapixel said:

You say "option" - it's more of a begrudging permission... currently the only way to not use a MS account is to tell the system you don't have an internet connection when you set it up. Then when you do connect it to the internet it will keep asking you every few weeks to add one.

I have set up mulitple PCs with this method and i have never had anything pop up on me after the initial setup.

 

Yes, data collection is a big thing with Windows 10, but you can disable most of this in the Control Panel. And i don't mean the prompts that come up when installing windows, but the privacy settings in the control panel of which many people don't even know they exist.

[Stahlmann]

2 minutes ago, Ashley xD said:

if you have 10 Pro it's a lot easier to do. 

I don't see any reson to go for Home when you can buy either of them for under $20 anyway.

[manikyath]

no one can tell what the C-level wigs at microsoft are smoking this week, but microsoft's overall trajectory seems to be where windows is *part* of a cloud platform.

 

the most notable milestones to back this are the windows division being put under the azure division (remember the barnacules laid off thing? yeah.. this is what that lead to.) , windows virtual desktop for business customers, and office already migrating to a place where subscription services are the most sensible option.

 

in terms of backwards compatibility.. it's essentially a given on the windows platform that there's a certain backwards compatibility, but as stuff gets older, it tends to break. something like a year or two ago an update for windows 10 broke the sims 2, for example. and neither electronic farts or MS would have any interest on fixing what broke.

 

as for authentication stuff.. they're really trying to force people's hand with using an MS account in windows 10, i presume that in one or two years the local account option will go away entirely.

Just now, Ashley xD said:

if you have 10 Pro it's a lot easier to do. 

because if you need to domain join a computer, having to use a microsoft account to set it up is an *actual* problem.

[pythonmegapixel]

1 minute ago, Stahlmann said:

I don't see any reson to go for Home when you can buy either of them for under $20 anyway.

If you buy the $20 keys it's likely you're not technically buying a valid license; might as well just leave it unactivated.

Weirdly, though, Pro can sometimes even be cheaper from actual proper retailers than Home is.

 

In any case, I'm lucky in that all software I need to use works perfectly with Linux, so I don't even have to worry about this crap any more. Just to clarify: I know not everyone is in that position, and not everyone wants the hassle of getting used to a new operating system.

[Stahlmann]

4 minutes ago, pythonmegapixel said:

If you buy the $20 keys it's likely you're not technically buying a valid license; might as well just leave it unactivated.

Weirdly, though, Pro can sometimes even be cheaper from actual proper retailers than Home is.

The sub $20 keys are just OEM keys. After they're activated you essentially have the same result as when buying a key for $100-$200. This is in no way comparable to leaving it unactivated. When you buy a box in retail, all it contains is a slip of paper with a key written on it. Essentially the same but for 10x more money.

 

4 minutes ago, pythonmegapixel said:

In any case, I'm lucky in that all software I need to use works perfectly with Linux, so I don't even have to worry about this crap any more. Just to clarify: I know not everyone is in that position, and not everyone wants the hassle of getting used to a new operating system.

Getting used to Linux is probably not that big of a deal for most people that are a bit tech saavy. But gaming (and plenty of other software) still has a long way to go until it's even comparable with windows. So sadly Linux is mostly used in Dual-Boot PCs instead of the main OS.

[pythonmegapixel]

14 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

The sub $20 keys are just OEM keys. After they're activated you essentially have the same result as when buying a key for $100-$200. This is in no way comparable to leaving it unactivated.

I thought you were talking about the grey-market keys leaked from site license agreements etc.

I don't think I've seen legitimate OEM keys quite that cheap before.

 

Quote

Getting used to Linux is probably not that big of a deal for most people that are a bit tech saavy. But gaming (and plenty of other software) still has a long way to go until it's even comparable with windows. So sadly Linux is mostly used in Dual-Boot PCs instead of the main OS.

That is a problem, yes. I know a lot of people who use Linux for most tasks, but then switch to Windows for some games, because they just don't work properly under Linux.

I don't expect Linux to even come close to completely replacing Windows for the forseeable future for various reasons, but I won't discuss this further as this isn't a Linux thread!

 

----------

 

On the actual topic of this thread:

 

Personally, I think the idea of everyone using UWP apps from the Microsoft Store for most tasks is simply dead. The store is still generally poor quality: it's annoying to use, downloads are slow, and adoption by developers has simply been too slow and too limited for it to be of much use.

Additionally, many apps in the Store are also available by other means, which discourages use.

 

The fact that many of Microsoft itself's programs are distributed in the conventional way, rather than through the Store, speaks for itself...

[Stahlmann]

3 minutes ago, pythonmegapixel said:

On the actual topic of this thread:

 

Personally, I think the idea of everyone using UWP apps from the Microsoft Store for most tasks is simply dead. The store is still generally poor quality: it's annoying to use, downloads are slow, and adoption by developers has simply been too slow and too limited for it to be of much use.

Additionally, many apps in the Store are also available by other means, which discourages use.

 

The fact that many of Microsoft itself's programs are distributed in the conventional way, rather than through the Store, speaks for itself...

The only time i've ever used the Microsoft Store was to get the (for some reason) required app to get Dolby Atmos support on Windows. The store is so bad, it can literally suggest an app to you and when you come back later and type it into the search field it just doesn't appear. You can also buy the "worse" Minecraft version there  

[DoctorNick]

1 hour ago, pythonmegapixel said:

You say "option" - it's more of a begrudging permission... currently the only way to not use a MS account is to tell the system you don't have an internet connection when you set it up. Then when you do connect it to the internet it will keep asking you every few weeks to add one.

 

Microsoft want people's data for use with targeted ads. That is probably worth more to them than the license fees these days.

This but it will not ask if you install offline

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to WIndows

[Pc6777]

7 hours ago, manikyath said:

no one can tell what the C-level wigs at microsoft are smoking this week, but microsoft's overall trajectory seems to be where windows is *part* of a cloud platform.

 

the most notable milestones to back this are the windows division being put under the azure division (remember the barnacules laid off thing? yeah.. this is what that lead to.) , windows virtual desktop for business customers, and office already migrating to a place where subscription services are the most sensible option.

 

in terms of backwards compatibility.. it's essentially a given on the windows platform that there's a certain backwards compatibility, but as stuff gets older, it tends to break. something like a year or two ago an update for windows 10 broke the sims 2, for example. and neither electronic farts or MS would have any interest on fixing what broke.

 

as for authentication stuff.. they're really trying to force people's hand with using an MS account in windows 10, i presume that in one or two years the local account option will go away entirely.

because if you need to domain join a computer, having to use a microsoft account to set it up is an *actual* problem.

I often use local accounts for testing stuff on my computers, if they take it away I will use a moddedd version that allows it.

[Pc6777]

7 hours ago, pythonmegapixel said:

If you buy the $20 keys it's likely you're not technically buying a valid license; might as well just leave it unactivated.

Weirdly, though, Pro can sometimes even be cheaper from actual proper retailers than Home is.

 

In any case, I'm lucky in that all software I need to use works perfectly with Linux, so I don't even have to worry about this crap any more. Just to clarify: I know not everyone is in that position, and not everyone wants the hassle of getting used to a new operating system.

I can't run my games in Linux, I'm forced to use windows because Microsoft has a monopoly on the gaming industry. Hopefully one day wine gets so good I can leave.

[pythonmegapixel]

5 minutes ago, Pc6777 said:

I can't run my games in Linux, I'm forced to use windows because Microsoft has a monopoly on the gaming industry. Hopefully one day wine gets so good I can leave.

Have you tried Steam Proton lately?

 

I used to be one of those people who thought "I can't leave; my games won't work". Until I tried it, and discovered that my (admittedly relatively limited) Steam library all works pretty much perfectly.

 

That said, unless you have any major problem with Windows, there's probably no reason for you to bother with the hassle.

[Pc6777]

5 minutes ago, pythonmegapixel said:

Have you tried Steam Proton lately?

 

I used to be one of those people who thought "I can't leave; my games won't work". Until I tried it, and discovered that my (admittedly relatively limited) Steam library all works pretty much perfectly.

 

That said, unless you have any major problem with Windows, there's probably no reason for you to bother with the hassle.

I prefer that Linux is open source and there's more freedom, so I don't have to worry about features of functionality going away. How does steam proton work? Can I run not steam games in it?

[Pc6777]

7 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

The only time i've ever used the Microsoft Store was to get the (for some reason) required app to get Dolby Atmos support on Windows. The store is so bad, it can literally suggest an app to you and when you come back later and type it into the search field it just doesn't appear. You can also buy the "worse" Minecraft version there  

I admittedly have the Ms store Minecraft, but also the java one. I wanted to get some ray tracing with my 2060.

[pythonmegapixel]

Just now, Pc6777 said:

I prefer that Linux is open source and there's more freedom, so I don't have to worry about features of functionality going away. How does steam proton work? Can I run not steam games in it?

To avoid derailing this thread any further, I have answered your question in a post on your profile.

[GoodBytes]

9 hours ago, pythonmegapixel said:

You say "option" - it's more of a begrudging permission... currently the only way to not use a MS account is to tell the system you don't have an internet connection when you set it up. Then when you do connect it to the internet it will keep asking you every few weeks to add one.

 

Microsoft want people's data for use with targeted ads. That is probably worth more to them than the license fees these days.

Actually, Microsoft doesn't care about your data. What they care is you paying for additional services. They want you to use OneDrive, and go "darn I need more space... let me get OneDrive with more storage or get a subscription of Office with 1TB of One Drive.... Oh there is the XBox app... oh this is cool, it can integrate with an Xbox.. let me get the  XBox One Series.... oooohhh XBox Cloud... sign me up... 

 

It's all about signing up for services. 

 

Tracking for ads is through its free services. Bing, Cortana (well, that one is pretty much dead and Microsoft is moving it's AI tech to other apps, like Teams meeting auto-transcriber and PowerPoint slide presentation generator feature, but anyways), and so on.

 

It does "track" your installed Store apps (I mean it already knows, much like Steam does with your games that you got from them, so that you don't need to rebuy them each time you load Steam), for app suggestions if you have that option enabled. The goal is for people to use the Store, and hopefully Microsoft get a cut from purchases.

[Pc6777]

2 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Actually, Microsoft doesn't care about your data. What they care is you paying for additional services. They want you to use OneDrive, and go "darn I need more space... let me get OneDrive with more storage or get a subscription of Office with 1TB of One Drive.... Oh there is the XBox app... oh this is cool, it can integrate with an Xbox.. let me get the  XBox One Series.... oooohhh XBox Cloud... sign me up... 

 

It's all about signing up for services. 

 

Tracking for ads is through its free services. Bing, Cortana (well, that one is pretty much dead and Microsoft is moving it's AI tech to other apps, like Teams meeting auto-transcriber and PowerPoint slide presentation generator feature, but anyways), and so on.

the one drive ads are pretty annoying, I would rather get 2 large hard drives and keep one offsite than use a cloud service for my precious data, or those annoying spotify ads in the built in music player. I dont think they understand operating systems arn't supposed to have built in ads. 

[GoodBytes]

6 minutes ago, Pc6777 said:

the one drive ads are pretty annoying, I would rather get 2 large hard drives and keep one offsite than use a cloud service for my precious data, or those annoying spotify ads in the built in music player. I dont think they understand operating systems arn't supposed to have built in ads. 

Well, people have to choose... 3 years OS purchases, or continuous "free" updates. People have chosen Apple and Android path, so "free" updates it is. And so, this is what we have.