Why does Microsoft do what it does?
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abacus, I totally agree with you.
A new version every six months is insane, at least for those who use the computer as a working toll.
Every new version comes with a lot of bugs. Then it comes the updates to fix the bugs. When it's reasonably stable, it comes a new version, with a lot of bugs and then the updates to fix the bugs.
One day, all Win 10 user will boot his computer and find out he can't use it for hours because it began an upgrading.
Most Linux brands have constant updates and have a new version also every 6 moths. The difference is that (at least Ubuntu) they have a Long Term Service (LTS), that is, it will update but not upgrade (It wont change and have support for 3years).
Windows 10 also has a LTS, but they are only available on Enterprise and released every 2 to 3 years.
It seams to me that M$ use their non Enterprise customers to test their Beta releases.
Looking the issues people have after an upgrade, like devices not working, make me believe that Win 7 is still a better OS as it's stable.
And there are Win 7 single updates packages (like Simplix) that makes a clean install easy. And stable.
Thankfully there are very good people at this Forum, with high skills, to help Win 10 users to make their computers usable. I'm learning a lot with them.
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1) Why two major updates a year? Who wants to do a major update that often?
MS has recently changed its policy, because of problems with updates, and there will be only one major release every year in April, October updates will be released just to fix bugs.
If MS has designed new major bells and whistles that someone wants or needs, why not package them as separate updates?
The problem is, that MS is a bunch of managers, who know nothing about software. They add something, then remove it, then add it back again, based on market reports, they do not care about users, just about profit. Not to mention, that MS is slowly abandoning desktop in the favor of mobile devices and cloud, so it will only get worse, eventually MS account will be mandatory.
2) Why so many updates in a month? Why not one cumulative update at the end of a month that is really cumulative of all the necessary updates in the month?
Considering, that they also contain security updates, they are not released nearly as often and they should be, but then again, they are not as reliable as other updates (Linux, Mac, Chrome, etc).
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Give me security updates as needed, even if often.
Give me other fixes if I want them, else not.
Give me "improvements" when I buy a new computer, not before. That'd be about every five years.
(I don't need an "improved" snipping tool. I don't need a 3D editor. I don't need more crap.)
This every-six-month nonsense is ... nonsense. Even though each update gets delayed to fix what it broke and ends up being once a year. That's still too much.
I still don't have 1803. Microsoft deems my computer "not yet ready".
Good. If it were up to me I'll tell them that it's ready ... when I junk it in a few years. Not before.
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I don't know if what I'm about to say qualifies as on-topic for this particular thread but here goes...
As an average home user & PC gamer, I feel like Microsoft doesn't do a well enough job at separating their home offerings from their small business & enterprise offerings, when it comes to Pro/Education/Enterprise editions of Windows as compared to home or core editions.
Example, as a home user why do I need components like Internet Explorer with my Windows? Its no longer in active development (as far as I'm aware) and their only for legacy support for enterprise use-cases, What does that have to do with me as a home user? .....Nothing that I can fathom, and they're lots of other components like this as well.
It's cool that Windows 10 is an evolving operating system and all but why at the expense of it users, I mean isn't this what the insider program is for?
Another thing that bothers me is the slow pace of transition from one style/design language to the other.....which at the moment, results in duplication of functionality (and a waste of storage space IMO). Such as, Windows Media Player vs the Movies & TV app & the Groove Music app.
This post was suppose to be much longer than this but I got lazy while writing it and honestly just lost the will to continue it as originally planned it in my head.
TL;DR
Why can't Microsoft create a lightweight edition of Windows 10 for those of use that just do browse the web, music to music from time to time, watch videos & movies as well as play PC games from time to time?
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I am not a MS hater............................. Or maybe I should try Linux.
Nothing wrong with trying Linux. I have. Several times over the last 25 years. Most recently about 4 years ago with Mint, version 17 as I recall.
But I gave up on Linux each time I've tried it, due to the learning curve required to do what I need to do with a PC.
Choosing a distribution, installing it using best practices, finding possible replacements for Windows applications, installing them, learning how to update them, learning about the Linux file structure, how to run applications, how to backup both data and the OS itself........................all of that is not something to take lightly.
If you are not willing to spend a few hundred hours on that, you aren't likely to succeed.
Ultimately, I've always folded my tent after a couple of weeks of frustration and struggling.
Your experience may differ, but don't be led into thinking Linux is quite Windows-like simply because you have a GUI.
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Give me security updates as needed, even if often.
Give me other fixes if I want them, else not.
Give me "improvements" when I buy a new computer, not before. That'd be about every five years.
(I don't need an "improved" snipping tool. I don't need a 3D editor. I don't need more crap.)
This every-six-month nonsense is ... nonsense. Even though each update gets delayed to fix what it broke and ends up being once a year. That's still too much.
I still don't have 1803. Microsoft deems my computer "not yet ready".
Good. If it were up to me I'll tell them that it's ready ... when I junk it in a few years. Not before.
Maybe you don't but many do need or want all or some of those upgrades/updates. I for instance, upgrade at least something in my main computer at leas twice a year, in last two years I changed my CPU 4 times, GPU 2 times, memory 4 times and disks 3 times adding few of them at same time and upgrading storage by 4TB. I want OS to follow those upgrades so I can have full performance for my money invested.
Most people I know don't even know what version of W10 they use and also didn't even notice when they were upgraded/updated.
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You're right, I've never used Linux, but I'm about to experiment with it on a retired Windows 7 desktop. I prefer a Linux version with a GUI and one that is widely used. Which would you recommend? What is a safe source to used for a download? Which Linux user forum can tolerate newbies with newbie questions?
Ubuntu and Linux Mint are often the most mentioned when it comes to "newbies," however there are also other alternatives.
I suggest taking a look at MX Linux; comes packed with features, is very light on system resources, and has a good community behind it willing to help with questions.
Relevant links for more information:
DistroWatch.com: MX Linux
MX Linux – Midweight Simple Stable Desktop OS
MX Linux Forum - Index page
Good luck!
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I've been a Windows user since version 3 and while all the versions from then to pre 10 have had their problems, I don't think I spent as much time trying to work out why things that used to work didn't after an update, as I have with Win10.
Hardly a week goes by without someone reporting that after one bug fix another one comes to light.
Not only that it steals my limited broadband bandwidth downloading update after update and while it kindly waits not to reset while I'm using the machine, it will often take a very long time to shut down or start up the following day while it installs a load of crap I don't want.
I got so sick of this on my wifes small netbook that I scrapped Win10 and installed Linux Mint. She doesn't do much more than a bit of Internet use and now she doesn't get bugged by unecessary updates and having stuff she doesn't want installed.
It's got to the point that for the first time in decades I'm seriously considering switching to a Mac. Of course this may be just opening a different can to let the worms out.
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With respect to all shared input on this matter, I have come to realize that Windows 10 was offered as a free upgrade if your system met the requirements back when it was first released to the public.
With that in mind, I think back to the saying "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain."
Microsoft played their cards beautifully in the fact that they offered Windows 10 as a free service to machines that met the criteria for the upgrade. In doing so, they slowly sucked users into believing that this type of new OS was going to be an improvement to previous OS structures.
It has essentially turned into a blame game between Microsoft and users who modify their OS to meet certain parameters. I foresee this as a snowball effect rolling downhill that will eventually have serious repercussions because of greed and a lack of true authentic thinking.
I have mentioned before that Windows 10 is a self-destructing platform that has no cognitive reference for self improvement, only profit.
It is like everything else in the business world; push a product as fast as you can and see what happens, then try to improve it at the expense of the people who chose to accept it in the first place.
The problem is that some businesses relied on Windows 10 for their profits and found out the hard way that intellectual property gained a new meaning with a set of rules attached by clever lawyers who only complicated matters worse for the end users.
So with all blame aside as to whether or not Microsoft is trying to cripple the computer industry, we can only wait for the true reason as to why they are complicating a situation that doesn't have to be complicated.
Microsoft is incapable of deductive reasoning when profits guide their slanted thinking.
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Hi there
apart from a load of WD updates which only take seconds and are rarely more than a few KB - there's no reason at all to update if you don't want to -- in fact probably 99.9% of updates would only really be needed (apart from security issues) by about 0.1% of users.
However nearly every day that passes there's some sort of new hardware device out there or another application -- that's hopefully how the Human Mind progresses -- Humankind is an inquisitive species. Ms obviously wants that hardware to work too plus there's always better encryption algorithms being invented, more efficiency in how the OS runs etc etc.
Running say 1803 or even 1709 on your computer will probably be absolutely fine -- just be careful on avoiding scams and don't get fazed by all these people scaring you into buying the latest A/V (Anti Virus) software.
I think my views concerning Malwarebytes and similar programs of that ilk and especially other paid versions of Anti Virus software are well known --these guys are scaring people by offering a very 20th cent solution to a 21 st problem --Infecting home user computers isn't money making --even major torrent sites like that one flying The Jolly Roger don't want malware on their sites any more --scamming is the name of the game --identity theft, fake websites etc etc.
So if your machine works fine and you can surf safely and don't give out too much info on social media sites --then just continue with what you've got -- "If it ain't Broke .... Don't fix it". (Do use though on W10 the WD system for a decenrt level of protection -- again for 99% of users this will be more than enough).
In any case if an update doesn't work provided you've taken a system backup image with something like free macrium it only takes probably less than 15 - 30 mins in most cases to restore your system to as it was before the update.
Note of course my remarks about Anti Virus software etc applies only to HOME computers -- corporates, public infrastructure, even Forums such as these can and often are attacked by Ddos and other nasty things so of course they DO need far extra protection than a simple Mom and Pop home computer.
Some of us also do like testing new builds etc and it's impossible for Ms to test even a tiny proportion of hardware and applications out these these days -- for example I doubt whether an Ms employee or developer would come up with a scientist from the University of Iceland up the side of a smoking volcano to test a Carbon / Sulphur gas detecting device for transmission back tothe geological centre !!
Windows has been used on almost every piece of hardware in the known galaxy -- and while I like and normally use Linux I can't think of any other computer OS that even begins to handle almost seamlessly all the bits of hardware users connect to it.
So "The evil Empire" --no it isn't. !!!
Cheers
jimbo
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