What is windows actually good at? I bought a computer with it pre installed a copy a few years back and it seemed like just an upsell into Microsoft’s ecosystem and random other ads.
Everything was slow, barely responsive you could just feel the code bloat. After a few hours I just gave up and installed a Linux distro.
Are people really putting up with this en masse as consumers?
It's gotta be Active Dir, right? That's what keeps the businesses around + using Windows OS, which keeps users at home using Windows because it's familiar. It becomes the 'foot in the door' (or trojan horse, YMMV) for the O365 suite, for Exchange...
Plus, because it seems like almost everyone is using AD, you know you can send files in formats they can open and receive via the Office Suite. I've never once hesistated sending a .docx or a .xlsx .... I fully expect any vendor we work with to have the ability to open Microsoft's formats. Sure, Numbers and Sheets built it in, but I assume that's as a business requirement from their partners who needed the ability to open files in their own respective suites.
They've now just about replicated all of the on-prem essentials to the cloud as well, with Intune and Entra replacing most of AD, but just as 'sticky' as ever
Windows is useful for running third-party software that, for whatever reason, requires Windows. There is a surprising amount of obnoxiously low quality but nonetheless useful things in this category.
the average user? probably. but in a corporate environment or a power user's personal setup? probably not anywhere near as painful, and holding on to slightly older OSes because the quality and kinks were figured out a long time ago. On Windows 11, right clicking and bringing up the context menu is painfully slow. On Windows 7/10, it's pretty quick and simplified. It has no 'change for change sake' as part of it.
Recently started working at an org that is a very heavy Google only shop that ditched Microsoft. There are some things you just get used to. Moving away from Outlook and trying to utilize Gmail in a corporate environment is a pain that I have a hard time articulating. It just isn't the same and the ability to have mail in it's own window that I can easily open messages in, is miles better.
The average consumer? Probably living in a world of pain for all we know.
It's insane to 'crack down on pirated Windows activations' while doing nothing about massgrave. Even worse when it's open source and hosted on a website your company owns.
- can microsoft cut the crap and give us a windows optimal version already?
- no bloatware, no malware, no adware, no unnecessary tools, 4x the price
- am sure a whole chunk of people ll happily pay it to get their hands on an OS that runs at blazing speeds instead of the bloated crap we got in the name of windows these days
I doubt most people would be willing to pay what MS would have to charge them to make up for the value of the data MS gets by spying on everything a person does while using their computer.
It's been a long time, but when I built my Win 10 machine (~2016) it was possible to purchase an "OEM" install disc on Amazon. I believe that's the LTSC version. I do see one for Win 11, but the product listing is several years old now, so who knows?
OEM versions of Windows are just copies with license terms dictating that they are to be installed on and tied to a specific new PC, as opposed to a full retail license that is not tied to a specific PC and may be transferred to a different machine. What you have linked to is quite clearly Windows 11 Pro, not Windows 11 Enterprise and certainly not Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC.
Tried to buy LTSC IoT from there a while ago, got rejected for not being a business. Normal people don't deserve Windows without the permanent disrespect of user choices apparently. (not blaming them, I assume that's just Microsoft's policy)
Silly Redmond, we've been over here zeroing out the Confirmation ID to activate Windows for a while now. No pirate has time to queue up 25+ activations to get a KMS request to go out to Microsoft.
What is windows actually good at? I bought a computer with it pre installed a copy a few years back and it seemed like just an upsell into Microsoft’s ecosystem and random other ads.
Everything was slow, barely responsive you could just feel the code bloat. After a few hours I just gave up and installed a Linux distro.
Are people really putting up with this en masse as consumers?
>What is windows actually good at?
It's gotta be Active Dir, right? That's what keeps the businesses around + using Windows OS, which keeps users at home using Windows because it's familiar. It becomes the 'foot in the door' (or trojan horse, YMMV) for the O365 suite, for Exchange...
Plus, because it seems like almost everyone is using AD, you know you can send files in formats they can open and receive via the Office Suite. I've never once hesistated sending a .docx or a .xlsx .... I fully expect any vendor we work with to have the ability to open Microsoft's formats. Sure, Numbers and Sheets built it in, but I assume that's as a business requirement from their partners who needed the ability to open files in their own respective suites.
They've now just about replicated all of the on-prem essentials to the cloud as well, with Intune and Entra replacing most of AD, but just as 'sticky' as ever
Windows is useful for running third-party software that, for whatever reason, requires Windows. There is a surprising amount of obnoxiously low quality but nonetheless useful things in this category.
>What is windows actually good at?
The only reason for me still running Windows is for games.
But even that is changing rapidly nowadays.
I'm still on Win10, even though it's EOL. I should upgrade, and if I do, I'll upgrade to some Linux distro, not Win11.
Microslop extended 10 for another year since so many people are still using it.
Lots of good distros out there, many that are gaming forward as well, though.
the average user? probably. but in a corporate environment or a power user's personal setup? probably not anywhere near as painful, and holding on to slightly older OSes because the quality and kinks were figured out a long time ago. On Windows 11, right clicking and bringing up the context menu is painfully slow. On Windows 7/10, it's pretty quick and simplified. It has no 'change for change sake' as part of it.
Recently started working at an org that is a very heavy Google only shop that ditched Microsoft. There are some things you just get used to. Moving away from Outlook and trying to utilize Gmail in a corporate environment is a pain that I have a hard time articulating. It just isn't the same and the ability to have mail in it's own window that I can easily open messages in, is miles better.
The average consumer? Probably living in a world of pain for all we know.
> What is windows actually good at?
Domain control and group policies, unfortunately. Crucial for enterprises.
It's just momentum at this point. It had a massive advantage with games and office software but those are mostly gone at this point.
Stable environment for new hardware where everything works out of the box.
Also weird old hardware.
ROTFL. Starts ? Maybe. Works ? Also maybe.
> What is windows actually good at?
running the Office suite, unironically
It's insane to 'crack down on pirated Windows activations' while doing nothing about massgrave. Even worse when it's open source and hosted on a website your company owns.
Long live massgrave though.
This is for KMS running on Windows Server. Doesn’t impact retail, OEM, or MAK.
- can microsoft cut the crap and give us a windows optimal version already?
- no bloatware, no malware, no adware, no unnecessary tools, 4x the price
- am sure a whole chunk of people ll happily pay it to get their hands on an OS that runs at blazing speeds instead of the bloated crap we got in the name of windows these days
I doubt most people would be willing to pay what MS would have to charge them to make up for the value of the data MS gets by spying on everything a person does while using their computer.
Isn't that just the LTSC version?
Perhaps, but how do you buy a copy for your family at home?
It's been a long time, but when I built my Win 10 machine (~2016) it was possible to purchase an "OEM" install disc on Amazon. I believe that's the LTSC version. I do see one for Win 11, but the product listing is several years old now, so who knows?
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windоws-Pro-OEM-DVD/dp/B09M...
OEM versions of Windows are just copies with license terms dictating that they are to be installed on and tied to a specific new PC, as opposed to a full retail license that is not tied to a specific PC and may be transferred to a different machine. What you have linked to is quite clearly Windows 11 Pro, not Windows 11 Enterprise and certainly not Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC.
cdw sells lot of diff key options, LTSC IoT used to be offered fairly reasonably, I don't know if they still do.
edit: replied to the wrong person, but leaving it here anyway, it's just about as visible I think.
https://www.cdw.com/search/software/operating-systems/window...
Tried to buy LTSC IoT from there a while ago, got rejected for not being a business. Normal people don't deserve Windows without the permanent disrespect of user choices apparently. (not blaming them, I assume that's just Microsoft's policy)
Right. As far as I know you need to be a volume license customer, or resort to piracy.
From massgrave.dev
Pretty obvious place to start. The purpose of the TPM is to prevent users from running unapproved software on the device.
still not convinced TPM actually does anything useful for an end user.
It was never about the end user.
If you're ordering new servers without TPMs these days, you are doing it wrong.
Source: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/...
... But nobody's abusing KMS anymore.
Silly Redmond, we've been over here zeroing out the Confirmation ID to activate Windows for a while now. No pirate has time to queue up 25+ activations to get a KMS request to go out to Microsoft.