4 ms·

We just got two cheapish windows laptops after many years of not using windows at all. Pros: * Keyboard quality (compared to macbooks) * Low cost * Good phy

We just got two cheapish windows laptops after many years of not using windows at all. Pros: * Keyboard quality (compared to macbooks) * Low cost * Good physical design if you choose the right brand (thinkpad carbon for example) Cons: * Dark patterns push you hard to connect your account to a skype/xbox/microsoft live/whatever they call it these days account * License key hell is still a thing * Schizophrenic split between screens that work on high DPI displays and screens that don't. Sometimes in the same application. * Too many versions of windows with features arbitrarily disabled depending on the version you have. Neither of these two laptops can enabled bitlocker, and no windows linux subsystem. Is all the code for bitlocker and wsl on my disk? I bet it is, just routed around with an `if version` branch. * Crapware pre-installed * Fairly crashy. On one if you put it to sleep with a full screen app open it wakes up with a black screen. Needs a hard reboot every time.

taneq 7y ago
> Crapware pre-installed The first rule of buying a prebuilt system has always been nuke it from orbit and start from scratch. Sounds like this isn’t changing any time soon.
- tlamponi 7y ago
  Yeah, but even if I "nuke it from orbit" with a recent Windows 10 ISO I have to trick around to be able to just create a local account (disconnecting network or entering some form invalid three times, dark pattern stuff) and then if I finally get along I get greeted with a start menu full of candy crush and other crap.. Compare that with and Debian installation, quicker, no dark patterns, and no crap. Fedora works too, AFAICR, but Ubuntu has gone already a bit the M$ way, it seems..
awa 7y ago
Doesnt Apple push the same way to connect you apple id to your machine?
- telesilla 7y ago
  It's very avoidable, it only asks on first boot of a new user account.
kyriakos 7y ago
The crash you are describing is a manufacturer issue, sounds like a driver preventing proper sleep. Not an excuse, just pointing out. Also I wouldn't call think pad carbon cheapish

taneq 7y ago

> Crapware pre-installed The first rule of buying a prebuilt system has always been nuke it from orbit and start from scratch. Sounds like this isn’t changing any time soon.

tlamponi 7y ago
Yeah, but even if I "nuke it from orbit" with a recent Windows 10 ISO I have to trick around to be able to just create a local account (disconnecting network or entering some form invalid three times, dark pattern stuff) and then if I finally get along I get greeted with a start menu full of candy crush and other crap.. Compare that with and Debian installation, quicker, no dark patterns, and no crap. Fedora works too, AFAICR, but Ubuntu has gone already a bit the M$ way, it seems..

awa 7y ago

Doesnt Apple push the same way to connect you apple id to your machine?

telesilla 7y ago
It's very avoidable, it only asks on first boot of a new user account.

kyriakos 7y ago

The crash you are describing is a manufacturer issue, sounds like a driver preventing proper sleep. Not an excuse, just pointing out. Also I wouldn't call think pad carbon cheapish