4 ms·

I think Windows is a pretty good example of why backwards compatibility is great and why is also sucks. On one hand, you can probably still run your Windows so

I think Windows is a pretty good example of why backwards compatibility is great and why is also sucks. On one hand, you can probably still run your Windows software that you bought 20 years ago. That's the good. That bad is that many things in Windows still work the same way that they did 20 years ago even if better solutions have been developed because they want to maintain the backwards compatibility. For example, programs are responsible for installing and uninstalling themselves. So if you have a program that doesn't ship with an uninstaller (or the uninstaller is broken) then there is basically no official way to remove it outside reinstalling Windows. There's no sandboxing and apps can do whatever they want to your system. You also have quirks like not being able to add more than 26 drives (because you run out of letters) and having to deal with multiple different settings apps. I think if it weren't for its massive software catalog (which it has because of backwards compatibility) basically nobody would choose Windows over any of the less clunky operating systems out there. This is the reason that I attribute to the failure of every Windows version that Microsoft has tried to release that didn't have 100% backwards compatibility (Windows RT, Windows Mobile, Windows for ARM, Windows 10 S, Windows 10 X, etc). So just to be clear, what I'm saying is that maintaining backwards compatibility at all costs will produce a clunky operating system that is not pleasant to use.

toast0 6y ago
I mean, you can install apps with the appstore if you really want sandboxing and apps that can't work like applications, and an extra dependence on Microsoft. I thought there was a way to mount a drive without a letter these days? But I've never run out of letters, so I can't say I paid much attention. Windows 10 is clunky because of lack of attention to detail and a drastic reduction in testing without a reduction in scope, not so much because of backwards compatability. Windows Phone 7 lost Google because of no backwards compatability though (they had excellent CE apps, I'm told).
- Arnavion 6y ago
  >I thought there was a way to mount a drive without a letter these days? You've been able to mount drives to subdirectories of existing drives since at least Windows 7. So yes you can certainly have more than 26 drives. It might confuse poorly-written software, though. I remember Steam won't let me install a game under C:\Stuff because it thought C: didn't have enough free space, even though C:\Stuff was a different drive with plenty of space.
throw_away 6y ago
The settings are what kill me. Are there like three different systems swimming around in there? And the fact that I have to rely on either a third-party tool or registry hacking to make caps lock a ctrl key is just flabbergasting in 2020.

toast0 6y ago

I mean, you can install apps with the appstore if you really want sandboxing and apps that can't work like applications, and an extra dependence on Microsoft. I thought there was a way to mount a drive without a letter these days? But I've never run out of letters, so I can't say I paid much attention. Windows 10 is clunky because of lack of attention to detail and a drastic reduction in testing without a reduction in scope, not so much because of backwards compatability. Windows Phone 7 lost Google because of no backwards compatability though (they had excellent CE apps, I'm told).

Arnavion 6y ago
>I thought there was a way to mount a drive without a letter these days? You've been able to mount drives to subdirectories of existing drives since at least Windows 7. So yes you can certainly have more than 26 drives. It might confuse poorly-written software, though. I remember Steam won't let me install a game under C:\Stuff because it thought C: didn't have enough free space, even though C:\Stuff was a different drive with plenty of space.

throw_away 6y ago

The settings are what kill me. Are there like three different systems swimming around in there? And the fact that I have to rely on either a third-party tool or registry hacking to make caps lock a ctrl key is just flabbergasting in 2020.