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Actually, Windows keeps getting better. WSL is a revelation, anyone that says otherwise is in denial. The Windows 11 interface makes Windows 10 look so dated. I

Actually, Windows keeps getting better. WSL is a revelation, anyone that says otherwise is in denial. The Windows 11 interface makes Windows 10 look so dated. In some ways the interface is shaping up to look better then MacOS (still very inconsistent.) The main problems are they are yanking some legacy things that power users have loved. People complain about "ads" in Windows, I never notice, if I do it's easy to turn off. Apple does similar, but no one ever complains.

manuelabeledo 3y ago
> People complain about "ads" in Windows, I never notice, if I do it's easy to turn off. Apple does similar, but no one ever complains. This is nowhere near the truth. Only ads present in a default MacOS install are in the App Store, for apps. Windows has all sorts of ads in the start menu itself.
pxc 3y ago
> WSL is a revelation, anyone that says otherwise is in denial. WSL is a buggy mess with a lot of serious problems. It's nice enough for Linux dabblers but anyone else will eventually run into some combination of the memory leaks, data loss, fundamental incapabilities (e.g., no hardware passthrough), inconsistent install process, showstopping window management bugs for the graphical components, random breakage in the CLI interop interface, text encoding problems in the WSL CLI, hangups related to systemd support, lack of a proper service management layer OOTB, etc.
- partiallypro 3y ago
  Not sure what you mean, WSL is a simple click and run from the app store now. This isn't WSL1, which did have a confusing process. WSL has changed countless workflows, it's an important addition to Windows. I understand HN is full of Apple fanboys and Microsoft haters (reminds me of the old Slashdot days sometimes), but many need to step outside and realize that Windows has made great strides since Windows 8. People that say it has gotten worse, are just simply incorrect. I don't agree with a lot of Microsoft's decisions with Windows, mostly around the widgets, but I never use them, and I would bet most people don't. Acting like the entire OS is now adware is just complete nonsense.
  - pxc 3y ago
    > Not sure what you mean, WSL is a simple click and run from the app store now. WSL has different install requirements for Windows 10 and Windows 11. On Windows 10, it requires a special Windows Optional Component to be enabled, which is a change that requires local admin rights. On Windows 11, WSL can be installed from the Microsoft Store with no need to set up the Windows Optional Component. Shortly after that version of WSL for Windows 11 went live in the Microsoft Store, Microsoft removed the hooks in their installer which enabled that Optional Component in the case it was disabled— on all versions of Windows. So on systems where end users have limited or no admin rights, Windows 10 users cannot install WSL, but Windows 11 users can. On systems which use whitelists for specific installers and processes to be able to elevate privileges, installing WSL on Windows 10 broke because the whitelisted process no longer attempts to set up WSL's dependencies. My organization was bitten by this. Like with other aspects of WSL, the deeper your engagement is the more bugs and quirks are revealed. > many need to step outside and realize that Windows has made great strides since Windows 8. Never ran Windows 8, thankfully. All I know having returned to Windows for a year for the sake of a job is that it is much worse than it was the last time I used it. I'm sorry to hear that Windows 8 so lowered your expectations. It must have been pretty bad. > Acting like the entire OS is now adware is just complete nonsense. I'm way more interested in setting realistic expectations about WSL for fellow Linux users than the overall value of Windows, which is probably already a settled question for most of us. But this statement strikes me as pretty funny. 'Complete nonsense' is a pretty strong phrase. If you ever figure out what makes something 'truly adware', send a tip to the lexicographers, because I've just checked 3 dictionaries and Windows qualifies as adware by all 3 definitions they had! :P More seriously: Windows is definitely different from a lot of adware in that advertising isn't the only revenue strategy for Windows, and Microsoft also sees Windows fulfilling other purposes for them than selling ad space. But generally, 'adware' doesn't mean much more than 'annoying software which shows me ads I don't want to see'. How can you argue that Windows is not that for many, many people?

manuelabeledo 3y ago

> People complain about "ads" in Windows, I never notice, if I do it's easy to turn off. Apple does similar, but no one ever complains. This is nowhere near the truth. Only ads present in a default MacOS install are in the App Store, for apps. Windows has all sorts of ads in the start menu itself.

pxc 3y ago

> WSL is a revelation, anyone that says otherwise is in denial. WSL is a buggy mess with a lot of serious problems. It's nice enough for Linux dabblers but anyone else will eventually run into some combination of the memory leaks, data loss, fundamental incapabilities (e.g., no hardware passthrough), inconsistent install process, showstopping window management bugs for the graphical components, random breakage in the CLI interop interface, text encoding problems in the WSL CLI, hangups related to systemd support, lack of a proper service management layer OOTB, etc.

partiallypro 3y ago
Not sure what you mean, WSL is a simple click and run from the app store now. This isn't WSL1, which did have a confusing process. WSL has changed countless workflows, it's an important addition to Windows. I understand HN is full of Apple fanboys and Microsoft haters (reminds me of the old Slashdot days sometimes), but many need to step outside and realize that Windows has made great strides since Windows 8. People that say it has gotten worse, are just simply incorrect. I don't agree with a lot of Microsoft's decisions with Windows, mostly around the widgets, but I never use them, and I would bet most people don't. Acting like the entire OS is now adware is just complete nonsense.
- pxc 3y ago
  > Not sure what you mean, WSL is a simple click and run from the app store now. WSL has different install requirements for Windows 10 and Windows 11. On Windows 10, it requires a special Windows Optional Component to be enabled, which is a change that requires local admin rights. On Windows 11, WSL can be installed from the Microsoft Store with no need to set up the Windows Optional Component. Shortly after that version of WSL for Windows 11 went live in the Microsoft Store, Microsoft removed the hooks in their installer which enabled that Optional Component in the case it was disabled— on all versions of Windows. So on systems where end users have limited or no admin rights, Windows 10 users cannot install WSL, but Windows 11 users can. On systems which use whitelists for specific installers and processes to be able to elevate privileges, installing WSL on Windows 10 broke because the whitelisted process no longer attempts to set up WSL's dependencies. My organization was bitten by this. Like with other aspects of WSL, the deeper your engagement is the more bugs and quirks are revealed. > many need to step outside and realize that Windows has made great strides since Windows 8. Never ran Windows 8, thankfully. All I know having returned to Windows for a year for the sake of a job is that it is much worse than it was the last time I used it. I'm sorry to hear that Windows 8 so lowered your expectations. It must have been pretty bad. > Acting like the entire OS is now adware is just complete nonsense. I'm way more interested in setting realistic expectations about WSL for fellow Linux users than the overall value of Windows, which is probably already a settled question for most of us. But this statement strikes me as pretty funny. 'Complete nonsense' is a pretty strong phrase. If you ever figure out what makes something 'truly adware', send a tip to the lexicographers, because I've just checked 3 dictionaries and Windows qualifies as adware by all 3 definitions they had! :P More seriously: Windows is definitely different from a lot of adware in that advertising isn't the only revenue strategy for Windows, and Microsoft also sees Windows fulfilling other purposes for them than selling ad space. But generally, 'adware' doesn't mean much more than 'annoying software which shows me ads I don't want to see'. How can you argue that Windows is not that for many, many people?