7 ms·

Windows 11: The number you have dialed has been disconnected

49 points by LinuxBender 3y ago

tester756 3y ago
>Redmond doesn't need Windows 12, we don't need Windows 12, businesses and OEMs don't need Windows 12. Let's stop pretending, shall we? We need, in order to have people moving to better&newer hardware.
brookst 3y ago
Couldn't make it past the second paragraph. There may be some good points, but it's impossible to read this without picturing an angry, sneering, political-TV guy with spit flying. I guess it's a good performance but really hard to parse.
- I_Am_Nous 3y ago
  Basically the article argues that software development (with regard to OS releases) doesn't seem to have any world-changing features to add. So going from Windows 10 to Windows 11 has some general UI differences, but nothing big like moving from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 was. Couple that with hardware likewise moving more slowly and there's no real reason to market everything so aggressively.
  - dehrmann 3y ago
    Moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is like moving from Windows 98 SE to Windows ME. It's what Microsoft wants, everything still works, and it's all a bit shittier.
    - I_Am_Nous 3y ago
      This just reminds me of my time at Geek Squad, when a gentleman purchased a new eMachines PC, used it a couple of times, and then boxed it up for some reason. Fast forward to 2012 and he's brought it in because the modern internet doesn't work with WINDOWS ME. The PC was pristine, but the best we could do was install a version of Opera which supported ME and might allow him to access the internet with more modern code.
  - brookst 3y ago
    Thanks for translating. Hard to disagree with that take, but also hard to imagine someone being so angry that a mature market has matured.
    - I_Am_Nous 3y ago
      No problem! I got a lot of the same vibes from this article that I used to get from Cracked articles, that sort-of-unhinged internet diatribe style of writing. Perhaps it was trying to emphasize a point where the Microsoft marketing team is making mountains out of mole hills (as that is all they have left) so he's likewise going to make a mountain out of a mole hill to show how absurd it is. I agree though, it is a strange thing to diatribe against in such a way.
jerf 3y ago
"The Year of the Linux Desktop" won't ever happen... and that's partially because the delta between where Linux is now and the implied perfect Linux that powers TYotLD is now too small to be of marketing interest, just as the original article is complaining about. It can now only be a creeping process because there's no room for a big bang improvement any more. My family is just casually using Linux now. I didn't even have to "train" them when I switched. The only thing we keep windows around for now is the unbelievably awful Cricut software, which is clearly a ramshackle product barely managing to run in Windows as it is. I also use it for work, and the only significant delta I've noticed is that Zoom doesn't want to share individual apps in my setup. (Maybe it does in Wayland, I dunno.) It has otherwise been quite a while since I've had to tell someone "No, I can't do that, I'm on Linux." The marketers for Windows face a problem they will be incapable of perceiving or acknowledging, which is that they are now the primary problem with Windows. Their need to change things just so they can say they changed things, their need to pile another feature on top of the ever-larger tottering stack of backwards compatibility already in place, their need to murder my experience using their product with ads so they can get another $3/year of revenue from me, these things that they did are the primary reason I switched away, am staying away, and am advising people around me to do the same. Eat that seed corn, marketers. Who needs $25 billion/year in revenue anyhow? A pittance, surely.
- doubled112 3y ago
  Is the Cricut software still a Chrome browser plugin? It can't be. That thing was terrible. It runs on a phone or tablet if your Cricut does Bluetooth. We just make an SVG on a PC in whatever we want, make the quick tweaks in the Cricut software and send it that way. Saves us from needing Windows PCs.
  - jerf 3y ago
    Had not occurred to me to check tablets/phones/Android, thank you for the the suggestion.
- brucethemoose2 3y ago
  > Maybe it does in Wayland, I dunno. And there lies the problem with linux. You basically have to know how it works to use it and maintain it. You, at the very least, have to be a lightweight diy computer technician (or have someone you know like this) to figure out some intractable issues, like "copy paste isn't working" or "my screen is black." You can be actively hostile to learning desktop computing and still kinda muddle through using Windows. I have yet to find a distro I would, say, trust with my mother or some former work colleagues, but immutable distros like Fedora Kionite are getting closer.
gjsman-1000 3y ago
> At least Sonoma has the excuse that a lot of that flab is for giant 4k drone footage of vapid countryside masquerading as active backgrounds. Although, let's be honest, the reality is that it's Tim Cook's punishment to users who didn't shell out the cash for that extra, hugely overpriced SSD option. Don't believe us? Try to remove them. Well, that's a dumb and misinformed argument. Only the one out of the box is included with macOS - the rest are download on demand. > Look at Windows 11's sluggish take-up, largely because it's Windows 10 demanding you buy it a new computer. Actually, it's been widely reported that Windows 11 take-up is widely exceeding Microsoft's projections.
- aeadio 3y ago
  > Well, that's a dumb and misinformed argument. Only the one out of the box is included with macOS - the rest are download on demand. ... and cleaned up automatically when more free space is needed.
  - postmodest 3y ago
    But: still downloaded anyway even if you select a limited bandwidth network...
- ToucanLoucan 3y ago
  I actually quite like Windows 11. It feels like Windows 10 with a lot less strange, incomplete and broken features. Having more options for window-tiling especially on my multi-monitor setup are a godsend, and miles ahead of the same system in 10 which in addition to not having the aforementioned additional options, also just kind of broke a lot and didn't work correctly. Additionally I like the Mac Dock-esque revamp for the taskbar, and though it still has an annoying number of UI conventions that one snakes through like exploring the layers of Aperture labs, the new ones are actually quite nice, very usable, and don't feel like simply a barrier I must pass to access the settings I actually want. My sole beef is that changing audio outputs now takes four clicks instead of three as they buried that button next to the volume control in whatever they're calling Command Center. But that's not a huge issue. It wasn't a massive upgrade to be sure, but it was the first Windows release in awhile where it felt like an overall improvement to the experience across the board. Everything is a little shinier, a little better done, a little polished, etc. I wish more were like it. Edit: Cohesive, that's the word I was looking for. It feels much more cohesive than 10, or really any of them since like 7. It feels like something that was actually designed for purpose, not just a mashing together of the various outputs of various departments.
gjsman-1000 3y ago
Ironically; he complains about how it takes gigabytes and gigabytes of space, and not much seems to have changed. Two can play at that game. Have you ever tried upgrading Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04? Or tried going from Fedora 35 to 37? Gigabytes of space required and not too much appears to have changed! Gasp!
- bravetraveler 3y ago
  I would mention, package transactions can be surprisingly efficient Most of what's fetched/installed replaces bits... and the package caches can trivially be cleaned after (if not implicitly; I haven't looked close). Windows installations in my experience have grown rather unbounded by comparison. I can upgrade Linux with 5% disk free - on Windows I'd have anxiety.
munk-a 3y ago
Windows 11 prevents you from docking your task bar to the side of the screen - it is forever dead to me. We've reached the point where companies feel the need to continuously release new versions but all they can conceive for the new versions is meaninglessly changing things that worked fine - @see Apple getting rid of a headphone jack.
- RajT88 3y ago
  Looks like it's just harder than normal: https://pureinfotech.com/move-taskbar-top-side-windows-11/ https://pureinfotech.com/move-taskbar-top-side-windows-11/ Typical nonsense which didn't make the cut from 10. Although a lot of that stuff got quietly added back in.
  - justsomehnguy 3y ago
    "Your gear stick is now in the glovebox" Except you aren't driving auto, but manual.
- shrimp_emoji 3y ago
  I read in some blog that, ever since 95, Windows's DE has been attempting to copy Apple. I guess I never had as much perspective as the author since they seemed like two opposite poles to me, but, with the look of 11, it's starting to make more sense... :D
renewiltord 3y ago
Guys, it's beautiful in its own way that we're still complaining about MacOS and Windows bloat for having wallpapers and shit. This is fucking brilliant. This was happening when my hard disk was 2.1 GB and it's happening now that my SSD is 1 TB. I actually really love this sort of continuity. It means that out there there will still be people upset that vimscript is included in vim. Or people that are arguing about BSD v. GPL. It's like the 10th man thing in that Israel stuff. Someone has to intentionally disagree with the mainstream and just worry about long tail shit. You never know when that 32 MB video file included with the OS is too much. But he will know, guardian of the space. Love it. Genuinely.
- giantrobot 3y ago
  What's funny is that the complaints about screensavers and wallpapers on macOS are just wrong. The assets are stored "in the cloud" and downloaded when needed. This has been true since Sierra or so where it started with Siri voices and printer drivers. All sorts of shit that used to be packed in the installers is now loaded dynamically. It's not a perfect system but it's fucking ridiculous to complain about wallpapers. But it's The Register. They have ten fantasy criticisms they use for strawman arguments for any single legit criticism.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
datavirtue 3y ago
I thought Windows 10 was the final version. Maybe I misunderstood. I was under the impression that it would just get updates going forward.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  The actual version number for Windows 11 says it's Windows 10.
  - tomwheeler 3y ago
    I can only imagine that the person from Sun Microsystems who was responsible for Java 1.2 being called "Java 2" and Java 1.5 being called "Java 2 Version 5.0" has since found work at Microsoft.
    - taway1237 3y ago
      I'm sure they did and worked on .NET
- EvanAnderson 3y ago
  My pet theory is that Microsoft reconsidered this position when MacOS went to version 11. Having a lower version number must still carry some connotation of being "behind".
- josephcsible 3y ago
  You thought that because Microsoft did say that. It just turns out they lied.
hn_urbit_thr123 3y ago
I really like the idea of Kelvin versioning for an OS: instead of counting up and adding features forever, count down until you're done.
trinsic2 3y ago
The Register opinion pieces are are a lot of hyperbole. I'm pretty sure that's what they are going for. I've always found that fluffing stuff up for the sake of a laugh or a dramatic reaction is the easy way out. There are plenty of ways you can coax out the irony by sticking closer to the truth of the situation. The truth is that yes OS's are bloated, especially Windows 10 and 11. Apple has its own problems with locking down their hardware platform by preventing upgrades and repairs, but to say that there isn't anything new under the sun in the OS improvement department is missing the point. There's always room from innovation. Its just that our current culture is being driven by market forces more then it should. We need to get back to the basics and stop worrying about the bottom line. And many are independent developers are already doing that. I'm a Windows IT professional/Gamer and because Microsoft the crossed the line with forcing online accounts and their attempts and preventing 3rd party browsers in Windows 11, last year I switched to PopOS and wrote about it[0]. Overall the past year has been a good experience with Linux, but I often struggle with updates that break the boot process and getting my Epson multifuction device to work reliability. I'm thinking of switching to Manjaro because I need more stability for my work environment. [0]: https://www.scottrlarson.com/publications/publication-transition-windows-to-linux/ https://www.scottrlarson.com/publications/publication-transi... The moral of the story is, innovation isn't dead, there is plenty of room for exciting improvements and new ways to work with technology, It's just that we've given corporations to much power over our lives, and that has to be corrected for things to get better. Eventually that will happen, but it will take time.
- alsoold 3y ago
  Do yourself a favour and don't use manjaro or Ubuntu. Use what they are based on: Arch and Debian, respectively. They're the base for these other distros for a reason. They are the best and they fully respect you.
  - thefascistleft 3y ago
    [dead]
  - shrimp_emoji 3y ago
    I think Manjaro is the best distro for my money. It's just Arch with some extra care and a GUI installer and kernel switcher (which is super nice). I moved to Arch but only out of curiosity ~~and masochism~~. It taught me a lot more about Linux, allowing me to optimize the system to my liking a bit more (like in the partition layout). :p (It's not difficult to switch kernels on Arch, btw; it's only a tiny bit harder in that you have to memorize/document the workflow instead of being able to use a GUI.) Both Arch and Manjaro, however, have been way better than Ubuntu, paradoxically. Ubuntu's supposed to be the user friendly distro, but it's more user friendly to use the AUR than hunt for expired PPA links on StackOverflow or suffer frequent DE crashes cuz the DE is old or have to reinstall the system to upgrade to the next version. Meanwhile, the trade-off with rolling, you think, is instability, but it's really MORE stability and faster hardware support! Wild. Bonus meme: there was a bad kernel a while back. 5.13 or something. It was freezing people's machines at random, and I was one of those people. I was using both Manjaro and Ubuntu at the time. On Manjaro, I was able to quickly work around it by bringing up the kernel switcher, clicking on the previous kernel, and rebooting. On Ubuntu, I thought I was safe since I was using an LTS version that predated the bad kernel. Alright, see, now it makes sense -- at least you have a haven or stability in an LTS point release, where you never hit bad kernels like this like you might on rolling. :) ...But then a system update bumped the LTS kernel version to the bad one! :| With no way to switch like on Manjaro. Frozen Ubuntu. Like, what's even the point?
renegat0x0 3y ago
[dead]
gigel82 3y ago
> Here's a prediction. Microsoft will look at Windows 11 and realize that the gig is up. It can make all its money by just licensing generic Windows Desktop with a free five-year security update promise. LOL, I wish. Here's my prediction: Microsoft will make Windows a subscription, and still shove ads down our throats, as many as it can legally get away with. The only hope is maybe a more expensive "Premium" version on the horizon where they cut down on the ads a little bit.
nathants 3y ago
the year is 2024. all consumers have an iphone. some consumers have gaming pcs. applications are not installed on the pc, but instead booted. there is no os or internal drives. usb-c drives are flashed with images via iphone, and booted on the pc. they boot directly into the application via modified archisos.
simonblack 3y ago
'Peak Windows' was Win 7. It's been downhill all the way since then. On my rare forays into Windows, it's using Win 7 as a guest VM on a Linux host.

49 points by LinuxBender 3y ago

>Redmond doesn't need Windows 12, we don't need Windows 12, businesses and OEMs don't need Windows 12. Let's stop pretending, shall we? We need, in order to have people moving to better&newer hardware.

brookst 3y ago

Couldn't make it past the second paragraph. There may be some good points, but it's impossible to read this without picturing an angry, sneering, political-TV guy with spit flying. I guess it's a good performance but really hard to parse.

I_Am_Nous 3y ago
Basically the article argues that software development (with regard to OS releases) doesn't seem to have any world-changing features to add. So going from Windows 10 to Windows 11 has some general UI differences, but nothing big like moving from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 was. Couple that with hardware likewise moving more slowly and there's no real reason to market everything so aggressively.
- dehrmann 3y ago
  Moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is like moving from Windows 98 SE to Windows ME. It's what Microsoft wants, everything still works, and it's all a bit shittier.
  - I_Am_Nous 3y ago
    This just reminds me of my time at Geek Squad, when a gentleman purchased a new eMachines PC, used it a couple of times, and then boxed it up for some reason. Fast forward to 2012 and he's brought it in because the modern internet doesn't work with WINDOWS ME. The PC was pristine, but the best we could do was install a version of Opera which supported ME and might allow him to access the internet with more modern code.
- brookst 3y ago
  Thanks for translating. Hard to disagree with that take, but also hard to imagine someone being so angry that a mature market has matured.
  - I_Am_Nous 3y ago
    No problem! I got a lot of the same vibes from this article that I used to get from Cracked articles, that sort-of-unhinged internet diatribe style of writing. Perhaps it was trying to emphasize a point where the Microsoft marketing team is making mountains out of mole hills (as that is all they have left) so he's likewise going to make a mountain out of a mole hill to show how absurd it is. I agree though, it is a strange thing to diatribe against in such a way.

jerf 3y ago

"The Year of the Linux Desktop" won't ever happen... and that's partially because the delta between where Linux is now and the implied perfect Linux that powers TYotLD is now too small to be of marketing interest, just as the original article is complaining about. It can now only be a creeping process because there's no room for a big bang improvement any more. My family is just casually using Linux now. I didn't even have to "train" them when I switched. The only thing we keep windows around for now is the unbelievably awful Cricut software, which is clearly a ramshackle product barely managing to run in Windows as it is. I also use it for work, and the only significant delta I've noticed is that Zoom doesn't want to share individual apps in my setup. (Maybe it does in Wayland, I dunno.) It has otherwise been quite a while since I've had to tell someone "No, I can't do that, I'm on Linux." The marketers for Windows face a problem they will be incapable of perceiving or acknowledging, which is that they are now the primary problem with Windows. Their need to change things just so they can say they changed things, their need to pile another feature on top of the ever-larger tottering stack of backwards compatibility already in place, their need to murder my experience using their product with ads so they can get another $3/year of revenue from me, these things that they did are the primary reason I switched away, am staying away, and am advising people around me to do the same. Eat that seed corn, marketers. Who needs $25 billion/year in revenue anyhow? A pittance, surely.

doubled112 3y ago
Is the Cricut software still a Chrome browser plugin? It can't be. That thing was terrible. It runs on a phone or tablet if your Cricut does Bluetooth. We just make an SVG on a PC in whatever we want, make the quick tweaks in the Cricut software and send it that way. Saves us from needing Windows PCs.
- jerf 3y ago
  Had not occurred to me to check tablets/phones/Android, thank you for the the suggestion.
brucethemoose2 3y ago
> Maybe it does in Wayland, I dunno. And there lies the problem with linux. You basically have to know how it works to use it and maintain it. You, at the very least, have to be a lightweight diy computer technician (or have someone you know like this) to figure out some intractable issues, like "copy paste isn't working" or "my screen is black." You can be actively hostile to learning desktop computing and still kinda muddle through using Windows. I have yet to find a distro I would, say, trust with my mother or some former work colleagues, but immutable distros like Fedora Kionite are getting closer.

gjsman-1000 3y ago

> At least Sonoma has the excuse that a lot of that flab is for giant 4k drone footage of vapid countryside masquerading as active backgrounds. Although, let's be honest, the reality is that it's Tim Cook's punishment to users who didn't shell out the cash for that extra, hugely overpriced SSD option. Don't believe us? Try to remove them. Well, that's a dumb and misinformed argument. Only the one out of the box is included with macOS - the rest are download on demand. > Look at Windows 11's sluggish take-up, largely because it's Windows 10 demanding you buy it a new computer. Actually, it's been widely reported that Windows 11 take-up is widely exceeding Microsoft's projections.

aeadio 3y ago
> Well, that's a dumb and misinformed argument. Only the one out of the box is included with macOS - the rest are download on demand. ... and cleaned up automatically when more free space is needed.
- postmodest 3y ago
  But: still downloaded anyway even if you select a limited bandwidth network...
ToucanLoucan 3y ago
I actually quite like Windows 11. It feels like Windows 10 with a lot less strange, incomplete and broken features. Having more options for window-tiling especially on my multi-monitor setup are a godsend, and miles ahead of the same system in 10 which in addition to not having the aforementioned additional options, also just kind of broke a lot and didn't work correctly. Additionally I like the Mac Dock-esque revamp for the taskbar, and though it still has an annoying number of UI conventions that one snakes through like exploring the layers of Aperture labs, the new ones are actually quite nice, very usable, and don't feel like simply a barrier I must pass to access the settings I actually want. My sole beef is that changing audio outputs now takes four clicks instead of three as they buried that button next to the volume control in whatever they're calling Command Center. But that's not a huge issue. It wasn't a massive upgrade to be sure, but it was the first Windows release in awhile where it felt like an overall improvement to the experience across the board. Everything is a little shinier, a little better done, a little polished, etc. I wish more were like it. Edit: Cohesive, that's the word I was looking for. It feels much more cohesive than 10, or really any of them since like 7. It feels like something that was actually designed for purpose, not just a mashing together of the various outputs of various departments.

gjsman-1000 3y ago

Ironically; he complains about how it takes gigabytes and gigabytes of space, and not much seems to have changed. Two can play at that game. Have you ever tried upgrading Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04? Or tried going from Fedora 35 to 37? Gigabytes of space required and not too much appears to have changed! Gasp!

bravetraveler 3y ago
I would mention, package transactions can be surprisingly efficient Most of what's fetched/installed replaces bits... and the package caches can trivially be cleaned after (if not implicitly; I haven't looked close). Windows installations in my experience have grown rather unbounded by comparison. I can upgrade Linux with 5% disk free - on Windows I'd have anxiety.

munk-a 3y ago

Windows 11 prevents you from docking your task bar to the side of the screen - it is forever dead to me. We've reached the point where companies feel the need to continuously release new versions but all they can conceive for the new versions is meaninglessly changing things that worked fine - @see Apple getting rid of a headphone jack.

RajT88 3y ago
Looks like it's just harder than normal: https://pureinfotech.com/move-taskbar-top-side-windows-11/ https://pureinfotech.com/move-taskbar-top-side-windows-11/ Typical nonsense which didn't make the cut from 10. Although a lot of that stuff got quietly added back in.
- justsomehnguy 3y ago
  "Your gear stick is now in the glovebox" Except you aren't driving auto, but manual.
shrimp_emoji 3y ago
I read in some blog that, ever since 95, Windows's DE has been attempting to copy Apple. I guess I never had as much perspective as the author since they seemed like two opposite poles to me, but, with the look of 11, it's starting to make more sense... :D

renewiltord 3y ago

Guys, it's beautiful in its own way that we're still complaining about MacOS and Windows bloat for having wallpapers and shit. This is fucking brilliant. This was happening when my hard disk was 2.1 GB and it's happening now that my SSD is 1 TB. I actually really love this sort of continuity. It means that out there there will still be people upset that vimscript is included in vim. Or people that are arguing about BSD v. GPL. It's like the 10th man thing in that Israel stuff. Someone has to intentionally disagree with the mainstream and just worry about long tail shit. You never know when that 32 MB video file included with the OS is too much. But he will know, guardian of the space. Love it. Genuinely.

giantrobot 3y ago
What's funny is that the complaints about screensavers and wallpapers on macOS are just wrong. The assets are stored "in the cloud" and downloaded when needed. This has been true since Sierra or so where it started with Siri voices and printer drivers. All sorts of shit that used to be packed in the installers is now loaded dynamically. It's not a perfect system but it's fucking ridiculous to complain about wallpapers. But it's The Register. They have ten fantasy criticisms they use for strawman arguments for any single legit criticism.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

datavirtue 3y ago

I thought Windows 10 was the final version. Maybe I misunderstood. I was under the impression that it would just get updates going forward.

JohnFen 3y ago
The actual version number for Windows 11 says it's Windows 10.
- tomwheeler 3y ago
  I can only imagine that the person from Sun Microsystems who was responsible for Java 1.2 being called "Java 2" and Java 1.5 being called "Java 2 Version 5.0" has since found work at Microsoft.
  - taway1237 3y ago
    I'm sure they did and worked on .NET
EvanAnderson 3y ago
My pet theory is that Microsoft reconsidered this position when MacOS went to version 11. Having a lower version number must still carry some connotation of being "behind".
josephcsible 3y ago
You thought that because Microsoft did say that. It just turns out they lied.

hn_urbit_thr123 3y ago

I really like the idea of Kelvin versioning for an OS: instead of counting up and adding features forever, count down until you're done.

trinsic2 3y ago

The Register opinion pieces are are a lot of hyperbole. I'm pretty sure that's what they are going for. I've always found that fluffing stuff up for the sake of a laugh or a dramatic reaction is the easy way out. There are plenty of ways you can coax out the irony by sticking closer to the truth of the situation. The truth is that yes OS's are bloated, especially Windows 10 and 11. Apple has its own problems with locking down their hardware platform by preventing upgrades and repairs, but to say that there isn't anything new under the sun in the OS improvement department is missing the point. There's always room from innovation. Its just that our current culture is being driven by market forces more then it should. We need to get back to the basics and stop worrying about the bottom line. And many are independent developers are already doing that. I'm a Windows IT professional/Gamer and because Microsoft the crossed the line with forcing online accounts and their attempts and preventing 3rd party browsers in Windows 11, last year I switched to PopOS and wrote about it[0]. Overall the past year has been a good experience with Linux, but I often struggle with updates that break the boot process and getting my Epson multifuction device to work reliability. I'm thinking of switching to Manjaro because I need more stability for my work environment. [0]: https://www.scottrlarson.com/publications/publication-transition-windows-to-linux/ https://www.scottrlarson.com/publications/publication-transi... The moral of the story is, innovation isn't dead, there is plenty of room for exciting improvements and new ways to work with technology, It's just that we've given corporations to much power over our lives, and that has to be corrected for things to get better. Eventually that will happen, but it will take time.

alsoold 3y ago
Do yourself a favour and don't use manjaro or Ubuntu. Use what they are based on: Arch and Debian, respectively. They're the base for these other distros for a reason. They are the best and they fully respect you.
- thefascistleft 3y ago
  [dead]
- shrimp_emoji 3y ago
  I think Manjaro is the best distro for my money. It's just Arch with some extra care and a GUI installer and kernel switcher (which is super nice). I moved to Arch but only out of curiosity ~~and masochism~~. It taught me a lot more about Linux, allowing me to optimize the system to my liking a bit more (like in the partition layout). :p (It's not difficult to switch kernels on Arch, btw; it's only a tiny bit harder in that you have to memorize/document the workflow instead of being able to use a GUI.) Both Arch and Manjaro, however, have been way better than Ubuntu, paradoxically. Ubuntu's supposed to be the user friendly distro, but it's more user friendly to use the AUR than hunt for expired PPA links on StackOverflow or suffer frequent DE crashes cuz the DE is old or have to reinstall the system to upgrade to the next version. Meanwhile, the trade-off with rolling, you think, is instability, but it's really MORE stability and faster hardware support! Wild. Bonus meme: there was a bad kernel a while back. 5.13 or something. It was freezing people's machines at random, and I was one of those people. I was using both Manjaro and Ubuntu at the time. On Manjaro, I was able to quickly work around it by bringing up the kernel switcher, clicking on the previous kernel, and rebooting. On Ubuntu, I thought I was safe since I was using an LTS version that predated the bad kernel. Alright, see, now it makes sense -- at least you have a haven or stability in an LTS point release, where you never hit bad kernels like this like you might on rolling. :) ...But then a system update bumped the LTS kernel version to the bad one! :| With no way to switch like on Manjaro. Frozen Ubuntu. Like, what's even the point?

renegat0x0 3y ago

[dead]

gigel82 3y ago

> Here's a prediction. Microsoft will look at Windows 11 and realize that the gig is up. It can make all its money by just licensing generic Windows Desktop with a free five-year security update promise. LOL, I wish. Here's my prediction: Microsoft will make Windows a subscription, and still shove ads down our throats, as many as it can legally get away with. The only hope is maybe a more expensive "Premium" version on the horizon where they cut down on the ads a little bit.

nathants 3y ago

the year is 2024. all consumers have an iphone. some consumers have gaming pcs. applications are not installed on the pc, but instead booted. there is no os or internal drives. usb-c drives are flashed with images via iphone, and booted on the pc. they boot directly into the application via modified archisos.

simonblack 3y ago

'Peak Windows' was Win 7. It's been downhill all the way since then. On my rare forays into Windows, it's using Win 7 as a guest VM on a Linux host.