6 ms·

> Microsoft actually makes the version of Windows that people want, but it’s called LTSC and they really don’t want you to have it. Of the devices that still r

> Microsoft actually makes the version of Windows that people want, but it’s called LTSC and they really don’t want you to have it. Of the devices that still run Windows in our home, all but one of them run some version of LTSC. > No bloat, no ads, no forced updates, virtually nothing installed by default, and minimal telemetry. No Store, no Cortana, no Edge. What's not to like? ;)

voidfunc 3y ago
Why run Windows at that point? I'm a hybrid person. I run Linux for my work and dev OS and Windows for gaming and day to day shenanigans. If you're just going to strip Windows down to this weird broken minimal thing tho why not just use Linux full time and get a PS5/Xbox for the AAA games you can't run under Linux. I dont really get the point of the effort people go through trying to make Microsoft products something they're not.
- charlieyu1 3y ago
  There are still many things that could only run on Windows. That people need to use for their job. Otherwise I can see a lot more people switching to Linux.
- logifail 3y ago
  > this weird broken minimal thing Windows LTSC isn't broken, or minimal... it's LTS! It's stable and more likely to remain so. > the point of the effort Installing LTSC takes exactly as long as installing any other version of Windows 10. Although maybe there are slightly fewer nag screens, and post-install it's much, much easier to support as there are no unnecessary feature upgrades. > I run Linux for my work For what it's worth, the Linux:Windows install ratio in the home is something like 2:1, although if we start counting VMs then it's more like 5:1
- mewpmewp2 3y ago
  I don't like playing on PS5 or Xbox, neither am I looking for specifically AAA games. Having both Linux and Windows messes with muscle memory unless you have found a way to get them to behave exactly the same.
- dvngnt_ 3y ago
  gaming is still king in windows and linux lacks the qol features that windows does
- toastercat 3y ago
  > why not just use Linux full time and get a PS5/Xbox for the AAA games you can't run under Linux A PC with Windows 10 LTSC beats PS5/Xbox in terms in game availability and backwards compatibility. It also unsurprisingly still beats Linux + Proton in terms of compability. It is still Windows after all. Console gaming is not comparable to PC gaming at this point. Using LTSC over regular W10 affords you a more stable system since you forgo any feature updates from Microsoft (only security updates), a more lightweight and snappier system with less background services running at startup, and reduced (but still present) telemetry. Also, I unironically like the Windows UX over the Linux compositors and countless Desktop Environments that endlessly run into compatability issues and weird bugs. W10 LTSC is comparatively far more stable.
  - zakki 3y ago
    So do you know how to buy W10 LTSC license? Should it via MS Partners? Can we buy it directly from MS?
    - toastercat 3y ago
      The only way to get a W10 LTSC license for a single user is through illegitimate channels. If you look on Reddit, you can usually find out how to obtain it. The ISO itself can officially be downloaded from Microsoft servers.
      - wkat4242 3y ago
        If you're on msdn you can also get it
    - razakel 3y ago
      There are licence brokers, but they tend to only deal with businesses. You could ask your job to buy it and resell it to you.
  - nixass 3y ago
    Only where Linux beats modern Windows in gaming is when I wanna play some late 90s or early 00s games which don't work anymore on 10 or 11. For some reason they work flawlessly on Wine or PlayOnLinux
- acuozzo 3y ago
  > Why run Windows at that point? I use several specialized film restoration applications which are developed for Windows exclusively. Nothing comparable exists in the F/OSS world and I'm not prepared to trade work output quality for ideological purity.
  - joshspankit 3y ago
    When you’re able to get a decent first-pass response on the prompt “AI, make me a specialized film restoration application and make it F/OSS”, will that be enough to tip the scales?
    - acuozzo 3y ago
      If you're trying to suss-out if I'm some kind of Windows fanboy in disguise, then trust me when I say I'm not. I have one beefy Windows machine for this hobby. Everything else in the house is some flavor of BSD or GNU/Linux. Now, if you're asking if I'll pursue competitors (AI written or not) offering the best-in-class tools for what I wish to accomplish, then of course I will, regardless of any potential ideological sacrifices I have to make to get it running.
      - joshspankit 3y ago
        I respect your cutting through to uncover the question behind the question. There was a little bit of sussing you out as a Windows fanboy, but more I was projecting to understand the future power of AI for people like us who use the most effective tools even if they live on Windows. I actually kind of doubt that companies will go through the back catalog of excellent tools and remake them (people are quite attached to quirks and there’s typically a small market) so is there a tipping point where we muddle through the inconvenience of “No, not quite like that AI, like this” to finally get the same functionality in a way where we are totally independent of Windows? Or will we possibly never reach that point and instead wait however long it takes for AI to handle all the functionality of all the effective tools? It’s a question in the back of my mind.
- gymbeaux 3y ago
  Adobe Suite, Office, hardware specific software like those for controlling RGB lighting, Visual Studio, et. al
  - smegsicle 3y ago
    what's up with the rumor that adobe doesn't install on ltsc?
    - gymbeaux 3y ago
      I haven't heard that, I'm just listing the software I would miss on Linux* *I have been using Linux and Wine for over 10 years and while one can technically install whatever Windows software, even if it's on a Windows VM inside of Linux... the experience is lackluster.
- whyoh 3y ago
  Windows 10 LTSC is still regular Windows and AFAIK all software, games included, work just fine on it. The MS Store is missing out of the box, but you can add it with 'wsreset -i' in Powershell. Using LTSC arguably takes less effort than the "normal" versions, where you need to deal with all the bloat. In the end, though, they're not that different at all.
- wruza 3y ago
  Because 1) It’s neither broken nor weird. It’s just that same windows without preinstalled crapware, think XP times. I’m using it since 2018 and never met any version-related issue. 2) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38529637 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38529637 I don’t get the point of going through this effort either.
- addicted 3y ago
  What among Cortana/Edge/App Store takes Windows from an OS that you shouldn’t care about to an OS thst you should?

voidfunc 3y ago

Why run Windows at that point? I'm a hybrid person. I run Linux for my work and dev OS and Windows for gaming and day to day shenanigans. If you're just going to strip Windows down to this weird broken minimal thing tho why not just use Linux full time and get a PS5/Xbox for the AAA games you can't run under Linux. I dont really get the point of the effort people go through trying to make Microsoft products something they're not.

charlieyu1 3y ago
There are still many things that could only run on Windows. That people need to use for their job. Otherwise I can see a lot more people switching to Linux.
logifail 3y ago
> this weird broken minimal thing Windows LTSC isn't broken, or minimal... it's LTS! It's stable and more likely to remain so. > the point of the effort Installing LTSC takes exactly as long as installing any other version of Windows 10. Although maybe there are slightly fewer nag screens, and post-install it's much, much easier to support as there are no unnecessary feature upgrades. > I run Linux for my work For what it's worth, the Linux:Windows install ratio in the home is something like 2:1, although if we start counting VMs then it's more like 5:1
mewpmewp2 3y ago
I don't like playing on PS5 or Xbox, neither am I looking for specifically AAA games. Having both Linux and Windows messes with muscle memory unless you have found a way to get them to behave exactly the same.
dvngnt_ 3y ago
gaming is still king in windows and linux lacks the qol features that windows does
toastercat 3y ago
> why not just use Linux full time and get a PS5/Xbox for the AAA games you can't run under Linux A PC with Windows 10 LTSC beats PS5/Xbox in terms in game availability and backwards compatibility. It also unsurprisingly still beats Linux + Proton in terms of compability. It is still Windows after all. Console gaming is not comparable to PC gaming at this point. Using LTSC over regular W10 affords you a more stable system since you forgo any feature updates from Microsoft (only security updates), a more lightweight and snappier system with less background services running at startup, and reduced (but still present) telemetry. Also, I unironically like the Windows UX over the Linux compositors and countless Desktop Environments that endlessly run into compatability issues and weird bugs. W10 LTSC is comparatively far more stable.
- zakki 3y ago
  So do you know how to buy W10 LTSC license? Should it via MS Partners? Can we buy it directly from MS?
  - toastercat 3y ago
    The only way to get a W10 LTSC license for a single user is through illegitimate channels. If you look on Reddit, you can usually find out how to obtain it. The ISO itself can officially be downloaded from Microsoft servers.
    - wkat4242 3y ago
      If you're on msdn you can also get it
  - razakel 3y ago
    There are licence brokers, but they tend to only deal with businesses. You could ask your job to buy it and resell it to you.
- nixass 3y ago
  Only where Linux beats modern Windows in gaming is when I wanna play some late 90s or early 00s games which don't work anymore on 10 or 11. For some reason they work flawlessly on Wine or PlayOnLinux
acuozzo 3y ago
> Why run Windows at that point? I use several specialized film restoration applications which are developed for Windows exclusively. Nothing comparable exists in the F/OSS world and I'm not prepared to trade work output quality for ideological purity.
- joshspankit 3y ago
  When you’re able to get a decent first-pass response on the prompt “AI, make me a specialized film restoration application and make it F/OSS”, will that be enough to tip the scales?
  - acuozzo 3y ago
    If you're trying to suss-out if I'm some kind of Windows fanboy in disguise, then trust me when I say I'm not. I have one beefy Windows machine for this hobby. Everything else in the house is some flavor of BSD or GNU/Linux. Now, if you're asking if I'll pursue competitors (AI written or not) offering the best-in-class tools for what I wish to accomplish, then of course I will, regardless of any potential ideological sacrifices I have to make to get it running.
    - joshspankit 3y ago
      I respect your cutting through to uncover the question behind the question. There was a little bit of sussing you out as a Windows fanboy, but more I was projecting to understand the future power of AI for people like us who use the most effective tools even if they live on Windows. I actually kind of doubt that companies will go through the back catalog of excellent tools and remake them (people are quite attached to quirks and there’s typically a small market) so is there a tipping point where we muddle through the inconvenience of “No, not quite like that AI, like this” to finally get the same functionality in a way where we are totally independent of Windows? Or will we possibly never reach that point and instead wait however long it takes for AI to handle all the functionality of all the effective tools? It’s a question in the back of my mind.
gymbeaux 3y ago
Adobe Suite, Office, hardware specific software like those for controlling RGB lighting, Visual Studio, et. al
- smegsicle 3y ago
  what's up with the rumor that adobe doesn't install on ltsc?
  - gymbeaux 3y ago
    I haven't heard that, I'm just listing the software I would miss on Linux* *I have been using Linux and Wine for over 10 years and while one can technically install whatever Windows software, even if it's on a Windows VM inside of Linux... the experience is lackluster.
whyoh 3y ago
Windows 10 LTSC is still regular Windows and AFAIK all software, games included, work just fine on it. The MS Store is missing out of the box, but you can add it with 'wsreset -i' in Powershell. Using LTSC arguably takes less effort than the "normal" versions, where you need to deal with all the bloat. In the end, though, they're not that different at all.
wruza 3y ago
Because 1) It’s neither broken nor weird. It’s just that same windows without preinstalled crapware, think XP times. I’m using it since 2018 and never met any version-related issue. 2) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38529637 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38529637 I don’t get the point of going through this effort either.
addicted 3y ago
What among Cortana/Edge/App Store takes Windows from an OS that you shouldn’t care about to an OS thst you should?