I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm a software developer and my sentiment regarding Microsoft is negative and growing more so as the years go by. VS Code, Flight Simulator, WSL, and Xbox are fine, but they have destroyed goodwill with me through mismanaging Windows.
Windows is now sprinkled with dark patterns like not allowing local accounts w/ windows 10 unless you turn off your internet during install. Windows 11 now requires a MS account. The number of advertisements in the OS continues to grow. The enormous and unforgivable amount of e-waste that they will soon create with the Windows 11 hardware requirements / the end of life date for 10. The sense that everything I do on their OS / software is being monitored through telemetry. The UI regressions w/ 11. Hard to quantify this but the I have encountered a lot of bugs with Windows in recent years and some of these bugs are infuriating.
I could go on, but I'll leave it there. Like I said, I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I suspect that the number of dissatisfied users is growing.
You are not alone at least. The only reason I've used windows in the last 10 years was to compile some release codes.
I have zero joy using any of their products. I even stopped using GitHub when they brought it.
I don't get the hype for VScode either when we already have Atom with a bigger eco system and sublime with a better editor. Except several windows specific things it does nothing better or especially great.
I couldn't care less about WSL it doesn't feel like a real Linux, which is all I want. I don't game so meh Xbox, meh flight simulator.
Everything that's left is horrible either way. Comparingly at least.
The main reason I hear people using Windows is because they want to run Photoshop but don't like the apple ecosystem.
More than half the population doesn't use ad block when they browse the internet.
The mind boggles.
There is, clearly, an enormous gap between the Hackernews perception of Windows, and actual non-ad block using end users.
Microsoft is intrinsically following a pathway I've seen before with Reddit,
Reddit has two completely different value propositions to power users and the great unwashed.
Reddit has two modes, "new" reddit which is available by default, and the "official" Reddit mobile app. And "old" Reddit, which is buried in the settings menu, powered by a third party browser extension on desktops, alongside third party paid for mobile apps that use a Reddit API.
Microsoft to me is following the exact same strategy. They are screwballing "the internet explorer users" with Windows, and meanwhile they are creating a parallel, WSL enabled value proposition for power users.
It'd be nice if they went all the way with the second one. I need to manually wireshark and add to my blocklist after every major update.
Just want a Windows 10/11 "Power User" SKU with completely disabled telemetry, "suggested content" and any "home phoning" not otherwise authorized (I still want Windows Updates, MS Account / OneDrive / Xbox Game Pass). Heck, I'd even pay a subscription for that.
In general I feel spying is used to cut longtail feutures (most users are dependent on one of them) and justify changes without reason other than flawed interpretation of statistics.
Moreover, their software quality has gone downhill ever since their pervasive telemetry. I am not claiming that it is the cause of the decline, but it did not prevent it. It's curious that the version of windows which most people liked best was 7, the one without all the telemetry.
I think it's also hard to overcome the feeling that everything you do on their software is being monitored and evaluated. Even if we accept the argument that telemetry improves software through allowing them to focus on more used features, the improvements need to offset the feeling that you're being spied on, and that's a tough ask.
Agree. It boggles my mind how bad and downright hostile windows has become in windows 10/11. I'm supporting a group of ~50 people and most of the time I cannot even give reasons for some of the baffling design decisions and/or frustrating behaviors that I see on a daily basis. I feel like every solution I'm giving is a work-around at best.
And don't forget the new mandated corporate messenger: Teams. After burning messenger, killing skype and linq and all the "for teams" versions, this is their absolute worst yet.
The sad part for me is how you _do_ actually get used to this crap and workarounds. I was able to do a linux-only stint for a few months, which served me as a reset ground. Coming back to windows support was a real shocker at how bad doing _anything_ feels like.
Yes, it is getting more and more on the horrible side. But something’s gotta give at some point. I stopped using Windows for my personal computing but continue to use it for work because I have no other choice. Give Linux a try if haven’t yet
Windows is now sprinkled with dark patterns like not allowing local accounts w/ windows 10 unless you turn off your internet during install. Windows 11 now requires a MS account. The number of advertisements in the OS continues to grow. The enormous and unforgivable amount of e-waste that they will soon create with the Windows 11 hardware requirements / the end of life date for 10. The sense that everything I do on their OS / software is being monitored through telemetry. The UI regressions w/ 11. Hard to quantify this but the I have encountered a lot of bugs with Windows in recent years and some of these bugs are infuriating.
I could go on, but I'll leave it there. Like I said, I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I suspect that the number of dissatisfied users is growing.