All they had to do was release "Windows Optimal", an operating system with 0 telemetry, 0 bloatware, 100% choice to not even let AI and Edge get installed in the 1st place, a single screen with all the 10000 options to control privacy and all of them set to good defaults. Charge 4x the price of Windows Professional if you must. But "Windows Optimal" is 2x faster than Windows 7, "here are some benchmarks" Imagine the amount of people who would seriously consider hopping to it even for a higher price
They're just not as interested/invested in Windows any more. They make obscene amounts money from their cloud services, even if they charge 4x for a special edition Windows, it won't bring them any meaningful increase in income.
And now their focus is all on AI. A MS employee I spoke to recently said that all there meetings now revolve around AI, like how they can add more AI and sell more AI, that's all they call about these days. :/
This would actually maybe get me back from linux. but only if they make fixing stuff easier, most of the online threads recommend these things in this order:
1. Search for updates
2. Reboot
3. Dism/Sfc Scannow
4. Reinstall windows
The Windows Mixed reality portal needed for my VR headset didnt work and the only solution after multiple weeks of trying stuff was to reinstall. and that worked. for 3 months until i had to reinstall again.
Same thing happened to a friend of mine with the entirety of the microsoft store (the install is only a month old tho, so i cant tell yet if it will happen again in 2 months)
Which is also why i am so hyped for valves headset, i love VR, but bugfixing multiple hours and reinstalling windows every 3 months just to play 2 games wasnt worth it.
Feels like I've been hearing "Update X makes Y worse" or "Update X destroys hardware Y" a lot more this year with Windows. Seems like they are fully embracing AI at Microsoft.
Steam box will be too expensive for mass adoption. Sure it will sell ok but it’s going to be priced like an equivalent gaming PC, not like a console.
The folks that game on steam already have their gaming PC. The reason the steam deck sold was portability. People buying the steam box are those with above average incomes to afford two gaming PCs or those that are valve supporters.
Steam box won’t make it suddenly the year of Linux
If it costs the same as a gaming pc, people will certainly consider it for a gaming pc. The big thing, though, is that it’ll legitimize Linux as a gaming option for desktops.
As much as i love using linux i just kinda dont see it tbh.
especially since many have a fear of linux for some reason (I would guess just the fear of the unknown?). So often i have seen people get scared and tense up and just that alone makes them spiral into a loop.
Shameless plug: I've developed and maintain a couple of tools to control Windows 10/11 updates, telemetry and other potentially unwanted network traffic: FlashBoot and Emergency Boot Kit. Using these tools you can make Windows 10/11 completely silent online if you want to (akin to Windows 7 or Windows XP).
Can we also talk about how Win11 just randomly drops audio for no reason after even a brief period of silence, then takes some random amount of time to start playing sound again? I'd say it was a problem with my home theater/gaming rig, but it happens on my work machine too.
Sounds like the audio device going to sleep during periods of silence, then taking a short time to wake up again when audio is played. Maybe to avoid hiss?
For a data point of 1, my laptop does this regardless of OS.
All they had to do was release "Windows Optimal", an operating system with 0 telemetry, 0 bloatware, 100% choice to not even let AI and Edge get installed in the 1st place, a single screen with all the 10000 options to control privacy and all of them set to good defaults. Charge 4x the price of Windows Professional if you must. But "Windows Optimal" is 2x faster than Windows 7, "here are some benchmarks" Imagine the amount of people who would seriously consider hopping to it even for a higher price
They're just not as interested/invested in Windows any more. They make obscene amounts money from their cloud services, even if they charge 4x for a special edition Windows, it won't bring them any meaningful increase in income.
And now their focus is all on AI. A MS employee I spoke to recently said that all there meetings now revolve around AI, like how they can add more AI and sell more AI, that's all they call about these days. :/
Incredibly baffling business decision to give up such a dominant position in the PC / OS market by continuing to enshittify it beyond repair.
From the company that was the dominant web browser for a decade and left it to rot. They're pretty good at throwing away a lead position
Windows 11 Enterprise IoT LTSC 2024 is almost this, but not for consumer purchase.
They basically did all the work, and refuse to sell it.
Does it work well as a daily driver? Would you recommend it as the best choice amidst a sea of bad (Windows) options?
It would be perfectly fine as a daily - I use it for SQL Server on-prem infra that I also RDP to for SSMS 8 hours a day.
It’s clear to me it’s the best of the worst if you need to use Windows.
I daily macOS Sequoia - you don’t want my unfiltered thoughts on Tahoe.
This would actually maybe get me back from linux. but only if they make fixing stuff easier, most of the online threads recommend these things in this order: 1. Search for updates 2. Reboot 3. Dism/Sfc Scannow 4. Reinstall windows
The Windows Mixed reality portal needed for my VR headset didnt work and the only solution after multiple weeks of trying stuff was to reinstall. and that worked. for 3 months until i had to reinstall again. Same thing happened to a friend of mine with the entirety of the microsoft store (the install is only a month old tho, so i cant tell yet if it will happen again in 2 months)
Which is also why i am so hyped for valves headset, i love VR, but bugfixing multiple hours and reinstalling windows every 3 months just to play 2 games wasnt worth it.
Sign me up for this beautiful alternate reality.
Feels like I've been hearing "Update X makes Y worse" or "Update X destroys hardware Y" a lot more this year with Windows. Seems like they are fully embracing AI at Microsoft.
More firepower for the gamers to move to Linux.
Steam will trigger a further exodus with their Steam Box once folks realize they have none of the constraints and a great experience.
Steam box will be too expensive for mass adoption. Sure it will sell ok but it’s going to be priced like an equivalent gaming PC, not like a console.
The folks that game on steam already have their gaming PC. The reason the steam deck sold was portability. People buying the steam box are those with above average incomes to afford two gaming PCs or those that are valve supporters.
Steam box won’t make it suddenly the year of Linux
If it costs the same as a gaming pc, people will certainly consider it for a gaming pc. The big thing, though, is that it’ll legitimize Linux as a gaming option for desktops.
As much as i love using linux i just kinda dont see it tbh.
especially since many have a fear of linux for some reason (I would guess just the fear of the unknown?). So often i have seen people get scared and tense up and just that alone makes them spiral into a loop.
I do hope you are right tho.
it is surreal to watch the relentless beating MS has taken at its own hands
there’s no competitor out there clobbering them, they are doing this to themselves
We need a new commercial OS. Surely there’s a way to monetise it without ads, spyware, and LLM garbage.
> Surely there’s a way to monetise it without ads
I honestly don’t think so for any consumer focused ones.
Including it with bespoke hardware kinda works but is so expensive to actually do.
Someone should work on Linux to make something better than gnome or kde and charge for it. I would pay.
Why not donate to gnome or kde to improve those directly?
Those 750$ M4 mac books are going to be forced to be reckoned with if they keep this shit up
Shameless plug: I've developed and maintain a couple of tools to control Windows 10/11 updates, telemetry and other potentially unwanted network traffic: FlashBoot and Emergency Boot Kit. Using these tools you can make Windows 10/11 completely silent online if you want to (akin to Windows 7 or Windows XP).
https://www.prime-expert.com/flashboot/
https://www.prime-expert.com/embootkit/
You are welcome. One-time purchase, lifetime updates. Not a subscription.
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Can we also talk about how Win11 just randomly drops audio for no reason after even a brief period of silence, then takes some random amount of time to start playing sound again? I'd say it was a problem with my home theater/gaming rig, but it happens on my work machine too.
Turn off power management for your sound device in Device Manager.
Speakers/Audio Jack or Bluetooth?
Sounds like the audio device going to sleep during periods of silence, then taking a short time to wake up again when audio is played. Maybe to avoid hiss?
For a data point of 1, my laptop does this regardless of OS.
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