Opinion of Windows 10 ?

[Y-Body]

So is Windows 10 really a love-or-hate deal?

After checking pricing on refurbished laptops with Windows 7 (want old laptop thread), this Lenovo Ideapad V110-15ISK 80TL008SUS is on sale for $250 (less than $50 more than many refurb).

Can features be disabled ? Would you drop back to Win 7 at the risk of losing some HW support?
What are your experiences and opinions?

[Mike Mercury]

[VatorMan]

Originally Posted by Y-Body

So is Windows 10 really a love-or-hate deal?

After checking pricing on refurbished laptops with Windows 7 (want old laptop thread), this Lenovo Ideapad V110-15ISK 80TL008SUS is on sale for $250 (less than $50 more than many refurb).

Can features be disabled ? Would you drop back to Win 7 at the risk of losing some HW support?
What are your experiences and opinions?

If this unit will never connect to the internet, I'd stay 7. If yes, then you will be forced to upgrade.

[Thunder22]

I have no issues with windows 10 other than minor stuff, like they removed control panel and cmd as admin easy access, but other than that, it's stable, which is priority #1.

I've got it running on a T61 Thinkpad that must be 7-8 years old, and 4-5 newer machines, no problems.

[ASTROCREEP]

My experience is that it does not play will with older microsoft software. I had to ditch Edge and the latest office sweet to be able to use the excel add-ons I used in 7. I could not find other add-ons that would work. Nothing too trick. Just a spreadsheet compare tool.

The other thing I don't like about 10 is that you are the Microsoft's new product. The amount of data tracking Microsoft is doing in 10 is crazy and all traceable to your computer.

I'm sticking to 7 on my home PC and must use Windows 10 for my work laptop. I'm not finding any reason to switch. Nothing in 10 is a game changer that makes me want to upgrade, even when it was free.

[Kerrmudgeon]

With previous versions not being supported or protected by Microsoft you don't really have much choice in the matter.
Like anything.....you get used to it. Change is never easy.

[NCC-1701]

I have no issues with windows 10.

[Y-Body]

Originally Posted by TxAg

...
Right now people can still get a Windows 7 machine, but that's going to get harder and harder. ...

I am thinking about an off lease refurb Win 7 Pro 64 Lenovo ThinkCentre M90 Desktop for $160.

Originally Posted by TxAg

...You can't buy an OEM Windows 7 install disk anymore, much less a retail version. ...

I have one. I am (was?) going to use for a Ryzen build.
I could put it on the Lenovo Ideapad. But then I guess M$ would prevent me from putting it on a Ryzen box.

[Datawiz]

I like Windows 10 very much. Best version since Windows 7.

[Y-Body]

Originally Posted by Kerrmudgeon

With previous versions not being supported or protected by Microsoft you don't really have much choice in the matter. ...

My Oracle database machine is NT 4. (Must admit it is a bit slow)
One of my software development machines is Win 2K Pro.
I have not let M$ put any unannounced (hidden in an update) changes on those systems in many years.

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by datawiz

I like Windows 10 very much. Best version since Windows 7.

It's extremely stable, and other than the tracking stuff which I try to keep (mostly) turned off, it's been just fine. Just works, not much more to say about it really.

[Y-Body]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

It's extremely stable, and other than the tracking stuff which I try to keep (mostly) turned off, it's been just fine. Just works, not much more to say about it really.

So how much of a PITA is it to disable tracking (data gathering), disable Cortana virtual assistant, change the default web browser, etc.
Generally, how much trouble is it to disable what I refer to as "the cute sh!t" and get down to an operating system? (Questions based only on casual observations of some web postings)

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by Y-Body

So how much of a PITA is it to disable tracking (data gathering), disable Cortana virtual assistant, change the default web browser, etc.
Generally, how much trouble is it to disable what I refer to as "the cute sh!t" and get down to an operating system? (Questions based only on casual observations of some web postings)

Changing the default web browser is as simple as can be. Turning off most all tracking takes a couple of minutes and a bit of google-foo. Cortana doesn't concern me because a) I don't use it b) I don't have a microphone or webcam connected to my main computer. It's just a quick search bar that I use to quickly bring up a command prompt or notepad or whatever. But it can be turned off too.

Someone complained about IE add-ons not working in Edge. Correct, but Win10 comes with IE 11, you just need to make a shortcut to it because Win10 doesn't have one out of the box. It's super easy and IE add-ons work just fine in IE 11.

1. From the Windows 10 Taskbar Search, type Internet Explorer and you will see it in the search results.
2. Right-click on the search result. You will see "Pin to taskbar". Select this an you will now have an icon for IE11 in the taskbar.

Essentially all of the "major" complaints people have about Win10 are non-issues if you are willing to take a few minutes to configure it the way you want. Does MS make this braindead simple. Nopers, they want your information. But compared to what you are sending Google and other online data repositories, it's pretty much just meh stuff anyway.

[polarbear]

Originally Posted by Y-Body

I am thinking about an off lease refurb Win 7 Pro 64 Lenovo ThinkCentre M90 Desktop for $160.
I have one. I am (was?) going to use for a Ryzen build.
I could put it on the Lenovo Ideapad. But then I guess M$ would prevent me from putting it on a Ryzen box.

I have Win7 Pro on my desktop, and prefer it to Win10 on the wife's laptop. The Laptop was running Win 8.1 until the automatic update to 10. Hasn't been the same since (just runs slower, harder to find stuff).

[Y-Body]

Once you are running Win 10, are updates optional?
Or are they forced, possibly unannounced?

[Wathen1955]

I only have 10 installed on a spare laptop to check it out and tweak it. I have replaced the desktop with Classic Shell. I then installed Spybot AntiBeacon. Both of these programs are free. I also took time to turn off a lot of the spying options that are enabled by default. I also have Cortona almost completely disabled.

I'm also playing around with Linux Mint, which I may decide to use while doing minor things on the laptop like surfing, reading email, etc. Don't have to worry about spyware or getting a windows virus or trojan. No OS is 100% safe, but Linux does not require an AV program as long as you don't install Wine.

[mrvette]

The last several replies are totally greek geek to me......not the slightest clue WTF.......

[Y-Body]

Why I am trying to get reliable information.
Article says Windows 10 users were sent a pop-up Monday, 22 May, with a button to "Review your privacy settings to get ready for the next update"

SHUT YOUR WINDOWS Windows 10 update lets Microsoft record your voice and everything you type – here’s how to stop it
The Sun, a News UK Co.; News Corp UK & Ireland Limited is a British-based wholly owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's American mass media conglomerate News Corp

Windows 10 update will automatically turn your computer into a listening device which records your voice and typing data

MICROSOFT has rolled out an update to Windows 10 which lets it record users’ voices, location and what they type on the keyboard.

It has just released a new "Creators Update" for Windows 10 which automatically makes changes to privacy settings and lets your computer spy on you.

This week, Windows 10 users were met with a large pop-up which warned that Microsoft’s privacy settings had changed ahead of the Creators Update.

The software refresh includes lots of cool things like the ability to control music with your voice, new ways for gamers to stream and a 3D version of Paint.

But with these great new apps comes a price - your privacy.

The Windows 10 update will automatically turn your computer into a listening device which records your voice and typing data.

Ever since Windows 10 landed in 2015, voice assistant Cortana has been able to record your voice commands so it can recognise you.

It’s also recorded keyboard strokes and stored them in a user dictionary so it can understand names and words you use.

Internet history is tracked in the Edge browser, too - even if you delete your history.

But canny users were able to toggle their settings so their lives in front of the screen - and let’s face it, that’s a lot of our life - weren’t being tracked.

The new update has reset these preferences and handed the tech giant greater powers than before.

You can turn this off at any time in Start > Settings > Privacy > Speech, inking & typing.

Simply click to turn it off.
... <more>

[Cybercowboy]

Well, it's May 23rd and I haven't seen any such thing, and my Speech, inking & typing settings are still off.

[Y-Body]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

Well, it's May 23rd and I haven't seen any such thing, and my Speech, inking & typing settings are still off.

Windows 10 Creators Update Issues
27 April 2017

Microsoft has advised Windows 10 users against downloading the Creators Update before their computers become eligible for it.
...
Microsoft says there are “issues” with the new software, which customers could be exposed to if they download the update manually, using the Windows 10 Update Assistant.

Instead, they should sit tight and wait for their computer to become eligible for the update.
...
Last year’s Anniversary Update took seven months to reach 90 per cent of the Windows users eligible for the upgrade, and data from AdDuplex shows that the Creators Update has only reached 10 per cent of Windows machines so far.