I run Linux on all my computers but the kids and wife use Macbooks with OSX. I'd take OSX over Windows every day of the week, if for no other reason than ease of use, ease of maintenance and great reliability. I've run many distros of Linux and find that it's fast, reliable, easy to maintain, etc. After switching the PC's at home away from Windows, I no longer feel like a dedicated IT guy whose mission was just to deal with all the problems (printer spooling lockups/failures, viruses/malware/spyware, antivirus and a plethora of other things that were just daily niggles the systems would have). But, I still get calls from the in-laws for their Windows issues...
It's true that they aren't actually forcing people to upgrade, but they are trying to coerce people into it, that's for sure. There's already a few games and apps coming out that will only run on 8. We all know 7 could handle it, but the agenda of many companies is to get you to upgrade even when you don't really need to. I obviously don't expect games like Battlefield 4 or Skyrim to run on 95, but for me, this is an issue of practicality. The fact that Microsoft and other companies are slowly starting to abandon 7 to try to get users to upgrade isn't practical in the slightest. Windows 7 and even Vista could run most of these programs, but the support isn't there. I'm the kind of guy that uses technology until it dies. Almost every device in the house is the first and only one I've owned, and I'd prefer to use them until they go out. What I don't like is when companies like Apple and Microsoft tell me I need to upgrade to their newest product when I know damn well that my current device can run it.
That is usually a licensing issue with software developers. This is the real problem with newer versions of windows. Some developers do not want to pay the licensing fee to MS, so there is a lag getting new drivers and such. I usually try to wait at least year to upgrade until after a new version comes out just so by then all the common bugs, patches, driver issues that are going to be resolved, are resolved. The biggest problem I had with old stuff was when I switched from 32 bit encryption to 64 bit. For awhile, most of my old software would not run at all on it.
Streamed OS is a stupid idea from the boys in the bubble. There's vast majority of area in the United States where internet infrastructure simply cannot support that (tHANKS, PRIVATELY OWNED INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING!). iT'S A DUMB MOVE. tHEY ALREADY GOT IN TROUBLE WITH xboNE WHEN THEY SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE ON 24/7 AND PRETTY MUCH FOR THE SAME REASON: tHAT THEY'RE ALIENATING PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE RELIABLE FAST INTERNET.
Gamers are still stuck with either workarounds or Microsoft because game devs are morons. I haven't checked lately, though, it might be less hassle than it was years ago to set up those workarounds. I should look into it.
Agreed. They even stop carrying 7 at the microsoft store (employee purchasing) Its that bad. - - - Updated - - - I am the only one who loved ME. Never gave me an issue.
Because if you're not computer savvy, Linux sucks. It blows up too much just from doing simple security updates.
If this is even true, then it's Microsoft games (and who plays them anyway?) No other game publisher rules out the previous version of an OS. It would be a stupid move resulting in lost sales. Now, add to that, the ridiculously large outcry against Win8, from the beginning... which only reinforces a publisher's desire to port to Win7. Of course, because those games outperform the limited processing ability of the older OS'. I run Win7/64 and hope to for a long time, unless, they release something similar, and just as stable. Which, the rumors I have read, stated they were going to step back in that direction with Win9. The familiar Windows interface, and less of the goofy social networking garbage. Which is fine because I don't belong to any social networking site. Which is what Win8 was designed for. They aren't "abandoning, to get people to upgrade".... they simply upgrade their own software.. regularly. It's a business. In time they stop supporting the old, and then the game publishers follow. Win7 is going on 5 years old after all. That's quite old for software. While there is nothing wrong with that, you are not really the type of consumer they are concerned with. Businesses hate you Your first post made it seem you were more upset at MS, sorry for the way I replied. Anyway.... assuming you play (since you mentioned it), what's your favorite map on BF4 ?
I have not found that to be the case, but I *am* computer savvy. I have found the propensity of Windows to 'blow up' from just doing simple internet surfing (malware/viruses) to be far more frustrating, and the non-computer savvy people that I support (my wife is one) has never had her Linux box blow up from security updates. But your point is well taken, Linux can be a challenge, and present a learning curve if you're only computer experience is Windows. And regular folks don't want to (and shouldn't have to) learn about their computers, they just want them to work.
They could have easily stopped at XP, which is due to (finally) become obsolete this year when Microsoft stops making updates for it.
Linux is not currently a gaming platform, though it COULD easily be the best one. You're right, the game devs have not embraced it. Can't blame 'em. You don't develop for the best platforms, develop for the platforms with the market share. Gaming, if you ask me, is best done on purpose built hardware. Be that consoles, or PC machines built just for gaming. And if I was a gamer, I'd never allow my Windows based gaming machine to be used to browse the web.
I'm a computer savvy user but I learned the hard way...trial and error...with Linux. I joined forums, followed advice of others, then began helping others when my competence level increased. What I have found though is too many users like to think they need the latest and greatest incremental version of a distro instead of sticking with a release that has long term support. The LTS versions bring an inherent level of stability, especially Debian or Ubuntu based distros, and suffer far less breakage. My current install has been there since April 2012 with every update applied, still chugging along like the day I installed it. There is a definite level of learning necessary to manage Linux, but so too is the case for Windows or OSX. We've just been fortunate to come up in a time when those operating systems were what we had so we learned by using, trial and error, etc., just as you would with Linux. It's a change, but not really a scary one if willing to learn and ask questions of those with more experience.
IF you still have Windows 7......do NOT; I repeat do NOT switch to Windows 8. I agree with others here who have already stated; it's horrible. I have no idea what Windows 9 does....but unless it wipes out the ill-conceived 8 and goes backwards closer to the 7, I won't be upgrading to that either. I am tired of Microsoft jerking us around just to get us to buy things and controlling us. I wished I had an Apple, frankly.
I concur with that! I had one and then my son needed a new computer when he stepped on his Windows laptop so I gave him mine and bought myself a Chromebook. I love it. Small, light and more simple than a Mac. And for $199 I didn't have much faith it'd be very long lasting, but 2+ years later it's still doing great. Planning to buy a new Chromebook sometime soon and in keeping with my vow to never buy anything with Windows again.
I run multi-boot systems, so I have a choice to boot into Win7, Win8, Linux, and soon Android. I don't see Win 8 as problematic, or "horrible" as you say. It's just a phone interface put on the front. Why? who the heck knows. If you work around that by changing the interface to one more familiar, then it becomes a non issue and seems to work fine. But I have read where Win9 is supposed to be more like Win7, due to the lack of Win8 popularity. We'll see. Eh, overpriced and limited content.
I actually haven't played BF4, simply because my computer can't handle it. I did consider buying it for the PS3 when it was sale, but all of the server glitches convinced me to steer clear of it. I mostly just play BF3 and Modern Warfare 3 at the moment. As for my favorite map, out of the gameplay videos I've watched, I'm gonna have to go with the one with the breaking dam. I can't remember the name right now, but that map definitely looked like the coolest of them all.
I was hoping they had just realized how much 8 sucked and were quick to replace it with a legitimate upgrade to improve customer satisfaction. That's basically what I had been waiting for. If 9 sucks as bad as 8 (or worse), I'll be going back to 7 very soon.
- - - Updated - - - They did release an 8.1 update recently, but it didn't seem to catch on. However, one of the big problems with Microsoft these days is that they just keep pushing these products out the door without giving the older versions time to exist. The best era in my opinion was when XP was the current OS for 5+ years. That thing had four service packs and constant support, plus you didn't have to upgrade for half a decade. I wish they would return to that kind of business model with their OS's.
