True, we have seen different opinions for 20 years. Before that not so many negative (Windows 95/NT4 was a great step forward according to many), later some jokes about XP; the OS evolved very slowly, they added some features, changed the UI a bit. Then times changed, with a majority accessing the web, and other parts of the Internet, many times via a mobile phone, and we got Windows 8 & 10. They started getting an interest what we were doing ("may we share your user pic with other 'apps'" etc.).stuck wrote:My Win 10 experience has been very straightforward:
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End result is a box that, although it looks different to previous versions (but Win 7 looks different to XP, which looks differer to...), runs pretty much like every other Windows box I've ever had.
It took a couple years, and it is still an ongoing process, to get a bit more user-friendly UI ... in my opinion; they have added, what is it called, Fluent design, and other things to the UI. It took years to add what they had removed in terms of users' choice when it comes to updates; a process which otherwise can take command of the computer, if one isn't careful, or tweak the settings.
I agree with you, Ken, and others, that it can be pretty straightforward to set up a new Windows 10 computer (or install Windows), but it tells us something that a software such as O&O exists (of course, one could say, they have always existed; there is a small demand for tools to tweak any OS). And yes, one can achieve a bit without it; starting offline, checking all settings etc; but still, you get the feeling you have to "struggle" against something that should do everything to help you do whatever you bought that computer for. And that is also a small part of some of the problems; "we have enabled this, so that it can help you find that". As with mobile phones nowadays.
I wouldn't say I don't trust MSFT, but I'm a bit disappointed, or something, think they can do a lot better. I know it has been mostly an easy ride for most people using Windows 10 during the past 4+ years; a lot is easier than 20 years ago in some aspects, but we have seen problems as well. I don't think the end of Windows 7 (and 8) is going to change much, as in them now only having one OS sort of (and all other things they do); they have already changed a lot how they work, beta testing etc.