I’ve been utilizing Home windows working methods (amongst others) since Home windows 3.1, and whereas there have been highs (Home windows 95, Home windows 7), there’s additionally been fairly just a few lows (Home windows 8, Home windows ME) – I’ve by no means really hated a model… till now.
Windows 11, the newest model, began off fairly effectively. OK, so I wasn’t completely certain why we would have liked Home windows 11 when Windows 10 appeared completely positive (and Microsoft had saved saying it might be the final model of Home windows you want), however it was moderately stable, and some tweaks, such because the centralized taskbar, grew on me.
Microsoft had additionally gotten right into a little bit of a behavior of pushing out bug-riddled updates with Windows 10, so when the chance to upgrade to Windows 11 for free happened – I gladly jumped ship.
After all, that free improve ought to have been the primary pink flag. Nothing is ever free, particularly with large firms like Microsoft.
Nonetheless, over time, Microsoft has made me remorse upgrading to Home windows 11.
Thanks, I hate it
The primary seeds of discontent have been sown after I noticed the new Start menu – and the quantity of pre-installed apps Home windows 11 now comes with. Should you’ve ever purchased a brand new laptop computer or PC, you’ll most likely concentrate on bloatware – undesirable software program that comes preinstalled and finally ends up clogging up your laborious drive (OK, that was extra of a problem after we had smaller laborious drives).
Machine producers receives a commission to incorporate these apps, which then permits them to promote their merchandise at decrease costs with out slicing into their margins. Annoying, however comprehensible. Nonetheless, as I normally build my own PCs, I’m used to doing recent installs of Home windows, which ought to normally imply my units are free from undesirable apps.
Nonetheless, Microsoft has included a number of apps if you first set up Home windows 11, and is more likely to make a bit of money contemplating it is providing Home windows 11 for ‘free’. It’s not the tip of the world, and doesn’t take up the type of assets which may have been a problem when our PCs have been extra modest, however it’ll tick off individuals (like me) who need management over what’s put in on their units. It was additionally a touch at how even when it offers you Home windows 11 free of charge, Microsoft will make you pay for it.
The Begin menu expertise in Home windows 11 has additionally deteriorated, with Microsoft managing to annoy almost every one by putting in adverts for its services amongst the apps you’ve put in. It even bugged me to make use of OneDrive, although I already use it!
To make issues worse, whereas Microsoft was including extra pushy adverts for its merchandise within the Home windows 11 Begin menu, it wasn’t as eager so as to add options that customers have been crying out for – a lot of which have been current in older variations, however dropped for Home windows 11.
Set up blues
To be honest, I most likely received additional than some individuals earlier than the Home windows 11 doubts kicked in. Microsoft additionally up to date the setup screens that seem when Home windows 11 is put in, and it’s there that the heavy promoting begins – although this time for Microsoft’s different units and providers.
This didn’t initially hassle me that a lot, as I take advantage of Microsoft Workplace and subscribe to OneDrive for cloud storage, so organising these as a part of the set up made sense – however I can completely perceive how they might frustrate different individuals.
Nonetheless, Microsoft has been pushing its luck right here as effectively. Since I’ve put in Home windows 11, Microsoft has made it more and more troublesome to set up a fresh Windows 11 install without having a Microsoft account.
The setup screens additionally now seem after some main Home windows 11 updates, and I’ve discovered that they’ve added in a sly possibility that adjustments your default internet browser to Edge, which you need to untick if you wish to maintain your alternative of browser.
Eff off Edge
Microsoft’s ambition to get extra individuals to make use of its Edge web browser is well-known by now – however it’s not too long ago been crossing a line. In addition to making an attempt to get individuals to set it because the default internet browser after main updates have been put in, it’ll bug you with messages and pop-ups when you’ve got the temerity to wish to use a special internet browser, resembling Google Chrome.
Like many individuals, the primary and final time I take advantage of Edge is to go to Google’s web site and obtain Chrome – and Microsoft is aware of this, throwing up begging messages to provide Edge an opportunity. It’s a bit unedifying.
Even when selecting a special internet browser as your default, Microsoft simply doesn’t take no for a solution. Should you use the Search bar in Home windows 11 (which I’ve points with anyway, as I don’t assume it really works effectively) and click on on an internet hyperlink, it’ll open up in Edge, whatever the internet browser you’ve set as default.
This occurs all through Home windows 11, and it’s extraordinarily annoying. If I wish to use Chrome for viewing web sites, then that’s what I wish to open up – no exceptions. It looks like Microsoft thinks it is aware of higher by opening some hyperlinks in Edge.
There’s been a little bit of reprieve for some individuals from this habits, with the European Economic Area (EEA) forcing Microsoft to accept its users’ browser preferences. ‘Compelled’ is the operative phrase right here, because it’s clear that Microsoft hasn’t executed this as a result of it’s the user-friendly factor to do. As an alternative, customers within the EEA could have hyperlinks from inside Home windows 11 open of their precise default browser, however individuals in the remainder of the world will probably nonetheless have Edge pushed on them.
Even worse, Microsoft not too long ago began pushing out giant pop-up adverts to individuals utilizing Chrome, asking them to modify the default search engine inside Chrome from Google to Microsoft’s rival Bing search engine.
This occurred to me, and, frankly, that was the final straw. It was invasive, taking over a big a part of my display, and downright creepy, because it confirmed Microsoft was protecting tabs on what I used to be utilizing in varied apps.
It felt like an enormous overreach – and I wasn’t alone in reacting like that, as many customers took to the web to complain about these pop-ups, with some experiencing them whereas enjoying video games or watching full-screen films. The backlash was giant enough to make Microsoft pause the adverts, however the harm had been executed.
Home windows 11, to me, now not looks like an working system that I’ve management over. As an alternative, it looks as if I’m renting it from Microsoft, which supplies the corporate the precise to bombard me with adverts.
Misplaced trigger
So, the place can I’m going? Reinstalling Windows 10 is an possibility, however there’s loads of proof on the market that means Microsoft will proceed to bug me – particularly relating to upgrading (once more) to Home windows 11.
Linux is trying more and more enticing. I’ve used loads of distros prior to now (in a former life I used to be deputy editor of Linux Format, in spite of everything), and due to the Steam Deck (which runs a model of Linux), and a intelligent little bit of software program known as Proton, I can run Home windows video games in Linux with minimal affect to efficiency.
It’s not excellent, however as a PC gamer, the principle cause I’ve caught with Home windows 11 is due to the PC games – and if Linux will enable me to play these video games, it seems to be like Microsoft might have lastly pushed its luck too far.
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