What I still cannot understand is how people argue... 1. To justify something that is not right by pointing on others who are obviously doing the same. 2. And finally to generalize this: 'practically any OS is doing it' (which is not even true)... You are asking the wrong question "What makes Windows 10 so different?" Why M$ is spying through w10? Would be the one.... Anyway the answer: Actually nothing...the difference is that this time the most installed desktop OS is affected....
In my opinion, we're seeing a double standard at play. When Apple, Google, and others collect your data, everyone pronounces it "magical." When Microsoft does the same thing (with Bing and Cortana), it's reported as evil and intrusive.
The optimist looks at the half-glass of water and says: "The glass is half-full" The pessimist looks at that same glass and exclaims: "The glass is half-empty" The cynic looks at the glass and says: "I wouldn't drink that crap...it's polluted!" But the Realist looks at the glass and says "It can be refilled!"
I haven't read a post/posts @MDL which would reason your opinion....we're here in the windows 10 forum, so it's quite reasonable that people address M$.... Maybe Apple user just have got another idea of privacy since they sell theirs already using their proprietary stuff like iTunes..VOLUNTARILY
We voluntarily use Windows, plus there are dozens of privacy settings, and anyone can read documentation about Windows privacy. There is nothing outside this forum to suggest that MS is spying on anyone. I enjoy immensely the communication that Windows 10 has with MS, and the benefits that I derive from them. There is Cortana, targeted news, and sports feeds, the weather, automatic updates, etc, etc, etc. To say that something is spying is very derogatory terminology which implies very malicious intent. The communication that my Windows 10 installation enjoys with the internet is something that not only do I revel in, but something that is beneficial to me, personally. I would not have it any other way, and this is what makes Windows 10, and its future iterations so wonderful.
Yes block 90% now. That 90% accumulates in hidden log files. One day the whole lot goes to Microsoft when an autoupdate or existing hidden code kicks into action. You think you only giving Microsoft 10% now, sooner or later it is 100%.
m$ collect data offline, thats a big difference between Google/Facebook and W$10. Apple? Dunno, never like it and I never will.
Collect data offline? I haven't had any MS employee knocking at my door wanting to stick a thumb drive in a USB port!
@dhjohns: What matters here is that Windows 10 has a use for You and that You are happy with it. I respect your decision to use it. Personally, it does not serve my needs. So, I choose not to use it. To be honest, I don't think that Microsoft is spying as much as trying to collect the same data that every other big company is collecting. Harvesting data for targeted ads and a personalized web experience is big money right now. Not to mention telemarketing lists. Some of us find that type of data collection to be uncomfortable. So we'll avoid it as best as we can. I'm waiting for some company to sue Microsoft because they have an unfair advantage over everybody else; i.e. the OS is designed to collect the best data. Data that is not available to anyone else. Time will tell.
Microsoft aim is to collect enough information about everyone so that 10 years later or more, it knows everyone inside out, and can sell that information to the government or police when asked. That information can control anyone they want. Getting some free money on the side from advertisers is sweet. The real aim is not that. It is power. If someone is a boring worthless sheep, they have nothing to worry about the spying. If someone is smart and wants to challenge injustice in this world, they should be worried now, think ahead. Sadly for every 1 person caring about privacy, there is 10 who do not. Microsoft will find out most things about the 1 person from the 10 surrounding people communicating with that 1. It is hopeless situation in the end.
If I am going to get ads, I would rather them be targeted towards me, and towards something I am interested in, then a bunch of random ads thrown out as to see which ones will stick! Actually though, I don't like any ads at all so I use ad blocker, and edit my hosts file. But all in all, I like to see weather from my local, and other stuff from my local. I would certainly be upset if my OS didn't know enough about me to be able to do that.
I respect your opinion. If I would have the same, I could have saved the money for an additional SSD to run Linux on it. We voluntarily use windows, but some of us do not want to have telemetry introduced. As long as I have an alternative, there is no problem. One personal remark to your post why people consider it as evil when it comes to M$ and 'cool' when it concerns google/apple (even though it sounds a bit of like a stereotype). To me my desktop is used as a secure place where I felt comfortable doing the sensitive stuff like banking. I had been always happy using w7, no apps store, no consume terror....I considered my android devices as pure fun and entertainment devices. Once crapware installed I rooted it and deleted it there. I know that google is the same and started already before gathering consume relevant personal data...telemetry....I knew I had windows.....now with w10 I have lost this, by introducing telemetry to w7 I have lost it NOW!....that's to me the reason why I said: Stop! That's it I wanted to have back my secure place....now I am using Mint. Maybe people can now understand a bit why my digitallife has changed ..away from windows.
Why not post what I said? Again with these updates, how does it auto update? you do not understand computers .......... go outside and play with the rest of them. I believe he means what you do offline as well and not only while web browsing, that is the difference. Spoke like a true sheep ..... stay frosty little one. We have the same right to say no as you do to rolling over for M$ to rub your belly. Regards
I'd respond to the OP but seeing as he aggressively pushed all my thoughts out of the way I really don't wanna quote him. Please leave personal attacks out of posts as it does not help anyone. It just makes you look like an asshole. The mistaken notion that every OS is doing this is flawed and egregiously lying. Every time people saying that everyone is doing this I always think back to linux. We can't fix an OS that was meant to data mine user data but we can attempt to mediate the issue. In other words give an option to take away the data mining to a degree. That way it appears that we're trying to at least try to fix the issue. The other issue is that this aggressive data mining is being transferred to Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Let us be honest for a moment we use windows because its easy to set up. Its much easier than linux because the majority of us are not familiar with it. The common sense solution is to switch back to Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 and block the updates that are doing telemetry. There done.
But how to know for sure. Isn't M$ lately silent or reluctant to publish information when updates are all about?