constantly reading, you say.. did you ever at least try linux? your uninformed post looks like one from the previous century, imho... while it is true that the firm of canonical ships ubuntu with spyware, and non-free soft[=bloat-] ware, they are a firm, so they want to make a profit, remember? just like apple, google, and m$. as for all other distros, it is free. i suggest that you give linux a try. no need to install it, i think you will find that it is a very practical os. i do not want to start a m$ versus linux here; there has been more than enough of that. but i would like you to keep your uninformed opinions about linux to yourself, until you at least tried it...and you can keep your credit card too..
There you go .... that's what I'm talking about ! Things are getting better all the time in Linux .... But there is still a lot of work to be done before the serious gamers will switch from M$.
I have tried them all over many years [probably 25yrs], I always end up going back to Windows because a lot of the tasks I want to carry out on my PC Linux sucks at. The available software for Windows is superior and there is a far greater choice. I hate Microsoft but Linux still cannot compete on many levels, its getting closer but as it starts to show some potential money begins to creep into the equation, by the time Linux is a true contender it will be just as corrupt as all the rest, the writing is on the wall with Android. Yes at the moment you can remove all the spyware very easily, but how long is that going to last?
As long as it remains open source. When that changes, Linux will be no different than Windows. But I don't see that happening any time soon. As long as someone possesses the source, it will be made available to the public.
There are many apps that need to catch up - recent experience being modifying UDF ISO's in Linux - not a single app could do the job (some can read but none can alter let alone save) - so I installed UltraISO w/ Wine (horror of horrors) but at least I did not have to log onto Windows to do it. ATM UDF is not a Linux requirement - just saying for the future... .. and yes I know it's 'cos the kernel does not natively support it. I think we need a Linux dev. forum to get things like this sorted. BTW: Mint are migrating like 'everything' from C to Python - which I know nothing about - not that apps are dependent on that - just saying...would have preferred C++ and develop in a common environment - like Android does with their JVM and Java.
You, sir, are panicking far too much about Microsoft's "spying". Do you really think Microsoft is going to use data they get from Windows 10 PCs to become Big Brother? I highly doubt it. All this paranoia surrounding Windows 10's controversial tracking features is annoying. Nobody freaked out when Mac pulled this stuff, why freak out about Windows doing it?
Who is "everybody" and "nobody"? If you scratch the surface using the arch-"spies" infamous search engine you'll find just how many and how badly - not to mention why - of them "freaked out"... Add Droid to it and Amazon/Ubuntu cr@ppy episodes. One gets loud and puts pressure on those a-holes, then one votes with one's feet... ABC?
TBH he was a little "panicky", but with good reason. No. They'll use whatever data they mine to provide targeted ads, just like everybody else. Until a Law Enforcement entity starts to put pressure on them and they have to turn it over to them. Then, that data can be used against you. And that's the problem. Doubt it if you want to, but don't be so quick to dismiss it as paranoia. If it wasn't a potential risk, the people around here would not have invested time and effort into securing Windows that they did. Actually, many of us chose not to use Apple products. Why pay $3000 USD for a half-assed, dual core computer when you can build a great machine for 1/3 the price and run Linux and Windows in a dual boot. Graphic proof of that is provided by the thousands of people in the Hackintosh community, who spend inordinate amounts of time and effort making OSX run on non-apple hardware. And yeah...what Gorski said. Oh yeah...Welcome to MDL
That because (thankfully) Windows users are way more informed, way less forgiving and way less religious than Apple's ones. Mac/iphone users are just like lemmings. Everything apple does is fine for them. Hence they should left out from any decent discussion about the matter.
It might surprise you, but there are many in the Windows community who are equally insane for Microsoft stuff. The same applies to Linux. The difference is that the Windows user base is so big that it drowns the loony voices. Although you will hear some of them especially these days in the form of "Microsoft can do no wrong", even when the spying is evident. If you were to stereotype them I'd say the Apple users are Elitist, Linux are Dogmatic and Windows are Ambivalent .
Sure the market share counts speaking about the absolute number. But I'm talking about the percentage of them. I have yet to see a single Apple user that behave differently than a Scientology member or than a Geova witness. Sure again. MS is still labeled as the evil, even if others are doing worse things. BUT That label comes because a reason for what MS can blame no other than itself, they have an endless list of bad things done in the past
Now I know why I'm so conflicted: two iMacs, two iPads, one iPhone, three Windows 10, three Linux Mint 17.3, two Windows 10 VirtualBoxes, three Windows 7 VirtualBoxes, one Windows 8.1 tablet and two Linux Mint 17.3 VirtualBoxes. Life is sweet, now where did I leave that Prozac bottle.
Now that we know Linux is no more secure than Windows and it spies on use just the same, whats the point? You might argue that Linux is free, so is Windows, its also smoother, more stable and has a greater choice of software, software that is superior to anything Linux has to offer. The lack of activity on this sub forum in recent months speaks volumes for the future of Linux. I really wanted Linux to come through and demolish Microsoft but it aint going to happen, RIP Linux
"we" who? Just because Ubuntu (a commercial company) was caught once to send some search to a commercial partner linux became unsecure and spyware filled like W10? Linux already did so in the mobile arena (altough not GNU/Linux but the kernel alone) and still has a strong position on server market, to the point that MS was forced to bundle a whole linux distro with the latest Win 10, doesn't seem that bad. Given the position that MS earned on desktop area across three decades, mostly because unfair practices against its competitors.
Hey if you own all of thta, you have achieved everything that there ois top achieve on this world... Why Prozac? Why not kill yourself while you are ahead of all other suckers?
I guess it is the Win 10 b...s... that has finally made people who live outside the world of the "Bubble of True Believers", be it apple, MS or Linux, understand that looking for THAT system is a waste of time? Use what works best for you, and quit thinking about so-called "improvements". I am on Win 7 and have yet to find one single thing that I want, and that it does not do. I got rid off the win10 telemetry garbage and will live happily ever after. Made an Acronis copy to transfer this setup, should I (not a gamer) want a new or faster computer than an i5 with SSD.