Best Version of Windows?

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Drew Sebastino
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Best Version of Windows?

Post by Drew Sebastino »

Having been annoyed by Windows 10's bloatware, I've wanted to change OSes for a long time, but it dawned upon me don't really know what I should get. Many people like Linux, but I have enough Windows exclusive software that I'm not interested in switching. The obvious answer then would be Windows 7, but is there any reason for not going back to 64 bit XP if you don't care about say, Windows Aero? The concern seems to stem from Microsoft no longer doing security updates, but I always have everything backed up and use Killdisk if I get a bad virus, which almost never happens anyway, so I'm not concerned. Lack of compatibility with newer programs would probably be a far bigger issue...
tepples
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by tepples »

Windows 7 will lose security updates in January 2020.

What did you use before Windows, and what did you lose when you switched?
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Banshaku
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by Banshaku »

Windows 3.1? Duck :lol:

Even if you go back to windows 7, the update will sooner or later finish and the telemetry junk will be installed unless you meticulously select with one to install and block some. So... Even though I do not enjoy much windows 10, we are stuck with it.

If you just want windows, don't mind not connecting to the internet then I would go back to windows XP just for the performance boost but many tools I'm using wouldn't work so I'm stuck. Wouldn't mind 1 isolated xp machine though for basic stuff.
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gauauu
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by gauauu »

Windows 7 is the answer for now. 8 and 10 are disasters, where 7 was rock solid. Like tepples said, you'll lose security updates in a couple years, so you'll have to reevaluate then or put up some other safeguards.

XP had already stopped getting updates, and it's going to get harder and harder to make sure stuff is still compatible with it
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Drew Sebastino
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by Drew Sebastino »

tepples wrote:Windows 7 will lose security updates in January 2020.
That soon? Windows 7 is still the most widely used PC operating system (if I'm not mistaken), although Microsoft clearly doesn't care about appearing pro-consumer anymore, as evidenced by all of Windows 10's adware.
tepples wrote:What did you use before Windows, and what did you lose when you switched?
Nothing; I started with an old Windows XP desktop when I was young, then got a budget Windows 7 laptop, then a Windows 10 laptop where the hinge broke, and now I use my grandmother's originally Windows Vista laptop that I replaced the hard drive of and downloaded Windows 10. I just never realized the extent of all the bs.
Banshaku wrote:Even if you go back to windows 7, the update will sooner or later finish and the telemetry junk will be installed unless you meticulously select with one to install and block some.
What? :|

I guess what I'm wondering, is what do the security updates do/how to they work? I almost never download anything and only visit a handful of regular websites, so I'm not sure how much I should be concerned.
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by lidnariq »

I successfully beat Windows 8 into a semblance of usability. (Classic Shell was a requirement, as was uninstalling almost everything from PowerShell)

I've heard of people misusing the Windows XP -based Windows Embedded POSready to get very limited security updates for XP machines.

The problem with Windows 10 is not that it's spyware (although it is); it's that they basically blow away any of your customizations they don't like every 6 months.
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by Drew Sebastino »

lidnariq wrote:The problem with Windows 10 is not that it's spyware (although it is); it's that they basically blow away any of your customizations they don't like every 6 months.
With many of those customizations being: disabling the spyware. :lol:
Oziphantom
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by Oziphantom »

10 is the best version.

XP is really getting nostalgia googles now. we all think XP was "the best" and "great" but you go back and use it now and its "man what was I thinking". However if you want a "modern XP" there is ReactOS which is a free open source reinterpretation of XP and runs most XP stuff fine. Just don't expect any new tools too work for you.

7 is not bad.
8.1 (the .1 is vital ) is better than 7
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by tokumaru »

Oziphantom wrote:XP is really getting nostalgia googles now. we all think XP was "the best" and "great" but you go back and use it now and its "man what was I thinking".
I still use XP from time to time in virtual machines and recovery CDs, and it's still pretty great. The only reason I stopped using it as my main OS is because it wouldn't run newer software. And the only reason I'm using 10 now is because some stuff wouldn't work on 7. But man, does XP *FLY* on my current PC...! I swear, it feels like programs open even before the mouse button clicks! It really saddens me that we likely won't ever get that kind of performance from a current OS, since the bloat increases at the same rate as the hardware becomes more powerful...
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by FrankenGraphics »

I think windows 10 is great for my productivity on average, but

-i don't rely on my settings to be permanent/reliable, including update settings... ugh. I've lost hours of work that way on at least 3 occasions i can remember.
-settings GUI is a total pain to navigate
-there are things you can't easily disable, such as the relatively recent "people" icon on the taskbar.
-i'm getting really tired of the platitudes accompanying the login screen pictures, and more so since a misclick often results in opening Edge and bing.

edit: in win10, the powershell gui can be turned off in favour of the classic command prompt - this is in the taskbar settings. win+x or right clicking on the windows icon will then launch the command prompt. But i don't mind it. I just type cmd in the search field i've placed on the taskbar if i need it, or the more classic approach win+r: cmd
Oziphantom
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by Oziphantom »

tokumaru wrote:
Oziphantom wrote:XP is really getting nostalgia googles now. we all think XP was "the best" and "great" but you go back and use it now and its "man what was I thinking".
I still use XP from time to time in virtual machines and recovery CDs, and it's still pretty great. The only reason I stopped using it as my main OS is because it wouldn't run newer software. And the only reason I'm using 10 now is because some stuff wouldn't work on 7. But man, does XP *FLY* on my current PC...! I swear, it feels like programs open even before the mouse button clicks! It really saddens me that we likely won't ever get that kind of performance from a current OS, since the bloat increases at the same rate as the hardware becomes more powerful...
I have a Win95 VM.. Blink and you miss the boot.. I remember sitting for ages watching it boot on my P133, well actually I did that a couple of months ago...
Yeah OS complexity increases to stop the P4 dilemma mostly. But Win + Left or Right is my instant NOPE can't use this any more moment.. Night screen mode has also been a real savior for me.
FrankenGraphics wrote:I think windows 10 is great for my productivity on average, but

-i don't rely on my settings to be permanent/reliable, including update settings... ugh. I've lost hours of work that way on at least 3 occasions i can remember.
-settings GUI is a total pain to navigate
-there are things you can't easily disable, such as the relatively recent "people" icon on the taskbar.
-i'm getting really tired of the platitudes accompanying the login screen pictures, and more so since a misclick often results in opening Edge and bing.

edit: in win10, the powershell gui can be turned off in favour of the classic command prompt - this is in the taskbar settings. win+x or right clicking on the windows icon will then launch the command prompt. But i don't mind it. I just type cmd in the search field i've placed on the taskbar if i need it, or the more classic approach win+r: cmd
The splitting of settings is annoying(but I accept it is better for lay people), but you can search the settings, so I just type what I want into the search bar in settings and it finds and opens it for me.
I just use Space bar to sign in, saves any click issues.
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FrankenGraphics
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by FrankenGraphics »

That's a good tip. There's the usual problem with localized names for settings. I use the english version precisely for that reason, but if i'm on an installation set to swedish, good luck to me finding anything in the settings, haha. I assume it's the same for other localizations.

One thing that annoys me a lot occasionally with the explorer search is that "view as" settings for each catalog is stored separately for plain view and when in search mode. So if you've set your catalog to "list" or "details", it will load the default value of "large icons" when searching, unless you've changed it manually at some point for that folder while in search mode at the same time. If anything, a search ought to be defaulted to a condensed detailed list so the result is easy to browse and sort. Or just store a unified view mode setting regardless search mode...

There's also some UX annoyances with folders containing over some thresholds' worth of sound files, but i think that's been there for quite long.
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by zzo38 »

Maybe you can get rid of some stuff by programming a separate computer (perhaps with Linux or BSD) to tamper with the data that it transmits/receives by internet. You can filter out Windows Update, Windows Store, etc

You can also dual boot if necessary.

There is also Wine, although you will have to see if the programs you want are compatible. (Sometimes there are also alternative programs that can do similar thing, e.g. LibreOffice.)
Last edited by zzo38 on Mon Aug 06, 2018 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Bregalad
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by Bregalad »

The best versions of Windows are of course NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. Sadly they are both obsolete, and it has been downhill since.
tepples wrote:What did you use before Windows, and what did you lose when you switched?
I know this question wasn't adressing to me, but I used a commodore 64, does this count ? I also think I used IBM OS/2 a little bit.
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Re: Best Version of Windows?

Post by calima »

Windows 2000 indeed. Stability without the crap XP brought. ...what, it doesn't run any of the software you use on Windows 10? No, you don't say ;)

If you think on it a moment, you're playing a losing game. Even if XP or 7 buys you a few years, eventually shit hits the fan and you're again faced with the same choice. Then it might be 10 or the current, top of the line, monthly fee-having spymaster, but I believe that you won't be able to install "just 10" anymore. Start weaning yourself to a Free OS.
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