this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2023
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Technology
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This might be a bit off topic, but Windows 98, and to a lesser extent Windows XP and 7, always evoke a sense of nostalgic simplicity for me. The OS felt stable (as in, unchanging) and seemed to stay out of the way.
Since Windows 8, but especially with Windows 10 and 11, it's felt complicated, busy, and intrusive.
tbh I like W10, I grew up with 98 but the slight UI modifications of 10 (like the expanded and customizable start menu) felt necessary to me.
W11 however... that's a pile of shit as it is very clear it aims to be pretty to casual users more than it aims to be useful and streamlined.
I think the biggest problem is that, since 8, Windows has basically been trying to be two separate OSes, with two entirely different use paradigms, and it doesn't work. And having multiple control panels, configs, etc. makes things messy and confusing.
A lot of this has to do with the dedication to legacy support that created these two design paradigms.
Yeah, and that it actually is two very different operating systems who sort of "merged" into one some 20 odd years ago, even if the base was NT and not 98/ME. They have tried to keep both paradigms alive since then, so it's a long standing MS tradition.
Totally agree on 8 and even 11 appears to be busy despite their intent for the contrary. That being said I feel like 10 will go down in history with XP and 7 as being simple and usable. I could have blinders on though because I've been using it for like a decade now.
10 was definitely the best version of Windows in a long time but personally I'd still put it closer to 8 and 11 than XP or 7, it's got far more advertising, telemetry, awkward inconsistency, and is more locked down/less customisable.