BearOfaTime

Oh, Ffs, right?

"Oooh, we're air-gapped, so we're secure!"

Again, security is layers.

I already upvoted for the comment, I'm out of upvotes!

Lol, don't forget to add /s, so people will understand your sarcasm!

Windows Pro does "just work". Configure GP when you setup, and all this garbage isn't an issue. Even without the more extreme changes I make (beyond GP), most people would be fine.

MS pushes this crap in Windows Home users, because they know those people have no idea what to do with it.

If you're a technical person, or you run Windows Pro instead of Home, you probably won't see as much crap. But there's a ton of new telemetry/tracking in Win10 that's even worse in 11.

As someone who's been part of OS and software deployment since before WinNT, Win11 is hot garbage unless we do all sorts of preconfig to not make it so.

This isn't really new, just that much worse in 11. With the previous versions of Windows, we didn't have to configure as many Group Policies to restrict as much nonsense. And the home versions of 10/11 are so much worse, especially since they don't support GP, you have to Registry Stamp any changes you want to make to disable all the telemetry garbage - stamps which an update can easily revert. At least GP is reapplied at boot/login.

I don't let my family buy Home versions of Windows. Pro costs more, because it's worth it from a support perspective.

Wish I could upvote you for your username! Haha

Wow, that's an interesting metric.

And XP was 32 bit only, it was really an updated version of Win2k, which was really rock solid.

Which kind of supports your point.

Except ME was part of the DOS line, while XP extended Win2k which is NT.

But I take your point, just that Win2k was (largely) the end of MS producing DOS-based operating systems (with XP being the final nail in that coffin).

In business, once Win2k was out, we stopped deploying Win9x entirely. Before that, NT was problematic on some hardware and for some software/users. Win2k solved most of that.

So, basically, what we've always done, and has been eroded in recent decades? (Not being snarky, you make a good point, it's what humanity has always done, and many people still do, it just doesn't make it to the top of the social media pages).

Runaway consumption is a choice by individuals.

Many of my friends just seem to be like Coneheads. That was not how I was raised. I dislike buying anything, unless I really have to.

My phone is 4 years old, another in my family is from 2017. My car is almost 20. I refuse to buy shit just to have something "new".

Don't blame the seller for what the consumer wants (except for all the dark patterns, marketing BS, etc - now that I can squarely put on the companies, and would like a return to tighter controls, and stronger legal options).

For Hooters no less.

I have been there exactly twice in my life, both times unwillingly.

Food is atrocious, I'd rather eat at 7-11.