A new or newer laptop will work better for both Linux and w10 Linux can run on old hardware with some effort Yep w10 is a forced upgrade and it comes with strings attached Linux on occasion suffers from the same disease as garbagesoft, it offers reasonably good legacy support whenever possible however Several GUIs [ graphical user interfaces ] on Linux can be configured to look very similar to w 98 or w XP or w 7 or Mac.
The nicest part about Linux, is that once you get it installed and you are set up, you really don't ever need an update. You choose what to install, and with Mint there's a description below every update telling you what effects it will have on anything on your system. I guess what I am getting at is, it's so easy and comforting having an incredible operating system that isn't spying on you, works flawlessly, and is much faster...the best part is it's free (although I happily donate). Also, if you need a program, open up the (software) download manager, select what you need, install it and go. No fuss, no corporate interference demanding money, all free. Open source is king of ALL except digital editing software (that's just my opinion). My goodness, Winblows 10 has so many tracking features built into it, even after you deselect everything you don't want, at every update the system resets some of the features to default (on). That's just garbage. Then, you have to download and install a program to reset the values the way you want for every update if you feel like not going back and doing it all manually again. Total waste.
I'm an overclocker and currently running an AMD hexcore, Asus ROG MB, water cooling, dual monitors, crossfire graphics etc. I'm not a gamer, I enjoy building fast computers. I tried W10 and to make a long story short; I used the fail back. IMO currently, W10 is for the average home computer and not mine.
Alrighty then, I have huddled with my gurus, (me, myself, and I) and bit the bullet. Brandy newey ASUS laptop arrived with W10 factory loaded. GAD!! Well, I guess 10 is user friendly, but you cannot prove it by me. Along with a couple bits of heartburn induced by ASUS (easily overcome and I like the machine other than continually hitting the touch pad while typing; I hear tell the touch pad can be disabled, gotta find out how that's done) I've been weeding and sorting the "apps" (formerly known as "programs" in the era of geeks) The major PIA caused me to blow off huge amounts of time getting the damn thing to connect to my home wifi net. (That took a week of tearing out follicles off and on, and finally had to call the tech service folks.) I've opted for the free trial of Office 365, the jury is still out on that blob of bloatware. I need to find out how to import the Outlook address book and get that to happen before I get a cranial implosion from trying to remember the needed addresses. I think, and need to confirm, that I can buy Office 2016 and live with it one time rather than paying annual rent on 365. Both M$ and ASUS maintain clouds for them as think they want them. I can see some real advantages to having files accessible from each and any of the devices that sheep seem to need to hand. but I do NOT trust files floating in the ether. At this stage of my life, it looks safer adnd more secure to copy files to a palm drive (or equal) from one machine, then overwrite the same files on the other machine(s). Not a great chore, that's what I've been doing for years. Yes, the old Vista laptop is still in use, principally for backup storage (yes, the palm drive visits three 'puters at least once a week) but will become my linux and ham test bed after W10 becomes used to bed and board chez moi. For the immediate future, using the new laptop with W10 is "the plan" and when that is more orless comfortable, upgrade the desk top from W7 to W10. Free as long as I get it done before the freebie runs out, uv cuss, but I don't look forward to sorting out the rubbish during the transition.
@ghrit As @Asia-Off-Grid recommended Spybot's anti-beacon software; I'd touch base with him and a few other monkeys on W10. I'm quite computer literate; however judging by the posts of some Monkeys; they are computer educated and potentially work in the IT field. On GPs, I'd download the typical array of free software; Malware bytes, Super Anti-spyware, Spybot etc.
I neglected to say, you should run anti-beacon every time Windows 10 has a major upgrade (usually when it requires a restart). That should be when you will see where Windows has enabled options that you have previously disabled. Not cool, that they see fit to change settings against your will. Ubuntu is looking good to me, once again.
@Asia-Off-Grid As I've used Windows at home since windows 3.*; I figured every update comes with its surprises. M$ is so thoughtful they will even off to upgrade a graphics card's drivers with the reference drivers. For 14 years or so I used PTC's Pro/E's 3D modeler and other programs; Ansys etc. The corporate platform was SGI and the OS was Irix or their version of Unix. As our location was 90 miles from the nearest PTC office; I learned a lot in self defense. I ended up being designer, sys admin, CAD admin, Db admin etc. Needless to say I was a very cheap date. I really miss the power and security of Unix. They don't play the Windoze and Micro$loth games. Ubuntu is Linux based or a *nix based OS. I've considered it but never taken the plunge.
I've got Spybot S&D already installed and Malwarebytes as well. Next time I fire up the W10 machine, will look for antibeacon. Also loaded NoScript. There will be more ----
@ghrit It is funny we've been discussing W10. Tonight while we were eating; Micro$loth decided to upgrade her computer to W10. Needless to say she wasn't happy. It lasted an hour afterwards I declined the upgrade and it did a roll back.. No matter what M$ says she was happy with Win8.1. Now I am running everything under the sun on her computer. There is now peace in Tikka's house.
SWMBO is happy, a good thing. But my recommendation is to get used to W10 unless there are plans in place for an alternate ---. It DOES take a while and some fiddling to rub off (or at least dull) the asperities, and the process isn't done here yet. The damn shame of it all is that support for earlier and in many ways better OSs will get no more support unless there is a really competent resident geek that can figure out ways around the blockages and slow downs that will come. No such beast resident chez moi. Based on M$ past habits, I'm guessing that they will rub some of the sharper points off with time. Whether they will pay attention to the inevitability of dropping sales and do the "right thing" by getting rid of the onerous pieces is a different question entirely. Contrary to corporate opinion, not ALL consumers are willing to accept the automation and lack of control they seem to assume exists.
OK, it appears I blundered somewhere along the way. Yesterday, I uninstalled a bunch of what appeared to be bloatware. In the process, the damn camera app stopped working. Looks like I'm going to spend some time with techie on the phone. I haven't the least clue of which of the bloatware apps took out the camera.
Yep, did an oops. Bad enough that m$ is reloading W10 from scratch to recover. Worst part is that I very well could duplicate the blunder. Wunnderrfool exercise in what the hell am I doing meddling in post 1999 technology?
"The Fix" took M$ techie over 16 hours spread over three days to find and do a sorta fix. There was some kind of corruption in my user account that showed an error code on the camera app. They were not able to tell me what it was, where it was, or how to keep from doing it again. So, back on the learning track. Already have not found anything to like, the bloat is immense and I see no way around that yet. -All the default apps (programs, for you neanderthals) are sucky. All of the games that I tried are loaded with too much visual "enhancement" that simply forces your eyes to see past the "enhancements" to see what the cards are. -In the old days, one could simply clik on "my computer" and run things from there. Not an option in W10, you have to do to documents and upstep from there to see your drives and what's in them. Extra clikies, gotta love it. -Damn near everything takes extra cliks, and I have yet to figure out why. Maybe, after I get to know it all a bit better, I'll find the short routes. -And so, I now need to go back in and start customizing things to prevent uploading data I don't want up loaded. I was thinking about using Skype, but that thought is in jeopardy since establishing an account calls for another personal data upload. I made a mistake to require a password to log into this silly system. There's only me, so what's the point? Another change I need to make calling for a data upload, if I understand all I think I know. More later, this exercise is making me tired and I need a beer. Right damn now.
I know how you feel....migrating from MSDOS 6.2 to Win3 and from Win3.1.1 to Win95 took a bit of getting used to....ah DOSprompt....I never miss you anymore
M$ strikes again. Did you know that Office is still sold in two versions, one with and the other without Outlook? If you like Outlook, you are stuck with renting Office 365 which gets other junk I'll never use (like Access and Publisher) and a batch of free cloud storage OR paying what amounts to three years of rent for the version that has Outlook. (And the free trial of 365 runs out next week.) I think I'm going to buy the O 2016 version with Outlook. I just can't get my mind around all the bloat that comes with the rental. Here's the comparo of what's included -- Microsoft Office: Office 365, Office 2016 - Best Buy And yes, Amazon has it cheaper by a substantial amount by download from an M$ site. Another opportunity for contacting customer service to fix a screwup. Can you tell I'm confident that M$ is trouble free?
