Davkaus Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I have the icon on my laptop and my pc, i don't recall consenting to the icon on either. Nor me - bloody out of order. Got rid of the damn thing (and the update(s) that installed the program - GWX.exe). Is it really out of order? It's fairly unobtrusive, easily removed, and only appears to those eligible for the free upgrade. They've made it public for months that the upgrade is free within the first year, but only those who frequent tech sites are likely to know about it. Quite an overreaction to be angry about this, IMO. They're trying to unify the platform, and even if they're doing it for their own interests, it's a benefit to the market, IMO. Nobody wants another XP, and Win7 was dangerously close to being one. I think the new Microsoft, post Ballmer, are doing all of the right things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted June 4, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 4, 2015 I'd probably get angry if my OS installed something and shoved it up front without me asking for permission. It's technically a breach of the CMA too, but they'd argue they're covered to do what they like under their EULA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 You use Android? Do you get angry when there's a notification about an upgrade there? Do most Linux desktop OSs not notify you that there are updates available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted June 4, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 4, 2015 There is a difference between updating existing software and installing something new. Also, as you point out, both your examples ask me before they change anything. They don't install unrequested software and stick it in my face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Well, the prompt for Android updates is in your face, it's more invasive than a system tray notification, IMO. Your problem seems to be the face that this is a package that's installed, rather than the fact that there's a notification? Additionally, the prompt for the Win10 upgrade only displays if you deliberately install it, or if your system is configured to allow recommended updates, it doesn't appear if you only allow Important updates. People who want absolute control over their system probably shouldn't automatically install updates at all, never mind non-important ones. Just consider whether you'd rather Microsoft notify people of an upgrade (that they can remove after the fact, or opt out of so that they never see it), or not notify all users and leave them to fall out of support in a few years, and have software devs supporting Win7 for years and years due to the low amount of people who will go out of their way to upgrade, as we saw with WinXP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) Is it really out of order?Yes. I don't expect nagware to be placed on my system as part of the windows update - okay that may be my fault for not properly adjusting my settings for windows updates when I installed 7 on my PC a few months ago but still...It's fairly unobtrusive, easily removed, and only appears to those eligible for the free upgrade. It may be easily removed for those who know their way around a machine running windows well enough to know what to do or are confident enough to follow instructions that they may track down on the internet in order to uninstall the patches but I wonder just how many average home PC users will be comfortable doing that?I don't think the 'fairly unobtrusive' (seemed like an icon in my taskbar which I saw almost immediately after it was installed and which then led me to an internet search to try and find what on earth it was - I didn't find anything official at least ahead of some forum posts on what to get rid of and how to do it) and appears only to those eligible (so presumably is yet another program running in the background that may have to be investigated in case it's spyware/malware masquerading as something genuine even if annoying) are exactly things in its favour. Edited June 4, 2015 by snowychap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 My view is that Is it really out of order? Yes. I don't expect nagware to be placed on my system as part of the windows update - okay that may be my fault for not properly adjusting my settings for windows updates when I installed 7 on my PC a few months ago but still... I can see why it might bother you, but I honestly think this is the best scenario. Power users can easily get rid of it, if they want to. those who don't know how are the ones most at risk by staying on an outdated, soon to be unsupported platform. It benefits them to be migrated to the most up to date OS, with the longest support window. You can stay on Win7/8 if you want to, and remove the notification that Win10 is coming, but to do so, it takes a little bit of awareness of how to use the PC. It's not that great na idea to leave every tech-illiterate user on the old software, that's how we ended up with so many XP and IE6 users that held back the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted June 4, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 4, 2015 And those that are unofficial support for family/friends get phone calls from those "tech-illiterates" who've gone ahead and clicked the button "because it looked important" and now "everything's different can you put it back like it was". (Not me any more. They buy a chromebook or install elementaryOS / ubuntu / mint if they want me to support them.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 If it's all about getting the message out there and telling everyone why wasn't it hugely trailed that this was going to happen? It's not as though they're short of a few quid for publicity purposes or that they couldn't have got something out across multiple media outlets.There may have been some stuff somewhere but like I said when I saw this icon I had first to go and search to see whether it was actually genuine and then on how to remove it and all of the updates that may have been used to install the program (or reinstall it if I just uninstalled that and not the updates, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted June 5, 2015 Moderator Share Posted June 5, 2015 ....why wasn't it hugely trailed that this was going to happen?... I have a theory. It could be bobbins, mind. With Google (androids) and Apple (OSX, iOS) these two companies have built pigging great server farms, so that when they release an update, or a new iteration of an OS, they can cope with massive sudden demand from their users to upgrade the moment it's available. Microsoft, though - they've tended to work on a model that involves them retailing disks of Office and of Windows OS. And there are many more users of Windows than of Google OS or Apple OSX - so if Microsoft announced ona particular day that W10 is available, they wouldn't be able to cope with the demand, the servers would crash and the thing would get an instant and probably unshakeable reputation as a disaster - all those people with screwed up PCs that got half way through then froze and lost all their dat or whatever. So they kind of let the new version of windows kind of creep about, without fanfare, so people get it in lower numbers per day, but over a longer time. Then (they hope) people will spread by word of mouth that it's better than whatever the current version is, and they'll get a nice smooth transition of as many people as possible onto the latest version. Also, with the gentle adoption rate, when (not if, but when) people find it doesn't work properly on some machines, microsoft will introduce fixes or changes to get round that, before every man and his dog has downloaded it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I am pretty annoyed at Microsoft's importuning by sticking their icon in my task bar. Since when have Microsoft ever issued a new OS and it has not had to wait for the first service pack to work properly. The download is 3gb and the free part is a limited offer which runs out on the 29th July, or so I understand. If I wanted an OS which will break every time I update it, there are hundreds of Linux distros to choose from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 They should have implemented an obvious and easy way to remove the icon. That would have prevented people getting upset about it, I should imagine. As far as I'm aware there is a release date late July, so perhaps they will trickle the upgrade out but I would expect it to be released like other OS updates. We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I am pretty annoyed at Microsoft's importuning by sticking their icon in my task bar. Since when have Microsoft ever issued a new OS and it has not had to wait for the first service pack to work properly. The download is 3gb and the free part is a limited offer which runs out on the 29th July, or so I understand. If I wanted an OS which will break every time I update it, there are hundreds of Linux distros to choose from. Nope. You are wrong. The upgrade is free for a year for all certified Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/01/21/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-one-year/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I am pretty annoyed at Microsoft's importuning by sticking their icon in my task bar. Since when have Microsoft ever issued a new OS and it has not had to wait for the first service pack to work properly. The download is 3gb and the free part is a limited offer which runs out on the 29th July, or so I understand. If I wanted an OS which will break every time I update it, there are hundreds of Linux distros to choose from. Nope. You are wrong. The upgrade is free for a year for all certified Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/01/21/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-one-year/ Or, as Limpid would probably say: You don't have to be certified to use Windows 10 but it helps! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted July 24, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 24, 2015 Continuity is key Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted July 24, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 24, 2015 Continuity is key Hmmm... if that's a criticism it's an unfair one. Looks like there's a mix of right clicks between "Desktop Mode" and "Tablet Mode" there, some of them are right clicking within an app in Tablet mode and some are right clicking on apps in Desktop mode too. I have to say - I haven't even noticed it changing to be honest! I have a Surface Pro 3 so I use both Tablet and Desktop and it works really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted July 24, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 24, 2015 Of course it's a mix, and I wouldn't say anything if it was a mix of different vendors within the OS, but 7 different styles from the same company is pushing it IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 24, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 24, 2015 Microsoft are slowly getting better, but it doesn't stop them doing stupid things. Look, Microsoft. Just because I am Facebook friends with someone, doesn't mean I want to share my Wi-Fi passwords with them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) The opt in by default for upgrades is a problem, I don't even mind the feature being turned on by default as it prompts you for every new network connection. Sharing by default any existing networks after an upgrade from an earlier Windows version is the only problem I have with it, that's ridiculous, there needs to be a clear opt in/opt out for existing networks when you upgrade. Edited July 24, 2015 by Davkaus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 30, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 30, 2015 They really don't learn do they? Windows 10 has just arrived and there’s a new Privacy Policy and Service Agreement from Microsoft coming swiftly in its wake. The new policies take effect on 1 August and there are a few unsettling things nestling in there that you should be thinking about if you’re using the company’s services and software. http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2015/07/29/wind-nos/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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