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tl;dr: Directing the wind is not possible, being compelled to adjust my sails. How can I transition to Windows 10 and not suffer extreme loss in productivity.
Windows Classic Theme: How do I get something like this. I assume other Soylentils are like me and the first thing they do when logging onto a Windows XP/7 computer is change the theme to classic. Has anyone done this yet on Windows 10? In my very brief experience dealing with 10 I was unable to find a way to do this, I presume that they removed this because they are awful people.
Specifications: How powerful of a computer do I need to do the same thing I am currently able to do without any lag. I was compelled to do testing using an i7 laptop with 8gb of ram from a couple of years ago, I found I was unable to do any testing because it was bogged down at 95% CPU capacity just running the base OS. What should I be running to make this thing bearable. My job function is to review, build, maintain reports which can involve files large enough to bog me down on my current system (i7-5600U with 8gb), what hardware should I have, how much ram should I have.
Experience: What lessons did others here learn the hard way as they went though this process. I am aware of the updates causing data to be non exist and things of that nature. What are things that I need to know about in this new age of 10.
I am sure there are some other things I should ask, just can't remember ATM.
Just run Linux XD: I am not allowed to withdraw consent from Windows 10, but I am pushing off implementation as long as possible.
[For information about issues with Windows' updates, see Ask Woody. --Ed]
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Thursday November 01 2018, @07:08PM (6 children)
My advice is to avoid it where at all possible. Use Linux or MacOS as your base OS, and run Windows in a VM if you have an application that you absolutely must use and is only available in Windows.
I have a gaming laptop and manage a fleet of windows machines at work. Between Microsoft taking away controls, force feeding crapware, and their incessant updates that have a 50% change of breaking something, I avoid Windows unless I have no choice.
So far their updates have caused me to lose access to my audio for a couple weeks, and their Anniversary update wiped out an entire project team, requiring them all to roll back and one needed to be completely reimaged.
And don't get me started on Microsoft continually re-enabling Edge, Cortana, and whatever crap they install when the mood strikes them.
So yeah, I've never been particularly fond of Windows, but with Windows 10 I now actively distrust and despise it. My primary machine is a Macbook Pro and I have a Windows VM for the few rare instances where I actually need it. Additionally, since Apple has decided to follow Microsoft's lead in screwing the pooch, I've been doing everything I can buy cross-platform products (eg: Qoppa PDF Studio instead of Adobe Acrobat) so that I am prepared for when I have to switch to Linux.
(Score: 2) by hubie on Thursday November 01 2018, @08:33PM (5 children)
I just got a MacBook Pro to replace a Windows laptop. What VM software do you use? I have one program that I will need Windows, so I was going to run Win10 in a VM.
Thank you very much for mentioning Qoppa. I was looking to see what my Adobe Pro options were. I need to be able to digitally sign with a smart card and that looks like it will fit the bill.
Now if only I didn't need to use Office . . .
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Friday November 02 2018, @05:37PM (4 children)
Indeed. Office is the big one, although there IS Office for Mac. If you have an Office 365 subscription then I believe you get access to the Mac version as well. Just know that it isn't a straight-up port, so if there are plugins you used in the Windows Office, they're unlikely to work on the Mac version.
As far as virtualization goes, I've been paying the Parallels tax, although I've found that I can usually get away with not upgrading every single year. Also, their upgrading pricing is pathetic bordering on offensive, so I just want until I find it on sale somewhere and save 50+%, far greater than their upgrading pricing.
Atlernatively you can use VMWare Fusion, which I haven't used but understand it's almost as good. Finally there is VirtualBox. It has a Mac version, but it has a significantly clunkier UI and is nowhere near as performant as the others. But it's free, so hey.
(Score: 2) by hubie on Friday November 02 2018, @09:44PM (1 child)
Thank you, this is very helpful. Since this is a work machine, the cost of the virtualization software is not a driving concern. I use VirtualBox on my Windows machine to run linux, and indeed, the UI is clunky (I just tried to boot up a linux machine that I haven't done in almost a year, and it claims to not be able to find the correct drive, despite the fact that I have not changed or upgraded anything in VirutalBox). I've used the free version of VMWare a number (or more) of years ago, again to virtualize linux on a Win box, and I don't recall it giving me any major problems.
Parallels is a name that keeps popping up; at this point I think I am inclined to go in that direction. Basically, all I really want is a container to take a Win10 pro install and run a piece of software that requires a USB dongle to be attached. I would hope that they all can do that. Who knows, maybe I'll try VirtualBox first because I can.
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Monday November 05 2018, @10:07PM
AFAIK all the virtualization tools allow you to do passthrough USB. Although with VirtualBox I think you need to make sure that you have the proprietary add-on whatchamacallit installed.
I would say use VB first cause it's free and you are already familiar with it. If it can't do what you need, try something else.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Friday November 02 2018, @11:59PM (1 child)
> It isn't a straight up port....
This has been the case for a couple of decades, but as of Office 16.9.0 we've fixed it! It's all one common code base now. (Finally)
I'm sure there are a bunch of #ifdefs still, but that's the case for most cross-platform apps.
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Wednesday November 14 2018, @03:30PM
Oh really? That's fantastic! Does this mean there won't be odd formatting discrepancies that make, say, a word document look slightly different when viewed on windows vs mac?
Also, is there a linux version coming down the pipe? *pretty please* :)