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from the avoiding-planned-obsolescence-and-DRM dept.
The KDE community has an outreach campaign encouraging the use of the Plasma desktop by people with older, but usable, laptops. Vista10 support will come to an end and Vista11 has been designed not to run on many still viable models of computer due to several factors including Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) requirements centered around TPM-2.0. GNU/Linux can not only keep the old system working, it can improve its performance, ease of use, and general security. KDE Plasma can be part of that.
Even if you agree to this tech extortion now, in a few years time, they will do it again as they have done many times in the past.
But things don't have to be this way...
Upgrade the smart way! Keep the machine you've got and switch to Linux and Plasma.
Linux can give new life to your laptop. Combined with KDE's Plasma desktop, you get all the advantages of the safety, stability and hi tech of Linux, with all the features of a beautiful, modern and powerful graphic environment.
Their campaign page covers where and how beginners can get help, what the differences are, the benefits gained, and more.
[Editor's Comment: This is obviously a KDE/Plasma centric promotion - which doesn't mean that it is bad but there are lots of other options too. Which Linux OS and desktop would you recommend for someone wanting to make the move from Windows to Linux? Which are the best for a beginner, and which desktops provide the most intuitive interface for someone who has never sat down in front of a Linux computer before?--JR]
Previously:
(2025) Microsoft is Digging its Own Grave With Windows 11, and It Has to Stop
(2023) The Wintel Duopoly Plans to Send 240 Million PCs to the Landfill
(2023) Two Security Flaws in the TPM 2.0 Specs Put Cryptographic Keys at Risk
(2022) Report Claims Almost Half of Systems are Ineligible for Windows 11 Upgrades
(2021) Windows 11 Will Leave Millions of PCs Behind, and Microsoft is Struggling to Explain Why
(2019) Microsoft's Ongoing Tactics Against Competitors Explained, Based on its Own Documents
(2016) Windows 10 Anniversary Update to Require TPM 2.0 Module
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 07, @11:45PM (6 children)
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 is supported till 2027/2032
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-iot-enterprise-ltsc-2021 [microsoft.com]
The disadvantages of Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 are:
No Windows/Microsoft Store[1] (and thus lower compatibility with some stuff), no Cortana, less telemetry, etc.
[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2082821/how-to-install-microsoft-store-to-my-windows-10-io [microsoft.com]
See also:
https://massgrave.dev/windows10_eol#windows-10-iot-enterprise-ltsc-2021 [massgrave.dev]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 08, @12:29AM (2 children)
Okay, this is interesting. So you're saying I should "upgrade" from Windows 7 now?
I've gotten quite used to a nice, calm, stable OS that doesn't need any more updates, thank you. But I will try your great idea on one of my unused machines.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by epitaxial on Sunday June 08, @02:22AM (1 child)
That was my upgrade path some years ago. Went to the LTSC build and it's great. No cortana or AI button bullshit that pops up. Only occasional security updates and no pop ups about trying to sell me a Xbox or clickbait news headlines. No web searches built into the start menu either. I still can't find a good way to permanently disable their stupid realtime virus protection.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 08, @02:55AM
"realtime virus protection"? Is that Windows Defender?
Some years ago I was using McAfee's "RealProtect". Rather than scan everything always, it watched critical system stuff and flagged any attempt at change. I'm a quite safe surfer so I rarely had it react, but a few legit things here and there, so I know it worked. And it stayed out of the way otherwise.
Sometime recently, past 9 months or so, they changed it so now it installs a pile of shinola, that is very difficult to remove. The supposed uninstaller won't even run (or it just didn't remove the crap- I forget now).
I've messed with 10, and of course have 10 and 11 at work, and I don't hate it there, but I'm not admin. I don't currently have lots of 'net data allotment. Enough to do normal stuff, but not huge updates. Anything big I need I take computer to work, library, etc., and download. But normal Windows 10 and 11 updates would destroy my monthly data allotment, so I can't run 10 or 11.
I have to wonder (dream / fantasize) about a world where an OS isn't released until it's mostly done. Not sending broken garbage out, expecting everyone to deal with garbage, huge downloads / long installs / reboots / possibly breaking things. I'd love a class action suit against Microsoft. I guess we need a govt. agency similar to NTSA or NHTSA to force them to only release correct software. Sigh.
Thank you for the tips- I will try it. I'm on borrowed time using older browsers on Win7. No problems yet, but I can tell some moronic sites are getting fussy.
(Score: 3, Informative) by VLM on Sunday June 08, @12:08PM (2 children)
This reads like the daily post on /g/ about LTSC, which is where I learned about it.
Install it in a VM
Set it up to enable rdesktop access (pretty easy, like 5 minute job)
Set up Apache Guacamole on your local VM, Docker host, K8S host, etc with a user login and profile to connect to the above.
Profit. Or at least have fun. I have not had any problems with this in "some years" at least. Every once in a while Apache Guacamole flakes out or an upgrade goes weird. But it pretty much "just works".
There are, of course, minor variations that are possible.
BTW win11 works fine too. LTSC is not just a win10 thing.
Hilariously, the main/only thing I use virtualized windows for is RSAT for those Samba-tool CLI situations that are too weird or I need ground-floor truth of whats in AD, and doing "stuff" with document scanners and printers using official mfgr software. There's not much use for a windows desktop in 2025 beyond being a web browser bootloader.
(Score: 2) by vux984 on Monday June 09, @08:32PM (1 child)
"There's not much use for a windows desktop in 2025"
I have clients running lathes with job scheduling and management software that requires windows. Another, sells cellular phones, and the industry standard point-of-sale system they use that integrates with the carriers, requires windows. Another is a notary public... some document management software they need to use is windows only. Another makes medical imaging topographers attached to computers running windows, and the exam review, analysis, and management software is windows only. Another is an accounting firm, they aren't giving up the ability to run Quickbooks and Sage desktop, and they aren't going to switch to Calc or even web-based Excel for that matter.
It's true a lot of stuff has moved and continues to move into the browser, but the amount of stuff that still requires windows in commercial settings is enormous. And that's without addressing that stuff like IT availability - its trivial to find somewhere that can you can outsource your help desk, desktop management, and maintenance of your small / medium windows domain; or trivial to find staff if you want to in-source that if your on windows. Finding Linux admins and support is more difficult, and more expensive, so what's the payoff?
It's 2025... and none of this has changed from 2015 or 2005. Windows isn't going anywhere any time soon.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday June 09, @09:44PM
Hmm interesting I send my clients invoices using Quickbooks Online I wasn't aware they still sold a native desktop client. I'm a small timer, perhaps the big accounting firms are different.
But, yeah, if its not hyperspecialized with a small audience, there's not much left for Windows apps.