Windows 10: suggestions for newer operating system

There is a saying that was popular when my wife and I were spending lots of time in Marriage Encounter.

To grow is to change, to grow much is to change often.

That's sort of how I feel about operating systems. Same same same is boring, I like change and playing with new things. I Agree that Windows 8 out of the box was terrible but adding Start8, Win 7 Gadgets and games, disabling UAC and voilla` I have a rock solid system that does everything I ask it to.

 

HI

The one thing an operating system should be is boring.
If I want excitement I'll run software.

I'd like to have an operating system that is as exciting as my refrigerator and with the same complexity and reliability.

Computer are too complicated.

Right this minute I'm fixing the computer of a friend that has so much malware on it, it's unusable. She doesn't have a clue about how to get it working again.

I want to be able to tell my computer verbally, Hey, get your act together and clean yourself up!

Mike

 

I know I would never get what I wish for an OS, specially Windows but:
A nice, clean OS devoid of all the mambo-jumbo without all those "Helpful" little programs that most of freeware can replace with ease. In my books, IE can go away together with such deep integration in the system. Something like "Total Commander" should replace clunkiest file handling system I have ever seen. Cut, paste, move, might as well do it thru console.
So, you install windows, first thing that shows up is an empty (or almost empty) desktop with ONE button that when clicked on gives you a list of programs or lets you load your own with all the programs you want to install.
If they want Apps to be used like they imagined, at least they should make sure that they are possible to use in all other devices they have Windows for. What's the use for mobile like Apps if they do not run on mobile devices. If they insist on those Apps to be used on desktop, let them at least be used just as desktop programs with all the windows flexibility and when you shut them off, they should shut down completely, not linger on in the background like now. If they want an AV like Defender now, at least make sure it's best thing out there, not a mediocre false hope that even M$ said that it's not good enough and should be at least augmented if not totally replaced. All that disk space, thread and memory usage with update downloads and still no good.
All the resources they are trowing away on useless stuff they should use for system developing, it's security and to hire at least couple of talented graphic designers with long experience in using computers, the real ones not preschool toys.
If they want to "dumb it down", differently formatted Windows should be available.

Professional: Just as barebone as possible but with no limits as to networking, memory restrictions etc. Hopefully at least professionals will know what to do next. As it is now, Pro, Ultimate or what ever flashy words they can think of just means complication, not power and simplicity professionals need. No UAC or other restrictions may apply.

General home Windows: with defined restrictions for kids as an option completely isolated from main part but controlled from it and no rebooting or user changing like now, something like VM but faster. Emphasis on internet, connectivity and ease of use. A really good AV may apply here or even better, a list of internet addresses linking to certifiably good, free, AVs so with on click it would download and install chosen one. Bet many AV houses would be thrilled to get on that list and even pay M$ for it. List could be changed and/or widened thru automatic updates.

Game Windows : Optimized for games, no other BS, integration with xBox or whatever other game engines they plan in the future. Drivers and settings for as many as possible game controllers. Full cooperation with games for pocket devices of course.

 

Yes, I wish I had an operating system that had a screen that lists my installed programs and nothing else except a file management utility, that didn't try and decide for me where I should save stuff.

I just want it to let my run my software.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! . . .just setting here wondering. . .:angelic:

 

The biggest change I'd like to see is elimination of drive letters. Rooting every file access starting at some arbitrarily assigned drive letter shackles us to the past. I don't know exactly how it should be implemented. Maybe it will require severing backward compatibility. But as long as every file identifier starts with x: where x is some drive letter, all related problems are unsolvable.

If you drag and drop a bunch of installed programs from internal physical disk one to internal physical disk two, the system should know where they came from, where they went, and they should still work just as they did when located on the first drive. It's time the computer started doing some of the thinking for us. That's what it's there for.

 

Hi

The funny thing is that Windows can do that.

When you dual boot, the drive you boot into is always the C:\ drive.
But Windows still knows where all of your files and software is at, even though the D:\ stuff is on C:\ and visa versa.

A lot of software will run if you just copy it to another drive without being reinstalled, but other software won't.

Adobe Photoshop won't, Adobe Premiere will.

Most games will, (I just did that with The Elder Scrolls Online) but some won't, I guess it has to do with how the programs tie into the registry.

Actually I wish I could run all my software on Ubuntu, it's fast stable and easy to use, but unfortunately while it is a great OS for people who want to get online, type, and do email, it's not for gamers or graphic designers.

It's just too hard, or impossible to get the software to run.

Mike

 

Well, they've gone back to that. But not so on XP. I had W7 on a desktop multi-booting with XP. W7 thought XP was on D: but when booted XP saw itself as on H:

But in any case it's an anachronism that has to go. Maybe they should consider everything a network share and use UNC notation. I don't know the answer. But global search and replace of drive letters in the Registry ain't it. *Smile

 

Programs like that can be considered "Portable", have own .DLLs, ini or what ever required to run independently without writing in registry or leaving files all over the system folders. Wish they were all like that but it's up to their programers to do it. Can't remember exactly which one it iss but there is a program that attempts to make some ordinary programs portable.
Here's one collection of portables PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB, portable, and cloud drives

 

My ahk programs are meant to be unzipeed into a folder. If they need to store settings they use an .ini file in that folder. The trouble is Windows file systems aren't self-aware. You can't even store a comment that sticks with a file through copies and moves(with a few exceptions.)

I guess in this regard Linux is no better(unless the file systems after ext3 made enhancements.) My older brother worked at DEC. I got to use a couple of desktop machines. One running VMS. From what he told me file comments or annotations were built into RMS file system. I suspect this was the basis of the Longhorn file system that never came to fruition. Anyway it wasn't perfect. Some things were cumbersome and it helped to use aliases for some operations such as setting the default file directory etc.. But some of the built in features were cool.

I guess the frustrating thing is, over 25 years later we still don't even have that limited functionality.

 

The things I dislike about MS Windows...

I've worked on and used many different operating systems; Amiga-DOS, Apple-DOS, DEC VAX 11/730, various flavors of Unix and linux to name a few.

MS Windows doesn't do multi-tasking well. I miss that greatly. I get patches in Windows, and some things move around. I shouldn't have to hunt for menus and things I need to do. Cute names for things is silly. I prefer OSs that are usable, not 'trendy and far out'.

Some things, like files that claim it is being used by someone else, and needs to be deleted, can sometimes only be fixed/deleted at command/dos level.

I don't mind having keyboard shortcuts sand mouse usable menus for software. Sometimes the keyboard shortcut is faster.

I do like the standardization MS did back in years past for menu selections. At one time Print was a different keyboard shortcut for every software installed.

XP was good, and I do believe that with the correct security patches it could have been brought up to 2st century standards, but selling operating systems keeps MS in business, not making patches.

 

All programs used to be "portable", before the Registry.
That's why I maintain that the Registry's main purpose is DRM.

 

Welcome to Nine Forums Peter *Wink



P.S. And Happy Birthday *Party *Dinesh

 

Hi Bill
Thanks. *Smile