Windows 11 to be released free later this year. Yea/Nay?
 

Here are two interesting articles on Win 11.

1. The first is by a Linux reviewer. The video is 18min long. Just watch the first 5 min and the 3 min summary at the end. (The middle gets technical but interesting.) BTW I only have one Win 10 machine that I use for video capture from VCRs and media editing, all my other PC's (10 or so) run Linux Mint MATE. I'm even running Linux Mint on a 2008 ASUS 900a netbook that I strictly use for writing manuals and stories.

Windows 11: Linux or New Hardware - YouTube

2. A COMPUTER WORLD article about the real reason for Win 11.

The real reason for Windows 11 | Computerworld

The guy on the first video was so obnoxious that I turned it off in about 3 minutes. Not a good salesman for Linus, or anything else.

Getting windows 10 to work on my nearly new desktop and laptop were horror shows.

Will think long and hard and ask some techies I know before doing anything.

Once you go Apple you never go back. Customer service is exceptional and they speak understandable English.

Very interesting, looks like Microsoft Windows 11 operating system is going to control the users even more, WOKE coming into your home forcefully.
Side Note: "Obnoxious" - not really, the guy is a Geek not a Village drunk.

Who uses Customer Service unless something is wrong with the Apple device?
I have been using Microsoft since Windows 3.0 not once have I ever call customer service.

I'm running a pre-release version of Win 11 right now. Most of the changes from Win 10 are under the hood and most end users won't ever see them. I had no issues installing, and so far only one old app that has a security issue. This was fixed by simply changing the permissions for the app. Win 10 is a snap to install on anything - as long as it's not a computer from ages ago.

I used Mac for quite a while - even was President for a Mac Users Group for 4 years. It's fine, if you like an appliance. It does run very well, but the entire ecosystem is locked down, you can only use specific peripherals, and this means everything is more expensive. And by the way, if you pull out that old Mac from 5 years ago and try to load the latest OS on it, good luck. This is the primary reason most folks have an issue with Win 10. They try to install it on an old machine that doesn't meet the requirements, and then it's the OS's fault.

I went back to Windows, because they are faster, cheaper, have more software available, and I can use virtually any peripheral on them.

Not to start a Mac vs Windows War.

We have both in our house, and I run Windows on my iMac Pro. I have also run the other way with MacOS on a home-built Windows machine.

I agree with:

". It's fine if you like an appliance."

This is absolutely correct and is exactly what Apple advertises. It is for the other 7 billion people that just want to use the computer without customizing it. There new line of iMac's is a perfect example of this - no upgrades/customization of any kind for the user.

If you want to customize your computer, you should go with Windows. If you are a "serious" geek you should go with Linux (I have several Linux boxes running also, one of them on my iMac Pro alongside Windows 10. All three running simultaneously)

But, when you say:

"And by the way, if you pull out that old Mac from 5 years ago and try to load the latest OS on it, good luck. " - because I assume you mean it won't run if you didn't mean that, then I will apologize because I disagree with your comment. Here is a list of supported Machines that go back to 2013 and 2014.

Windows 11 is much pickier about the hardware it will run on than Windows 10. I have seen 12-year-old homebrew running Windows 10, but I expect a none geek would find it challenging - possible but hard.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013)
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014)
Mac mini (Late 2014)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)


And on:

"I went back to Windows, because they are faster, cheaper, have more software available, and I can use virtually any peripheral on them."

Well, that depends, the new M1 iMacs and Macbook Air will outperform almost any PC in their price range. And if you want a laptop, the MacBook Air M1 gets about 17 to 18 hours on a battery charge.

So, for the important stuff, we are in agreement, each system suits a specific audience.

The largest hindrance to current Windows 10 users upgrading to Windows 11 is the requirement for "TPM 2.0" (aka "Trusted Platform Module 2.0). Many older PCs that run Win 10 are not able to install Win 11 because the installer checks for this capability, and that it's enabled, if present. I'm running a 2013 desktop with Win 10 and there's no TPM present, not even the older TPM 1.2.

There are so-called workarounds designed to let you add registry keys during the Win 11 install via a command prompt, but some who have tried them have found they still limit the install experience.

Article on how to bypass the Win 11 installer's testing for TPM 2.0:

How to bypass TPM 2.0 requirement during Win 11 installation

I’m running Windows 11 right now. So far so good! As soon as it’s out for general availability, I’ll be upgrading my other devices.

You're quite correct, he is obnoxious.
 

I agree 100% with you. In my days, I worked with many versions of Windows, as a Senior programmer analyst and Database Administrator. This guy should tone down his hatred for Windows!

Most people in The Villages don't need the power of Windows and now they may be forced to buy a new computer to run a system they don't need.
I gave up on Windows after Win 7 and switched to Linux (Mint Cinnamon). I've converted about a dozen people here in The Villages to Linux and none have asked to go back to Windows. Even 10 year old PCs run great on Linux.

Remember, Windows has billions of dollars to spend on marketing, Linux if free and maintained by thousand of volunteers that keep it safe and up to date. There is no "Linux" company.

Want to try it? I can help.

As mentioned above, the need to upgrade to a TPM 2.0-compliant computer has really dimmed my enthusiasm for Windows 11. Normally, I always get the latest & greatest version of Windows (and DOS before that) and was always glad I did. I'm just not seeing the benefit outweighing the disadvantages this time. That's tough to admit for a one-time Microsoft employee!

Thank you so much for putting this out. I am the opposite of technologically savvy. You have provided enough information for me to understand the basics so that I can make a choice how to handle the situation.

I've called MS Customer Service several times over the years (since MS Dos, pre-windows). Usually I end up figuring out what to do on my own, while waiting on hold.

Frustration with Customer Service: the Great Motivator