Worried about Windows 10 privacy? Use Linux

[Abarbarian]

http://betanews.com/2015/09/20/windows-10-privacy-linux/

Windows 10 is a wonderful operating system. Every day, I boot a computer running Microsoft's latest operating system to get work done. On the surface, everything is peachy-keen. Sadly, under the hood, there are some legitimate privacy concerns. There is a bunch of information being sent to Microsoft, and you may not even know it. This has caused programs like the wonderful O&O ShutUp10 to be created.

Thought this was a really neat article. No FUD that I could see and no Microsoft bashing.

Enjoy.

 

[muckshifter]

I appreciate your point of view, however, in 2014 the OSs with the most security flaws, and therefore with the potential to screw with your data was;

Apple Mac OS X ... 147
Apple iOS ... 127
Linux Kernal ... 119

Windows Server 2008 ... 38
Windows 7 ... 36

"2014 was a tough year for Linux users from a security point of view, coupled with the fact that some of the most important security issues of the year were reported for applications that usually run on Linux systems,"

more here


hey, I'm just playing devil's advocate ... I know how to overcome most of MS's 'bad habits' and I use Google products so, what the internet doesn't already know about me, isn't worth knowing.


Those of us here using Win 10 have tried to inform any that care to read the pitfalls of Win 10 with it's phone home attitude.








I got Mint 17.2 running on me HP laptop

 

[Abarbarian]

So you took the suck it and see approach with the laptop

Apple seems to have fallen of its perch then

Linux certainly had its problems but at least they fix things fairly wuickly and keep on hunting for gremlins. MS just sweep stuff under the carpet and promise to fix stuff and do not always make a decent fix first time around.

Interesting that Microsoft (an Apple an all the other greedy companies)have billions of pounds in income and brag about everything they do yet they never gave a penny to the poor developer of shh which the whole world depends on.Seems they are happy to ride on the backs of poor workers whilst gathering loot. No surprise there then as society has always had the rich and greedy feeding of the backs of the poor and downtrodden.

 

[muckshifter]

The 'laptop' was always destined to be the test-bed until I build my new AMD ... Mint was the 3rd Distro ... it works.


Oh, and every company I have ever dealt with, are, 'greedy' money grabbing bigots ... especially supermarkets.

 

[Abarbarian]

The 'laptop' was always destined to be the test-bed until I build my new AMD ... Mint was the 3rd Distro ... it works.


Oh, and every company I have ever dealt with, are, 'greedy' money grabbing bigots ... especially supermarkets.

Aye despite my shots across the bow Mint is pretty good at working otb on almost anything.

You obviously do not live near a Morrisons than

 

[muckshifter]

You obviously do not live near a Morrisons then

yes, not far, but dear for food ... why?

 

[Abarbarian]

yes, not far, but dear for food ... why?

Well Morrisons is my main shop and I find it very competitive. You can shop at Aldi which is cheaper but the quality is not always so good.
Mind you I am a buy two get a discount, yellow sticker 7.45 pm type of shopper so I always get a bargain wherever I shop.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I only discovered recently that the Apple OS is more invasive than Windows, came as quite a shock. I've never, ever, used an Apple OS so have always declined to comment in the always ongoing Apple Vs Microsoft debate except to say that Apple hardware costs about 50% (at least) more than 'IBM' hardware to do the same job.

I've been using Mint for about 4 years now and although I can't do everything in Mint that I can in Windows, using it is more or less second nature now, I'm very familiar with it. And it doesn't suffer as many glitches as Win 7, in fact I'm hard pushed to think of any glitches within Mint.

As for security, I have not a clue, but I can browse just about anywhere with Mint using Opera or Firefox whereas browsing in Windows using Opera or Explorer can sometimes be a little frought with problems.

This whole issue makes me think Win 7 may be the last MS OS to be user privacy aware and actually quite safe at hiding a user's online and offline data and habits.

 

[Abarbarian]

in fact I'm hard pushed to think of any glitches within Mint.

go penguin go.

Just out of interest what can you do with Windows that the Mint can not do.

 

[bootneck02]

Trouble is that Microsoft is now downloading Windows 10 updates onto Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 whether you want them or not so what is there stopping them to change your settings and snooping?

 

[floppybootstomp]

go penguin go.

Just out of interest what can you do with Windows that the Mint can not do.

Off the top of my head... MS Publisher is easy to use and imo very good and I have over 1000 Publisher files that only Publisher can open. Best Linux Publisher equivalent is Scribus but it's not as easy to use as Publisher; I currently use Nero (only works in Windows) to gather multi video files in different formats and burn them to a DVD with menu, so far I haven't found a program in Linux that can do this, and believe me I've tried; Some hardware, such as game controllers, will only work with Windows.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

Bootneck: I'm using Win 7 and I have auto-updates turned off and Microsoft does not install anything new without me choosing and approving. There hasn't been much new at all lately though.

What MS have been doing though is starting to download Windows 10 without me asking, I have to open Task Manager to nip it in the bud, imo that's a bit naughty of MS. I don't need another version of Win 10, I already have an installed version complete with drivers and personal software, backed up as a file.

 

[Abarbarian]

I remember you posting about Publisher and Nero some time ago. looks like you will have to keep using Windows for them. Unless Crossover or such can help, but they are pay for and I have no idea if they will work 100%.

You could always travel back in time and play,

In video games, some trends go out of style, and old stand-bys are cast aside when better alternatives are discovered. Some elements of art are timeless, however. Language and culture may change, but empathetic characters and great stories never fade from fashion. Grim Fandango has always stood tall as one of the PC adventure greats, and the deft storytelling and warm humor that made it so inviting remain evergreen.

Best of luck with the hunt.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I bought the updated version of Grim Fandango not too long ago as I'd always wondered what it was like after all the positive reviews it received and it was going dead cheap on Steam.

I thought it was dull

On the other hand, I bought Titan Quest (2006) and it's expansion pack recently for £3.45 on Steam and I'm really enjoying it, it's a little like Diablo II.

So, never can tell which games we'll take a shine to eh?

 

[Abarbarian]

Yeah I have a couple of turkeys in my game collection that got great reviews.

If you do rpg have you had a look at the latest Divinity offerings ? I enjoyed Divine Divinity and Beyond Divinity haven't tried the new ones yet.