Windows is still, by a large margin, the most dominant operating system.Microsoft has enjoyed decades of being the default OS provider for the vast majority of computer users, and its market position hasn't changed much—yet! Add How-To Geek on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover This is probably the weakest position Windows has ever been in.A lot of software we use will now just run in a browser regardless of the OS.
Desktop Linux distros like Mint and Zorin will give most casual computer users everything they need, and even PC gamers are coming around to Linux thanks to leaps and bounds in game support.Apple's also doing its bit, with affordable mainstream hardware and macOS being a solid OS that's polished, intuitive, and ad-free.Which means that Microsoft needs to be careful when unilaterally taking away choice from its users.
While Windows 11 might be marketed as an OS for everyone that gives you the freedom to use your computer the way you like, in reality your level of control has been shrinking for a long time.Your PC supports a local account, but setup keeps getting in the way They just want to stay in touch This is one of my biggest personal gripes with modern Windows.While it is still technically possible to install Windows without connecting to the internet and without registering a Microsoft account, the company is doing everything in its power to obfuscate that option.
It's been slowly making the option less visible, and today you're honestly better off using a tool like Rufus to modify your Windows boot media and directly enable a local account.That's what I had to do with my Plex-server mini PC, because I just wanted it to run Plex and a few other self-hosting services.I don't need my Microsoft account synced to it.
Microsoft is desperate to make Windows an online live service, which is probably why you don't even need to activate it anymore.Some small limitations and a watermark are the only consequences of not buying a Windows 11 license, but you can bet nothing will stop you from buying apps from the Windows Store or subscribing to services like Game Pass.Choosing another browser doesn’t give you control over everything Maybe it's literally meant to give Microsoft an "edge?" Close It's actually incredible how much Microsoft got into legal trouble because of its decision to bundle Internet Explorer with Windows 98.
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when a browser was a piece of software you bought.Just like buying a word processor or video editing software.So throwing in a free browser with the OS riled up competition watchdogs, and it was a whole thing.
Today, the internet is so fundamental to computer use that we expect any OS to include a browser.If Windows didn't include a browser out of the box, how would you even get other software installed from the web? To be clear, you can install any third-party browser you like on Windows 11, but that doesn't mean Edge is gone.Windows still uses it as the default way to open certain files or links.
You can go to your default app settings and change some of this, but if you search for something in the Start Menu, and you click on a web result, that's going to open in Edge and do the search straight through Bing.Some Windows choices depend on where you live It's all very revealing It's always interesting to see what a company can do when the law of the land compels it.For example, the Nintendo Switch 2 has even worse repairability than its predecessor, unless you live in the European Economic Area.
Here, the company has been compelled by EU right-to-repair laws to create a version of the console that has a battery that's easy to replace by users.This suggests that manufacturers could implement user-friendly repairs everywhere from the very beginning if they wanted to.What really grates is that this special version of the console will only be sold where it's a legal requirement.
A similar thing has happened with Windows and Microsoft Edge.If you live in the EU, the Digital Markets Act ensures that you can uninstall Edge if you like.Anywhere else, and that uninstall button is grayed-out, because supposedly Edge is a core OS component unless you live in Europe.
Real choice means being allowed to say no I don't want to be too unfair to Microsoft, since its new plans for Windows show that customer feedback is reaching the right ears.We're getting back the ability to move the Task Bar around, for example.Of course, the only reason Microsoft has to put in the effort, or give us any choice in how our computers operate, has more to do with the looming competition from other OSes, at least in my opinion.
When there were no other viable choices, you had to take the latest version of Windows or leave it.Of course, when people decide to stick with a version of Windows they like, such as XP, 7, or 10, Microsoft eventually takes that option away too.So, have you heard about Linux?
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