Windows 10

1 comment on "Bitching about Windows 10: Photos @Microsoft"

I am so frustrated. All I want is a simple photo viewer that allows me to arrow/space bar through my pictures. But of course Windows 10 dropped that capability. Because why would someone want to look through their photos quickly?

That’s dumb. We all want to open big apps and spend hours trying to get the bundled Photos program to recognize various folders. That’s what people love: wasting time.

Because that’s what time is there for, to be wasted. Because we’re all going to live forever and there’s nothing else we want to do than to wait for some bloated program to open, decide that it won’t see any other pictures in a folder–or even recognize the folder at all–and frustration is like medicine. Or poison. One of those.

Ugh. I’m very set in my ways and I hate change.

So having to reset Windows 10 the other day, which resulted in the loss of a bunch of stuff, is already an experience I wish I could have avoided. But it is what it is.

Change is inevitable.

But does it have to be so fucking frustrating, Microsoft? Really? Do you have to make everything some giant uphill struggle so that the thought of switching to Linux or some kind of Windows-alternative starts seeming like a version of heaven?

Because really, all I need is Scrivener, OpenOffice or LibreOffice, Semagic, and some way to view and edit photos and I’ll be satisfied. And unfortunately, 4 out of 5 is not acceptable for all of my years of loyalty to Windows software.

And all the ways you’ve invaded my privacy in recent years, Microsoft? Your insistence on access to my private data so you can send it to your HQ for some inane reason? Fuck you very much.

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I’m just so tired of fighting Windows all the time.

I’m tired of not being able to do the things I want with my own computer.

I’m tired of the weird programs turning on and doing things in the background at the behest of Microsoft.

I’m tired of having to go through after every update and check that my Privacy settings haven’t been reset to “Share everything with Microsoft”, because honestly, I don’t want to share squat with Microsoft.

I want to turn on my computer, edit documents, and watch YouTube videos of cats frolicking.

I don’t want my screen to keep freezing and my data to be lost. I don’t want my computer to shut itself off and turn itself on without letting me know what’s going on or giving me a warning to save my stuff. I don’t want to suddenly have everything S-L-O-W way down as some hidden Windows process begins doing something I can’t track or figure out why it’s happening.

I want my computer back!

Mike's Harder Lemonade: Deadpool version God, now I want a drink. So, thanks for that Microsoft. If I turn into an alcoholic, I’ll know who to blame:

Deadpool.

0 comments on "Windows 10 Followup; G+"

WINDOWS 10 –

Windows 10 seems like it’s got all of the makings of a great OS. It’s just not quite there yet. By the time of the official rollout, it might be. So wait a little while before upgrading. Just make sure that you reserve your free copy.

Also, it’s been suggested that you don’t upgrade if you’re running Windows 7 or older. The previous generation computers that were specifically designed to handle those chipsets could make your upgrade a rocky one.

A. Cortana. You click this and Cortana is supposed to ask what she can do for you. At the current moment, it doesn’t seem like she can do very much. Hopefully she will upgrade to become the digital assistant we were promised by sci-fi movies. Have patience.

I would like it if I can say “Hey Cortana, take a note” and have her bring up a program and begin taking dictation. I have been interested in Dragon Naturally Speaking, but I’ve hesitated to buy it because I’m not sure if I would be able to tell a story outloud and have it make sense. I tend to sound pretty dumb when I’m talking, and I’d hate spending $60+ on software that I don’t use.

B. Task View. This one is a bit strange. I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to do with this one, though if I right-click on it I can choose to see the Task Manager, so that’s where you can find that. Also, sometimes when I click on it, all of my open windows shrink and spread out across the screen — like when you’re thinking about closing Chrome and all the tabs are laid out. It doesn’t seem to have much purpose though, as when you click a window, ALL of them come back up on your screen, not just the chosen one.

Honestly, I would have liked the option to choose which window displays, and leave the other ones unseen in the tray. When snoopy people are lurking at my shoulders, it would be nice to not have them able to see everything that I’m doing. Just a point and a click leaves my screen safe for kid-view and nosy strangers.

C. Notifications. This is like the Windows 10 version of a cellphone notification display. You can make changes to brightness, Internet access, etc. Plus they really want to make sure that you use OneNote. It opens as a right-hand pane.

D. A change in view. Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening here. But that’s how the minimize/maximize/x-out icons look for some non-Windows programs.

In all, Windows 10 feels like it might be headed toward becoming something great. Just have patience and wait for it.

FYI: Currently I am unable to access the Windows Store or use any apps. My legacy programs — non app — seem to work fine. Plus I find myself kind of missing the Metro-look. It must be Stockholm Syndrome.

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GOOGLE PLUS —

I’ve been doing a lot more on Google Plus of late. It’s just so easy to send pictures and operate G+ from my phone. It’s a different experience from Facebook too. I think it’s a bit more my speed.

The only unfortunate thing is that people aren’t really on Google Plus. Its unpopularity makes it difficult to form a steady readership. Everyone may have been forced to make a G+ account… that didn’t mean they’ve chosen to use it.

My Google+ stuff:
My account: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+HarperKingsley/posts
Picture Prompts: https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/E03HAB

I’m usually posting pictures and things, and my blog shares itself on my timeline. If you’re just interested in reading fiction pieces, the Picture Prompts collection is where they usually end up.

0 comments on "So I “upgraded” to Windows 10. Now what?"

I upgraded to Windows 10 and it’s not as great as I wanted it to be. It’s like all the pieces were there, they simply didn’t come together in a way that’s useful to me, or even convenient.

Take Cortana for instance. It’s a nice idea to have a digital personal assistant, but there’s definitely some flaws. Like, she requires an internet connection. That’s not so bad on its own, but for simple tasks it’s kind of a pain. Plus, most of the time she doesn’t even respond when you call out “Hey Cortana” or click the little circle.

Then there’s the way Windows 10 completely changed how my live tiles appear. It’s like they forced the tiles on me in the first place, then when I get used to the way things work, they change everything around and give me a smug look “Now what are you going to do about it?” Uh, I’m probably going to hate you forever and write horrible(ish) things on my blog. You’re welcome.

The minimize/maximize/x-out options look a bit strange, and I can’t get the Microsoft Store or half of the apps to work anymore. I’m assuming that my antivirus is interfering with things, so I hope I’ll be able to fix the problem. If not, a large chunk of my computer just became useless bloatware.

I guess I just wanted to say that I’m not very pleased at the moment. Windows 10 better shape itself up, or it’s going to be facing a serious backlash from the whole of the PC world. There’s a reason why some people refused to leave XP behind. And right now I’m wishing I had held off on the upgrade and stayed with Windows 8 at least a few months longer.