The DRM timebomb

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by GT182

We were warned about this by George Orwell in his book "!984". It seems all those doing this to us also read that book too. Well, it was required reading in some schools. Ever sense then we've all been scrod.... the past tense of screwed. And it's only going to get worse.

The same can be said about Microsoft and it's updates. We have no way of knowing what their updates are for and do. And for some we have no way of not installing them.... that I know of. And if we uninstall them, what happens to our computer. It's the same too with their Operating Systems. They dictate how long we can use them even tho we "Paid" for them. When we can no longer use one, why then are we not reimbursed the money we had to spend to use it? My point is XP, the best OS they ever put out. So now we have nothing but problems with their newest crap that cost us even more.

There are other options besides apple and Microsoft operating systems. I and a number of other people here have been working with open source Operating Systems. Linux with the Wine add is one of them. The developers of these systems want the end user to be able to control when and how these system are updated. In addition, these open source operating systems can be tailored to suit specific needs.

Skybird and a number of others have been carrying the banner for these various operating systems and it may be worth your time to take a look at them. I have used them and have found them to be exceptional. Mine even looks like windows XP / 7.

[GT182]

Sounds good Commander. Do you have any links for what you're using. I'd like to check out some options. Thanks.

[Reece]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

Skybird and a number of others have been carrying the banner for these various operating systems and it may be worth your time to take a look at them. I have used them and have found them to be exceptional. Mine even looks like windows XP / 7.

Yes but how well do they run:
Games
Ham Radio software
Software like Google Earth, Photoshop, Firefox, Outlook Express, Wavelab.
I still use XP, I'll have to update soon, my computer is getting old, the hard drives could die anytime!!

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by GT182

Sounds good Commander. Do you have any links for what you're using. I'd like to check out some options. Thanks.

I sent you the links to 3 of them. I hope this helps you.

Originally Posted by Reece

Yes but how well do they run:
Games
Ham Radio software
Software like Google Earth, Photoshop, Firefox, Outlook Express, Wavelab.
I still use XP, I'll have to update soon, my computer is getting old, the hard drives could die anytime!!

To be honest Reese, I have no idea how these are used in conjunction with a ham radio. What you and GT 182 should know is that you can have multiple operating systems on a single hardrive and can boot into any one of them on startup. That means you can have a windows system for your games and the other systems for browsing. The other OS systems have a feature which can partition your hard drive upon installation and dedicate a percentage of your hard drive to the new OS. The bad part is that Microsoft may be able to infiltrate the other systems through the Windows OS you already have.

The wine feature allows Linux to run windows applications and software. It should allow games as well. Rockin Robbins knows more about that than I do I'm sure. He has a youtube video of SH4 running on a Linux system with a wine feature. A number of these systems are 32 and 64 bit. The 32 bit systems don't use a lot in the way of resources, including memory and can coexist with XP systems on older computers.

[fireftr18]

Commander, can you send me the links also? Thanks.

[Eichhörnchen]

I've read something about partitioning but not gone into it so far. But forgive my ignorance, CW... do you need separate antivirus/malware for each separate O/S or just the computer? And the suggestion that Microsoft may still be able to interfere with your partitioned system doesn't surprise me either...

[HW3]

I'm in the minority with you Jim, I'm happy with W10.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

I've read something about partitioning but not gone into it so far. But forgive my ignorance, CW... do you need separate antivirus/malware for each separate O/S or just the computer? And the suggestion that Microsoft may still be able to interfere with your partitioned system doesn't surprise me either...

That's not an ignorant question Eichhörnchen but rather a valid point. In most cases, I would say no. If say, you keep XP, which isn't supported anyhow, most won't put it on the internet. It's a hackers dream anyhow. As I mentioned, the other OS systems will operate side by side, just not at the same time. I'm not sure of your provider but some maintain an antivirus software suite within their own servers. If you go through them, you are protected.

It has been proffered that Microsoft intentionally created back doors on their OS systems with which access can be sold by Microsoft to interested parties and organizations. Hackers routinely hack Microsoft systems I'm sure in part because they loathe Microsoft. It's also been suggested that these back doors, if they exist are found and known by hackers and thus exploited.

If you have an older XP unit, my suggestion would be to keep it for games utilizing Windows XP, like SH3 and 4 and use the alternative OS systems, which are fully supported for everything else. SH3 and 4 can't take advantage of the multiple cores of modern PC's anyhow. A single core unit with a decent video and sound card will be just fine for these games.

The other OS's work well enough but may not be well suited for individuals that are into graphic arts and other specialties as Reece has suggested. This is why I suggested keeping a current windows OS and looking into the other OS systems and installed side by side. If the other OS systems fulfill your needs, Make a bootable recovery disc of your current Windows system and then delete it. With the bootable recovery disc, you can always reinstall windows should the need arise. The only other issue is navigating through the various Apps of the new OS. I'm sure most here in Subsim and elsewhere can do this easily with a bit of practice.


I hope this helps Eichhörnchen.

[Eichhörnchen]

Yes it does; I have my XP soopercompooter completely offline, used only for gaming. It will never be used online, so I even have the Windows firewall turned off on this. As you say, an older rig with XP can be best for older games and sims.

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by HW3

I'm in the minority with you Jim, I'm happy with W10.

It works no doubt, after it upgraded to Win 10 without me wanting it. I could have gone back to Win 7 pro if necessary but i first wanted to try it out.

imho it is not an improvement to Win 7 other than it updates itself without the user having any control about it. In a business environment with programming personnell this is lethal, because any "update" could crash your programming software based on a certain system state and level. This is why you had WSUS servers, to first try it out e.g on a virtual machine, before letting it loose on the company workers.

This has gone. I wonder how long it will take until people realize what this means, let alone you also have no control about updates in personal non business computers, nor what details of your life are being transmited.

You cannot entirely shut off Win 10's transferring your data apart from the Enterprise version. And i would not even believe that.
And this means they are able to transfer all, from your personal files, to eMails, to what you type into your keyboard.

If i were a VW or BMW boss having to rely on US software that can be spied out anytime, i'd be a little concerned.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

I keep an offline gaming computer with XP and wish I could leave it at that, but I need to be online for business so I have to be sure my O/S will remain compatible with all those things necessary for running it... I can't afford to find one day that none of the antivirus or email will work anymore on my old system.

I hate Windows 10 as much as anybody here, but I'm not savvy enough to change over to Apple or Linux... could I still link up with my customers who are still on Windows?

Keep XP off the web. ALWAYS. Its a mine waiting to be stepped upon and blowing you up. Physical disconnection to the internet is the only way to go.

Use a second platform for your online needs. Surfing, emailing you can easily and perfectly do with a Linux Mint system, a dual boot, even a Mint installation on a bottable USB stick (if you install to a USB stick, you can even save and keep working files, emails etc.

Win7 gets mroe and more zombified by Microsoft and turned into W10, all the "telemetry" sniffware, aneforcment of foul and broken updates got reverse-engineered into it. More and more of the "featureS" W10 gets criticised for, got engineered into W7 as well.

I would do precioius work, sensible work and such on a system not running unde rmicrosoft anymore, and preferrably offline. Transfer files you need to send or receive, to another, online platform and send/receve it from there. Be aware that you still run infeciton risks.

Microsoft has done its best to make things tricky, treacherous and untrustworthy, and it now slowoly starts to dawn upon people. The good and easy computer times are over. Its now about handing over our property rights, and freedom. For superficial concepts of "comfort".

If you want a relatively free and secure online platform, Apple and Google are no alternatives to Microsoft. You only have Linux of any form.

Try Mint. As a Windows user you will be surprised how smooth the transfer can be. There are hickups, yes. But most likely fewer ones than you now fear.

You are German, right? Get the Mint introduction book by Dirk Becker. Its perfect to you get you set up. I used it myself as a starting point. The new version for Mint 18 is about to be relased next week, I used the book for verison 17.

https://www.amazon.de/Linux-Mint-/me...ds=dirk+becker

https://www.amazon.de/Linux-Mint-pra...+linux+mint+17

Using Mint 17.3 instead of the new 18.0 is no bad idea, btw. You get long time support nevertheless, and the 17 version has most issues ironed out, while 18 is new. Not that I have run into issues with it.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by GT182

Jeff, if I can find a reasonably priced disc of Win 7 32bit, I'm going to it and getting away from 8.1. When I bought 8.1 I should have gotten 7 instead. But you know the saying... "You Can't Fix Stupid!.

Make sure it is a fully commercial verison for selling, no OEM. The OEM versions increasingly seem to face problem with activation. Microsoft has moved to hindering or forbidding it. There was an according entry at Woody'S board two or three weeks ago.

"You. Must. Use. W10." - Microsoft.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Reece

Yes but how well do they run:
Games
Ham Radio software
Software like Google Earth, Photoshop, Firefox, Outlook Express, Wavelab.
I still use XP, I'll have to update soon, my computer is getting old, the hard drives could die anytime!!

Games: check Steam for Steam OS/Linux. You might be surprised what high callibre stuff you find there. I do not say gaming can be switched to Linux. I just say that Steam has set course to do its part. But for gamers, Linux still is no real altenrtaive. Simmers even less. And chess - if you want to make me cry, mention chess on Linux.

You can always try a VR Windows installation on your Linux machine, to have very good chances to run any Windows software. I still have not dived into that, however, it seems my interest is not as big anymore as it once was. But you always run the typical risks of Windows users when running Windows environment in a VR, or via WINE. You can infest your Linux machine with Windows malware, and then distribute it to other systems. You may not suffer yourself, but you help to sprad the pest. And yu inest yournwon files. if you ever use these files on some Windows machine again, for whatever the reaosn is, you have a problem. I have come to recommending self-restraint with using VR, and Wine.

Google Earth: has stability for some people, for others not. For me it works stable.

Photoshop: No clue, don't use it. Gimp comes as default with Mint installation. More software available.

Firefox: Perfect, comes as default browser with Mint.

Outlook Express: don'T know, and why would one want Microsoft software on a Linux system? I even killed two default software components of Mint since they use some Microsoft code. Easy to find replacements for Banshee. I do all video and music via VLC.

Wavelab: don'T know. Audacity for example is available for Linux.

Stellarium: available for Linux.

Care needs to be used when choosing printers, scanners, routers. Do not buy without investigating compatability before. The problems I ran into with Linux, are printer- and scanner related, my router works flawless. (Very old) printer is limited, very old scanner does not get supported. Both Canon. Better choose Brother or HP for Linux. Canon hates Linux and actively opposes it, forming frontline with Microsoft.

[Skybird]

BTW, all this is not what the thread's starting was about.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Skybird

BTW, all this is not what the thread's starting was about.

This may not be what you had in mind when you started the thread. However, we have helped others with regards to issues they may be having with their computers and OS systems. You presented lots of information that members will find helpful as well.

I think it was worth it.