Hacker News Reader

Comment by tw04 | Hacker News Reader

You've been able to limit data usage on Windows 10, if not from the start, shortly thereafter.

"Set as metered connection" under the connection settings.

You can disable telemetry at any point if you want to. The only "unwanted ad" - that everyone constantly complains about, is for onedrive. Guess what - every time I log into my mac, it asks me if I want more icloud storage. So literally the same thing. Ubuntu wasn't much better with their Amazon experience. If you're going to tell me to install Gentoo or Arch on my daily driven laptop we aren't having a rational discussion.

I've NEVER had Windows download a "sponsored app without my consent". What third party app is this you speak of?

View on HN

I've had ads on Windows lock screen ("Get fun facts, tips, tricks and more on your lock screen"). I was fairly sure I had turned this off, and it was weeks before I saw an ad (replacing Spotlight background), but once I did see an ad, I wrote my own program to set the lock screen background and stayed well away from the MS Spotlight.

Spotlight itself is an ad for Edge; if you want more information on the photo, it'll pop up in Edge, not in your default browser.

Windows installed a bunch of sponsored apps / icons when I first installed it. Xbox, Skype, Groove, Money - they may all be owned by MS, but they're still crapware as far as I'm concerned.

One of the most despised things, for me? In Edge, Cortana popping up, when I go to the driver download site for my laptop, "Can I interest you in a coupon?".

"No, you can't. Fuck off." Excuse the language.

You can disable Cortana

Yes. My Android phone also has loads of Google-installed crapware. I don't see that there's any material difference....

And Google just tried to get me to sign up for Google Assistant. Ditto.

Ubuntu no longer has the Amazon suggestions, they listened to the users, and Arch and Gentoo aren't the only alternatives to Ubuntu; Fedora, Mint, Elementary, etc are all fine and as easy to use as Ubuntu.

Why be so obviously disingenuous? Why make excuses for companies to screw your software?

I switched to Linux a long time ago and every time I'm forced to use a proprietary operating system I get reminded that I made the right decision.

I doubt any serious windows users support adware and privacy violations, only the people who invest in Microsoft.

> You can disable telemetry at any point if you want to.

Isn't it more like, "You can reduce telemetry at any point if you want to, until a 'bug' in an update silently resets it."

> What third party app is this you speak of?

Candy Crush Saga

Reply on news.ycombinator.com