Microsoft to introduce new feature to block installing desktop "apps"

[PingSpike]

https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-j...ting-installation-of-bloatware-in-windows-10/

Here's my thoughts on what will happen, and I'm sure many will disagree. As soon as the Windows App store showed up in Windows 8 it seemed obvious to me what the end game was. Next step is to keep accidentally turning this on by default with new updates (that cannot be stopped). Then make the dialogs more cryptic and terrifying. This is simple dark pattern stuff, right in their wheelhouse. DX13, Windows UWP exclusive. All moving forward to the final move: Dropping win32 support from Windows 10 home, probably coinciding with major update and the extended support runout. You'll buy it back with a monthly fee or something, legacy apps or whatever. It'll be at least a few years before they do that of course, but its where they want to be.

Yes, yes I know. Trolling MS hate. They would never do that, just like the other stuff they would never do but then did.

Why wouldn't they though? Only enterprise customers will really complain (in a way that has actual teeth), and they're already paying monthly fees so let them keep legacy apps. Other people don't matter, "gamers" can go buy an xbox or essentially pay for Games for Windows like they wanted you to do in the first place. Or developers will have to switch to windows store titles, which MS gets 30% cut of anyway. There's no escape. Its genius.

 

[bruceb]

I prefer to use my old programs installed from the CD/DVD or the HDD .. I still have lots of programs that have the features I need (such as Office 2010 or Photoshop CS2 or Acrobat 7 Pro or some of my own games and utilities)..I hate when you get an app, you do not even get to keep a copy of it's installer if you need it again. And I don't want or intend to pay a monthly or yearly fee to use a program. I buy it once and thats it.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Microsoft is also working on a new SKU of Windows 10 that will completely prevent users from installing the Win32 apps, which will be very interesting to see. Redmond is really pushing its Universal Windows Platform lately, and that’s not really surprising to see as Microsoft continues to work towards a truly universal operating system for its devices, ranging from the HoloLens to your PC.

Pure. Fscking. Evil.

Edit: Ironically, this WILL undoubtedly push more people onto Linux, because at that point, it will be MORE compatible (through WINE and it's ilk) with Win32 applications, than "Windows" itself.

 

[Craig234]

What do you mean 'pay for games for windows'? Bad anti-consumer practices are why we need to change to electing politicians who actually represent consumers.

 

[Elixer]

Apple has been doing a walled garden for a long time, yet, people still buy their stuff, so, I don't really see a difference here, but, since MS is doing something like this, it is somehow worse?

I understand why they want only 'trusted sources', since virus/trojans/malware are a huge problem, and this could stop people from downloading programs (or running e-mail attachments) from 'questionable' sites, and infecting the OS.
I have run into tons of people who infected their systems like that, since they have no idea what site is good, or not.

I don't see people switching to linux anytime soon, that road is just too rocky for the vast majority of the people out there.

So, overall, I say meh.
Fire up a VM with whatever OS you want, install your program, do whatever.

 

[bruceb]

As long as they give users the choice of installing their own software, that is fine. I can understand say a parent, turning the option ON for their kids or for a user who is not tech savvy enough to stay out of trouble. I just do not want to be forced into having to rebuy a program from or through Microsoft, when I either already have a workable version or there is a freeware version that does the job.

 

[Craig234]

I don't see people switching to linux anytime soon, that road is just too rocky for the vast majority of the people out there.

The issue for me with it is, isn't it just a lot less robust for things like game availability and device support?

 

[tidy]

.

 

[Elixer]

The issue for me with it is, isn't it just a lot less robust for things like game availability and device support?

Pretty much, drivers are the biggest issue, then GUI (people don't like changes), then software (games/apps).

 

[whm1974]

Pretty much, drivers are the biggest issue, then GUI (people don't like changes), then software (games/apps).

Actually as far as device support goes, Linux does support a lot of older devices that Windows will not even support including hardware that isn't so old.

 

[PingSpike]

Its a mixed bag on the drivers. For the most part, drivers for linux are developed by linux developers with maybe some input from the manufacturers. Its more like the opposite with Windows, but again not entirely. That is going to lead to abandoned hardware being better supported on linux, but newer hardware probably less so since manufacturers have to develop drivers for Windows or most of the world won't even use their stuff.

I actually wouldn't say the GUI is a big deal, there are a lot of them and many of them are more familiar to Windows users than Windows is these days.

Game support is way better than it used to be, but by all accounts it used to practically nonexistent.

 

[whm1974]

Its a mixed bag on the drivers. For the most part, drivers for linux are developed by linux developers with maybe some input from the manufacturers. Its more like the opposite with Windows, but again not entirely. That is going to lead to abandoned hardware being better supported on linux, but newer hardware probably less so since manufacturers have to develop drivers for Windows or most of the world won't even use their stuff.

I actually wouldn't say the GUI is a big deal, there are a lot of them and many of them are more familiar to Windows users than Windows is these days.

Game support is way better than it used to be, but by all accounts it used to practically nonexistent.

Yeah there has been a flood of games released for Linux over the last few years.

 

[Elixer]

Actually as far as device support goes, Linux does support a lot of older devices that Windows will not even support including hardware that isn't so old.

Maybe really old devices that only have 16 bit drivers, but, I haven't seen anything that wasn't specifically made for linux not work in windows.
My point was that pretty much all hardware has Windows drivers first, then, maybe linux down the road, and sometimes never on linux.

 

[PingSpike]

Maybe really old devices that only have 16 bit drivers, but, I haven't seen anything that wasn't specifically made for linux not work in windows.
My point was that pretty much all hardware has Windows drivers first, then, maybe linux down the road, and sometimes never on linux.

Ehh...I wouldn't go quite that far either. It's a mixed bag with Windows being easier I'd say overall. Windows definitely gets the drivers first and foremost. But the manufacturer usually writes those drivers. But yesterday I hooked up my scanner that I hadn't used in forever and got ready for a fight. Its a pretty old scanner but not 20 years old, it has no Windows 10 drivers. It worked out of the box. In fact, the software in Windows for this particular canon scanner always seemed like a pile even when I used to use it more often.

I guess I generally agree with you, just that the drop off of support of hardware is pretty quick these days and I've found linux a little bit better on the back end. And not with absolutely ancient stuff either.

 

[Craig234]

Yeah there has been a flood of games released for Linux over the last few years.

If you are satisfied with 'there are a lot of good games', you can be fine. If you hate not having even some good games, it seems not so much.

 

[JackMDS]

LOL "Drama Queening" forever, making the OS more flexible and giving an additional option is a BAD thing? - -

"The Settings app has three positions: allow apps from anywhere (the default), allow apps from anywhere but prefer apps from the Store, and only allow apps from the Store. Put in its most restrictive third position, this setting will block the installation of traditional Win32 applications; only those shipped through the Store using the Project Centennial technology will work. Interestingly, the switch only appears to govern installation. Changing the setting to "Store apps only" will allow existing Win32 applications to work, only preventing new ones from being installed".

Quote from - https://arstechnica.com/information...lock-win32-apps-if-theyre-not-from-the-store/

 

[quikah]

This is pretty nice option. I hardly ever install anything once my system is setup. I forsee setting this to store app only on my system then just toggling it when I need to install some Win32 program every so often. I don't quite understand what the 2nd position does.

 

[mikeymikec]

LOL "Drama Queening" forever

<looks at comment, looks at moderator status, raises eyebrow>

 

[LPCTech]

Where is my option to block all windows store apps...and the store.

 

[PingSpike]

Where is my option to block all windows store apps...and the store.

That feature was removed from Windows 10 last year:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36226372

 

[LPCTech]

Hilarious.
My next build is linux with a windows vm for games. sheesh.

 

[Rayniac]

Hilarious.
My next build is linux with a windows vm for games. sheesh.

Windows on a virtual machine for gaming? I sincerely doubt that setup will perform well.

 

[Dahak]

Windows on a virtual machine for gaming? I sincerely doubt that setup will perform well.

Should not be too bad, provided you use a hypervisor that supports either 3d acceleration or video card pass-through, and have a video card that supports that. If you want an example LinusTechTips did a crazy 8/10 virtual machines running on 1 computer for gaming and the performance was not that bad (recall them running Cyrsis 3 pretty acceptably)

 

[sweenish]

I enjoy the "nuke the world" drama over something that is simply ignored by millions of other people.

This is a non-issue, and is a baseless speculation, but we are are. "I'm switching to Linux for realsies!"

 

[Rayniac]

Millions of people are ignorant. Sure this doesn't seem that big of a deal to me either, but I'm still happy that the alternative is there and that it's getting better every day. Microsoft is not in a position where they could take over the world and all our freedom overnight with one patch but there is still the option of going at it slowly, sneakily. With one small change at a time... There's no point in trying to do something like that so I doubt that will happen either