{"slug": "windows", "name": "Windows", "category": "os", "category_name": "Operating systems and desktop", "description": "Microsoft's proprietary desktop operating system for PCs.", "recommenders": 12, "commenters": 113, "warners": 76, "score": -51.521, "rising": 2.71, "first": "2025-11-17", "latest": "2026-10-29", "why": "Liked for gaming and native GPU support, strong backwards compatibility, and running industrial and peripheral-heavy software.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 12, "neutral": 25, "compare": 2, "warn": 83}, "spark": [0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 3, 0, 1, 2, 2], "listed": true, "loved": ["Gaming and GPUs", "Backwards compatibility"], "caveat": "Ads and upsells", "short_quote": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2.", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.microsoft.com/windows", "pricing": "paid", "aliases": ["Windows"], "verdict": [{"text": "Liked for gaming and native GPU support,", "cites": [{"id": 777018800, "item_id": 48563675, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48563675", "by": "nilkn", "date": "2026-06-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2.", "excerpt": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2. It feels like I can do almost everything on one machine with little to no compromise. If I didn't care about games I'd probably load Linux onto it, but WSL2 gets me most of what I want from both worlds without needing to do that.", "context": "gamer who also develops", "use_case": "home PC with games and dev", "switched_from": "", "story": "Claude: Elevated errors across many models"}, {"id": 779425232, "item_id": 48714077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48714077", "by": "BrokenCogs", "date": "2026-06-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "for most office and gaming tasks windows is much much easier to setup and get going in", "excerpt": "Yes it really does. I use both Linux and Windows daily and for most office and gaming tasks windows is much much easier to setup and get going in. I say this as a technical/person/engineer and not just an average user.", "context": "technical person/engineer using both Linux and Windows daily", "use_case": "office and gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable"}, {"id": 756806848, "item_id": 47300428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47300428", "by": "behnamoh", "date": "2026-03-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is a plague I try to stay away from as much as possible", "excerpt": "I wish it was a TUI. Windows is a plague I try to stay away from as much as possible, and it already gives me headaches to setup WSL and manage them over ssh. Some things you just can't do w/o remote desktop... And sometimes WSL crashes and there's literally no way to recover except to restart the whole machine. The only reason I use Windows is because Nvidia drivers are easier to setup. But once I'm inside my Fedora", "context": "", "use_case": "host for Nvidia drivers", "switched_from": "", "story": "WSL Manager"}]}, {"text": " strong backwards compatibility,", "cites": [{"id": 798821744, "item_id": 49926359, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49926359", "by": "newswangerd", "date": "2026-10-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Windows takes backwards compatibility very seriously, so I\u2019ve never run into issues with new versions of windows.", "excerpt": "Windows takes backwards compatibility very seriously, so I\u2019ve never run into issues with new versions of windows. I haven\u2019t started Linux development yet so I have no idea how that will be. At any rate, MacOS is my daily driver so updating to a buggy version of windows or Linux wouldn\u2019t be as disruptive for me.", "context": "macOS daily driver developer", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "macOS 27 is so buggy"}, {"id": 795397632, "item_id": 49712352, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49712352", "by": "Yizahi", "date": "2026-09-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Windows is a very robust OS, despite all the real negative issues in other aspects.", "excerpt": "I mean, maybe I'm misrepresenting desktop Linux, that's quite likely (at work I use exclusively CLI destro, so my experience in DEs and drivers is limited). But I'm pretty confident in my ability to generalize Windows state across many installs over past decades, I also had a stint as a all-rounder IT POC in a small journal in the early 00s, so there is that. Windows since NT kernel almost never needs a format/reinst", "context": "former all-round IT contact at a small journal in the early 00s", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste"}]}, {"text": " and running industrial and peripheral-heavy software.", "cites": [{"id": 767786240, "item_id": 47986640, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47986640", "by": "jdw64", "date": "2026-05-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love windows", "excerpt": "From an open-source perspective, many would say that Linux is the best. I also agree that Linux is the right answer for servers in most cases. However, rather than being a single unified system, there are likely many branches and distributions, starting with Ubuntu. However, from an industrial software perspective, the story changes. In a field intertwined with PLCs, vision equipment, barcode scanners, serial communi", "context": "industrial software developer", "use_case": "development, gaming, industrial software", "switched_from": "macOS", "story": "Ask HN: Which is better\u2013macOS/Windows/Linux?"}]}, {"text": " The most common complaints are intrusive ads, upsells and dark patterns, along with updates that break machines or reset user settings.", "cites": [{"id": 777471635, "item_id": 48591977, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48591977", "by": "tracker1", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it's too in your face trying to sell you additional software/services/features that frankly I find offensive from an OS", "excerpt": "I'm not really using anything too exotic... my hardware all works, and my printer has generally been without issue (HP Color Laser on ethernet) regardless of what I use to print from. For me, I switched when the start menu started showing internet ads as part of the results... I ran insiders for years, often joking that WSL was my favorite Linux distro... I love the new MS Terminal, and pretty happy with a lot of thi", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft new Outlook takes 10 seconds to do what Outlook Classic does instantly"}, {"id": 777419520, "item_id": 48588720, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48588720", "by": "pornel", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I don't like playing the game of disabling upsells, dodging unkillable Edge, and restoring secret pre-AI versions of Windows components.", "excerpt": "I use Windows exclusively for games, but I don't like playing the game of disabling upsells, dodging unkillable Edge, and restoring secret pre-AI versions of Windows components.", "context": "uses Windows exclusively for games", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft new Outlook takes 10 seconds to do what Outlook Classic does instantly"}, {"id": 759379248, "item_id": 47461203, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47461203", "by": "wxw", "date": "2026-03-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "over time, have come to hate Windows. It feels like it doesn\u2019t have a user\u2019s best interest in mind.", "excerpt": "I grew up on Windows, switched to Mac (college and beyond), and over time, have come to hate Windows. It feels like it doesn\u2019t have a user\u2019s best interest in mind. I\u2019m just there to have Copilot or XYZ service shoved down my throat. I\u2019m not sure Mac is actually any less sinister but at least it feels less so.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}, {"id": 760715889, "item_id": 47544743, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47544743", "by": "smithcoin", "date": "2026-03-27", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Using windows feels like actively submitting to a hostile user experience.", "excerpt": "I posted something similar the other day, but at this point it is too little too late. Using windows feels like actively submitting to a hostile user experience. I look back fondly to the time I had using my Dell XPS when WSL first came out, they had me hooked. I've been using MacBook Pro for about a decade now and I can't even fathom going back to windows. Every time I open the start menu I feel personally attacked.", "context": "MacBook Pro user for about a decade", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account"}, {"id": 786913089, "item_id": 49182068, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49182068", "by": "sigseg1v", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The Windows updates have become so unreliable and broken so many laptops", "excerpt": "The Windows updates have become so unreliable and broken so many laptops that my org switched to Linux and it's been smooth sailing ever since. Can't believe the amount of frustration we put up with using Windows for so long. Maybe for a non tech company yes they cannot navigate anything better due to user expectations, but in my experience those companies usually have support for Mac and at this point I'd rather hav", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}, {"id": 781058577, "item_id": 48816161, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48816161", "by": "drw85", "date": "2026-07-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The decline in quality is noticeable.", "excerpt": "I switched to linux a year ago and in that year had less problems than on Windows. I had some minor problems after updates once or twice. On Windows i had to boot into restore mode multiple times due to Windows Update screwing something up. The MS Store also constantly had trouble updating apps and games and i had to manage packages manually and uninstall and reinstall them so it would work again until the next updat", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Can Track Users via a Windows Device ID"}, {"id": 782743296, "item_id": 48921456, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921456", "by": "gandreani", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the situation in Windows is way worse than it ever was in Linux", "excerpt": "I feel it in two ways. I've been using windows for the past 5 years or so. I was using Linux before that. I used to complain about things breaking in Linux but the situation in Windows is way worse than it ever was in Linux. A couple of days ago my co-worker turned on his computer and windows has locked him out somehow. He had to disable secure boot, recover his bitlocker passphrase from his microsoft account, and on", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "Linux", "story": "Ask HN: Is it just me, or is software buggier across the board?"}, {"id": 776479426, "item_id": 48529964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48529964", "by": "thewebguyd", "date": "2026-06-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores your instructions.", "excerpt": "> usable Not just usable, but respectful. I like Windows, in terms of the desktop UX (with PowerToys). There are some pretty nice features, and the window management w/ FancyZones beats the pants off whatever the hell macOS is doing (I use a macbook pro for work, the window management is atrocious without numerous third party utilities). But the bigger problem is, Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores", "context": "uses a MacBook Pro for work", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "You need to stop using Windows 11 [video][14 mins]"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Gaming and GPUs", "summary": "Commenters pick it for native GPU and game support and easy setup for gaming.", "quotes": [{"id": 777018800, "item_id": 48563675, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48563675", "by": "nilkn", "date": "2026-06-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2.", "excerpt": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2. It feels like I can do almost everything on one machine with little to no compromise. If I didn't care about games I'd probably load Linux onto it, but WSL2 gets me most of what I want from both worlds without needing to do that.", "context": "gamer who also develops", "use_case": "home PC with games and dev", "switched_from": "", "story": "Claude: Elevated errors across many models"}, {"id": 779425232, "item_id": 48714077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48714077", "by": "BrokenCogs", "date": "2026-06-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "for most office and gaming tasks windows is much much easier to setup and get going in", "excerpt": "Yes it really does. I use both Linux and Windows daily and for most office and gaming tasks windows is much much easier to setup and get going in. I say this as a technical/person/engineer and not just an average user.", "context": "technical person/engineer using both Linux and Windows daily", "use_case": "office and gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable"}, {"id": 756806848, "item_id": 47300428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47300428", "by": "behnamoh", "date": "2026-03-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is a plague I try to stay away from as much as possible", "excerpt": "I wish it was a TUI. Windows is a plague I try to stay away from as much as possible, and it already gives me headaches to setup WSL and manage them over ssh. Some things you just can't do w/o remote desktop... And sometimes WSL crashes and there's literally no way to recover except to restart the whole machine. The only reason I use Windows is because Nvidia drivers are easier to setup. But once I'm inside my Fedora", "context": "", "use_case": "host for Nvidia drivers", "switched_from": "", "story": "WSL Manager"}]}, {"label": "Backwards compatibility", "summary": "Commenters say it is robust across versions and rarely needs reinstalling.", "quotes": [{"id": 798821744, "item_id": 49926359, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49926359", "by": "newswangerd", "date": "2026-10-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Windows takes backwards compatibility very seriously, so I\u2019ve never run into issues with new versions of windows.", "excerpt": "Windows takes backwards compatibility very seriously, so I\u2019ve never run into issues with new versions of windows. I haven\u2019t started Linux development yet so I have no idea how that will be. At any rate, MacOS is my daily driver so updating to a buggy version of windows or Linux wouldn\u2019t be as disruptive for me.", "context": "macOS daily driver developer", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "macOS 27 is so buggy"}, {"id": 795397632, "item_id": 49712352, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49712352", "by": "Yizahi", "date": "2026-09-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Windows is a very robust OS, despite all the real negative issues in other aspects.", "excerpt": "I mean, maybe I'm misrepresenting desktop Linux, that's quite likely (at work I use exclusively CLI destro, so my experience in DEs and drivers is limited). But I'm pretty confident in my ability to generalize Windows state across many installs over past decades, I also had a stint as a all-rounder IT POC in a small journal in the early 00s, so there is that. Windows since NT kernel almost never needs a format/reinst", "context": "former all-round IT contact at a small journal in the early 00s", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste"}]}, {"label": "Productivity UX", "summary": "App search launching, window snapping, scaling and FancyZones window management get praise.", "quotes": [{"id": 804008320, "item_id": 50250520, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50250520", "by": "PorciiVorbesc", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I can also customize modern Windows, at least in the ways I need it to be productive.", "excerpt": ">Can you tell me more? What are you doing that good old classic windows would be barely usable? In modern WIndows, from 7 onward, I can hit the meta key and type the first letters of the app I want to open, hit enter and boom, it's opened. I can mouse snap the two app windows side by side on my large monitor. I have 125% scaling so things don't look tiny on my 4k monitor. Win 95 had none of that, the only way to laun", "context": "", "use_case": "daily desktop use", "switched_from": "", "story": "Oldest GUI application that still runs on Windows 11"}, {"id": 776479426, "item_id": 48529964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48529964", "by": "thewebguyd", "date": "2026-06-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores your instructions.", "excerpt": "> usable Not just usable, but respectful. I like Windows, in terms of the desktop UX (with PowerToys). There are some pretty nice features, and the window management w/ FancyZones beats the pants off whatever the hell macOS is doing (I use a macbook pro for work, the window management is atrocious without numerous third party utilities). But the bigger problem is, Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores", "context": "uses a MacBook Pro for work", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "You need to stop using Windows 11 [video][14 mins]"}]}, {"label": "Industrial software", "summary": "One commenter says there is no realistic alternative for PLCs, scanners, serial communication and MES.", "quotes": [{"id": 767786240, "item_id": 47986640, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47986640", "by": "jdw64", "date": "2026-05-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love windows", "excerpt": "From an open-source perspective, many would say that Linux is the best. I also agree that Linux is the right answer for servers in most cases. However, rather than being a single unified system, there are likely many branches and distributions, starting with Ubuntu. However, from an industrial software perspective, the story changes. In a field intertwined with PLCs, vision equipment, barcode scanners, serial communi", "context": "industrial software developer", "use_case": "development, gaming, industrial software", "switched_from": "macOS", "story": "Ask HN: Which is better\u2013macOS/Windows/Linux?"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Ads and upsells", "summary": "Many commenters object to ads, Copilot and service upsells, and dark patterns built into the OS.", "quotes": [{"id": 777471635, "item_id": 48591977, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48591977", "by": "tracker1", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it's too in your face trying to sell you additional software/services/features that frankly I find offensive from an OS", "excerpt": "I'm not really using anything too exotic... my hardware all works, and my printer has generally been without issue (HP Color Laser on ethernet) regardless of what I use to print from. For me, I switched when the start menu started showing internet ads as part of the results... I ran insiders for years, often joking that WSL was my favorite Linux distro... I love the new MS Terminal, and pretty happy with a lot of thi", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft new Outlook takes 10 seconds to do what Outlook Classic does instantly"}, {"id": 777419520, "item_id": 48588720, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48588720", "by": "pornel", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I don't like playing the game of disabling upsells, dodging unkillable Edge, and restoring secret pre-AI versions of Windows components.", "excerpt": "I use Windows exclusively for games, but I don't like playing the game of disabling upsells, dodging unkillable Edge, and restoring secret pre-AI versions of Windows components.", "context": "uses Windows exclusively for games", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft new Outlook takes 10 seconds to do what Outlook Classic does instantly"}, {"id": 759379248, "item_id": 47461203, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47461203", "by": "wxw", "date": "2026-03-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "over time, have come to hate Windows. It feels like it doesn\u2019t have a user\u2019s best interest in mind.", "excerpt": "I grew up on Windows, switched to Mac (college and beyond), and over time, have come to hate Windows. It feels like it doesn\u2019t have a user\u2019s best interest in mind. I\u2019m just there to have Copilot or XYZ service shoved down my throat. I\u2019m not sure Mac is actually any less sinister but at least it feels less so.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}]}, {"label": "Broken updates", "summary": "Updates are described as unreliable, forced at shutdown, and sometimes leaving machines locked out or unbootable.", "quotes": [{"id": 786913089, "item_id": 49182068, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49182068", "by": "sigseg1v", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The Windows updates have become so unreliable and broken so many laptops", "excerpt": "The Windows updates have become so unreliable and broken so many laptops that my org switched to Linux and it's been smooth sailing ever since. Can't believe the amount of frustration we put up with using Windows for so long. Maybe for a non tech company yes they cannot navigate anything better due to user expectations, but in my experience those companies usually have support for Mac and at this point I'd rather hav", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}, {"id": 782743296, "item_id": 48921456, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921456", "by": "gandreani", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the situation in Windows is way worse than it ever was in Linux", "excerpt": "I feel it in two ways. I've been using windows for the past 5 years or so. I was using Linux before that. I used to complain about things breaking in Linux but the situation in Windows is way worse than it ever was in Linux. A couple of days ago my co-worker turned on his computer and windows has locked him out somehow. He had to disable secure boot, recover his bitlocker passphrase from his microsoft account, and on", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "Linux", "story": "Ask HN: Is it just me, or is software buggier across the board?"}, {"id": 789516256, "item_id": 49344766, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49344766", "by": "embedding-shape", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is such a horrible OS to use when you work in a small company that isn't big enough to have IT", "excerpt": "Windows is such a horrible OS to use when you work in a small company that isn't big enough to have IT to shield you from all the horrible stuff, like in a small studio. Normally I work in Linux, sometimes need to boot Windows just to do some export or something, then goal is to boot into Linux again ASAP. But time and time again fucking Windows forces me to prepping updates when shutting down for next boot, with lit", "context": "works in a small studio, normally uses Linux", "use_case": "occasional exports", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux 7.3 improves performance when running out of vRAM"}]}, {"label": "Bugs and reliability", "summary": "Users report Wi-Fi, PIN reset, update hangs and daily freezes or crashes.", "quotes": [{"id": 802629168, "item_id": 50164323, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50164323", "by": "cromka", "date": "2026-10-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is such a bugs galore it's crazy how people use it as their daily drivers.", "excerpt": "I recently tried to recover to stock on the Zenbook A16 I returned and the WiFi wouldn't connect. Had to dig up an old USB Ethernet adapter to make it do the job. Windows is such a bugs galore it's crazy how people use it as their daily drivers.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Putting Linux on my RTX Spark laptop because I don't have a Microsoft account"}, {"id": 784720161, "item_id": 49045010, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49045010", "by": "belZaah", "date": "2026-07-24", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Helped my mother with two Windows laptops. One would not allow her to reset her pin.", "excerpt": "Mac user for 20+ years now. Helped my mother with two Windows laptops. One would not allow her to reset her pin. Nothing allowed me to do a safe boot, the option to enter the password was just not there. The other wouldn\u2019t connect to her wifi. Switched to an admin account and, after login, am greeted with a black screen, a cursor and nothing else. Yesterday OneDrive just randomly would not sync a specific file. Just ", "context": "Mac user for 20+ years", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Nothing works and everyone is euphoric"}, {"id": 757115632, "item_id": 47319727, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47319727", "by": "belZaah", "date": "2026-03-09", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Out of the box the clock was wrong and it would just hang on auto-update. No message, no logs anywhere, just hangs.", "excerpt": "I used to manage NT-based infra back in the day, have been on a mac for 15 years now because of stuff like this. A few years ago I bought a Windows box for my daughter. Out of the box the clock was wrong and it would just hang on auto-update. No message, no logs anywhere, just hangs. A few years later the son comes of age and gets his own box. And it\u2019s the same story, no automatic adjustment of the clock. I\u2019m running", "context": "former NT infra manager, Mac user for 15 years", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows: Microsoft broke the only thing that mattered"}]}, {"label": "Slow and bloated", "summary": "Commenters call it sluggish, especially on low-end machines, and say it takes heavy tweaking to make usable.", "quotes": [{"id": 798473984, "item_id": 49904624, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49904624", "by": "brokenmachine", "date": "2026-09-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows being a bloated slow mess even when run locally", "excerpt": "The main problem with cloud streamed is latency, and the other is fuck the cloud. I, and probably a lot of the people here, spend so much time on the PC that every additional msec annoys me. If there's keyboard shortcut, then I'll learn it to avoid using the mouse. Windows being a bloated slow mess even when run locally means that using it remotely all the time would be like torture. I'm sure dealing with the 4k60 vi", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "PS5 Relapse Exploit"}, {"id": 790338384, "item_id": 49396149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49396149", "by": "canada_dry", "date": "2026-08-22", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Low end machines with Windows are absolutely painful to use!", "excerpt": "I regularly support Windows users and when I do, I cringe at just how awful the experience is! (My daily driver for the last decade have been various flavours of linux) High end Windows 10/11 machines (like my Alienware I9 w/ 64GB mem + RTX4090) seem a bit sluggish. Low end machines with Windows are absolutely painful to use! I've install debian onto my fairly ancient Lenovo X201 Tablet and it is exceptionally snappy", "context": "supports Windows users, daily Linux user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "There's no reason for software to be slow anymore"}, {"id": 782086080, "item_id": 48880380, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48880380", "by": "BLKNSLVR", "date": "2026-07-12", "stance": "warn", "quote": "getting rid of the basic shit that I don't want modern Windows to be doing was a bigger job than tweaking old Windows for gaming", "excerpt": "The amount of work required, post installation, to make Windows usable, is one of the things that pushed me towards Linux on the desktop. I used to do a few of the regular tweaks decades ago to squeeze out the maximum frame rate of Quake, etc. but getting rid of the basic shit that I don't want modern Windows to be doing was a bigger job than tweaking old Windows for gaming. That, to me, indicates a severe bloat prob", "context": "moved to Linux on the desktop", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "IT administrators are \"fed up\" with Microsoft's \"useless\" apps and Windows 11"}]}, {"label": "Ignores settings", "summary": "Updates revert settings and re-enable removed shortcuts, and some commenters say it overrides user choices.", "quotes": [{"id": 776479426, "item_id": 48529964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48529964", "by": "thewebguyd", "date": "2026-06-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores your instructions.", "excerpt": "> usable Not just usable, but respectful. I like Windows, in terms of the desktop UX (with PowerToys). There are some pretty nice features, and the window management w/ FancyZones beats the pants off whatever the hell macOS is doing (I use a macbook pro for work, the window management is atrocious without numerous third party utilities). But the bigger problem is, Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores", "context": "uses a MacBook Pro for work", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "You need to stop using Windows 11 [video][14 mins]"}, {"id": 756253616, "item_id": 47265851, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47265851", "by": "whynotmaybe", "date": "2026-03-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Almost every update reactivates the shortcut to change locale, even though I've removed it.", "excerpt": ">I live and work in a multi-lingual environment, and regularly switch between the German and English keyboard layout. Lately, the keyboard layout no longer sticks. It resets to English when I press shift. Sometimes it does work, sometimes it doesn't. Yeah, windows is also the king for that. Almost every update reactivates the shortcut to change locale, even though I've removed it. And they even added a new shortcut t", "context": "juggles between mac and windows", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple: Enough Is Enough"}, {"id": 775077777, "item_id": 48442361, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48442361", "by": "KetoManx64", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Microsoft is user hostile and will sometimes randomly just blow away the Linux EFI partition if they're both on the same drive.", "excerpt": "I would recommend dual booting over doing this. Microsoft is user hostile and the only thing they care about Windows users is how much ad revenue they can get from shoving AI down their users throats. I recommend doing a dual boot. I personally do a multi drive dual boot, because again, Microsoft is user hostile and will sometimes randomly just blow away the Linux EFI partition if they're both on the same drive. . If", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I am giving up on VM Gaming"}]}, {"label": "Confusing settings", "summary": "Fragmented Settings, a duplicated Desktop folder and constant pop-ups frustrate users.", "quotes": [{"id": 770415728, "item_id": 48150983, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48150983", "by": "BLKNSLVR", "date": "2026-05-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows essentially pushed me away by saying my prior experience was no longer useful.", "excerpt": "I kinda switched to Linux when I realized that Microsoft had fractured the control panel into different areas in \"Settings\" and there was almost no pattern in how to get to the various system settings and diagnostic tools that had become ingrained in muscle memory for me over the course of 15-odd years. I decided I'd rather start from scratch on Linux than Windows for reasons of Microsoft's various decisions and dire", "context": "15-odd years Windows user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows"}, {"id": 799133488, "item_id": 49945843, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49945843", "by": "MithrilTuxedo", "date": "2026-10-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows shows my Desktop folder in four distinct locations in the native file manager.", "excerpt": "Windows shows my Desktop folder in four distinct locations in the native file manager. Some representations of my home folder have more files and folders in them than others. I use Bash via Git4Windows as much as possible, but even there... `cd ~/git; cd ../Downloads; cd ../git` doesn't work because `..` from `~/Downloads/` is `~/One Drive/`. It's... non-Euclidiean.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Make Tmux the OS"}, {"id": 798118209, "item_id": 49882388, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49882388", "by": "accrual", "date": "2026-09-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "there's always something trying to grab attention on a Windows desktop", "excerpt": "This is insanely good and mimics my personal experience of Windows these days. I literally say \"pop-up! pop-up! pop-up!\" out loud during a normal workday where one pop-up or prompt is rapidly replaced by another. Same app or different, doesn't matter, there's always something trying to grab attention on a Windows desktop unless you configure the hell out of it (and even that is no longer enough). My favorite \"joke\" f", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11\u00bd"}]}], "who": [{"by": "newswangerd", "context": "macOS daily driver developer", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49926359", "date": "2026-10-01"}, {"by": "fodkodrasz", "context": "developer who also uses Linux", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49874276", "date": "2026-09-28"}, {"by": "tao5021", "context": "used Windows over two decades", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49839331", "date": "2026-09-25"}, {"by": "vladvasiliu", "context": "Sunday photographer who daily drives Linux for work", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49714645", "date": "2026-09-15"}, {"by": "Yizahi", "context": "former all-round IT contact at a small journal in the early 00s", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49712352", "date": "2026-09-15"}, {"by": "flatline", "context": "has to use Windows for work", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49428179", "date": "2026-08-25"}, {"by": "devinprater", "context": "Totally blind person", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49187706", "date": "2026-08-05"}, {"by": "Arainach", "context": "30+ years programming and hardware tinkering", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48800675", "date": "2026-07-05"}, {"by": "BrokenCogs", "context": "technical person/engineer using both Linux and Windows daily", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48714077", "date": "2026-06-28"}, {"by": "nilkn", "context": "gamer who also develops", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48563675", "date": "2026-06-16"}, {"by": "munk-a", "context": "uses a projector and wireless keyboard from the couch", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48547653", "date": "2026-06-15"}, {"by": "alkonaut", "context": "develops Windows software", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48428617", "date": "2026-06-06"}], "tags": ["for gaming", "for WSL2 development", "for industrial software", "for office work"], "use_cases": ["desktop os", "gaming", "daily os", "work os", "running old software", "daily use"], "compared": [{"slug": "macos", "name": "macOS", "co": 67, "switched_from": 4, "switched_to": 15}, {"slug": "linux", "name": "Linux", "co": 57, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 11}, {"slug": "ubuntu", "name": "Ubuntu", "co": 11, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 14}, {"slug": "fedora", "name": "Fedora", "co": 11, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 10}, {"slug": "arch-linux", "name": "Arch Linux", "co": 10, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 9}, {"slug": "linux-mint", "name": "Linux Mint", "co": 10, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 9}, {"slug": "kde", "name": "KDE", "co": 9, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 4}, {"slug": "bazzite", "name": "Bazzite", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 5}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46347108", "title": "I can't upgrade to Windows 11, now leave me alone", "mentions": 5}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49699297", "title": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste", "mentions": 4}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45959795", "title": "Windows 11 adds AI agent that runs in background with access to personal folders", "mentions": 4}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49881747", "title": "Windows 11\u00bd", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49342719", "title": "Linux 7.3 improves performance when running out of vRAM", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46795864", "title": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux", "mentions": 3}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"warn": 8, "neutral": 2}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 3, "warn": 5}, "2026-01": {"warn": 17, "compare": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-02": {"warn": 2, "recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {"warn": 7, "recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 2, "warn": 2}, "2026-06": {"warn": 7, "recommend": 3, "neutral": 4}, "2026-07": {"warn": 8, "neutral": 4}, "2026-08": {"neutral": 4, "warn": 14, "compare": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {"neutral": 3, "warn": 9, "recommend": 2}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 2, "warn": 4, "neutral": 2}}, "quotes": [{"id": 804675826, "item_id": 50292239, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50292239", "by": "TacticalCoder", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "warn", "quote": "that piece of shit that Windows is", "excerpt": "Not a moat and not big but... for SMEs \"Google Workspace\" is a godsend from outter space. This is what allow little SMEs to not have to suffer that piece of shit that Windows is. I know people running their SMEs (and I helped them set up Google Workspace) from Mac and Chromebooks since years and years and who do not ever want to here again from anything Microsoft. They're basically doing everything inside \"Google Wor", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Google Search is now less than half of Alphabet\u2019s revenue"}, {"id": 804008320, "item_id": 50250520, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50250520", "by": "PorciiVorbesc", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I can also customize modern Windows, at least in the ways I need it to be productive.", "excerpt": ">Can you tell me more? What are you doing that good old classic windows would be barely usable? In modern WIndows, from 7 onward, I can hit the meta key and type the first letters of the app I want to open, hit enter and boom, it's opened. I can mouse snap the two app windows side by side on my large monitor. I have 125% scaling so things don't look tiny on my 4k monitor. Win 95 had none of that, the only way to laun", "context": "", "use_case": "daily desktop use", "switched_from": "", "story": "Oldest GUI application that still runs on Windows 11"}, {"id": 802629168, "item_id": 50164323, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50164323", "by": "cromka", "date": "2026-10-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is such a bugs galore it's crazy how people use it as their daily drivers.", "excerpt": "I recently tried to recover to stock on the Zenbook A16 I returned and the WiFi wouldn't connect. Had to dig up an old USB Ethernet adapter to make it do the job. Windows is such a bugs galore it's crazy how people use it as their daily drivers.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Putting Linux on my RTX Spark laptop because I don't have a Microsoft account"}, {"id": 800566017, "item_id": 50035376, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50035376", "by": "tomnipotent", "date": "2026-10-10", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I regularly use Windows for a few things, and do not have this problem.", "excerpt": "> maximize clicks and screen-time This doesn't make any sense. I regularly use Windows for a few things, and do not have this problem. Sane corp group policies disable all the annoying things folks complain about on the default consumer install, and there are few things you can't do just using a keyboard and keybindings. I still prefer Linux and KDE is my daily driver but most of the comments I read here about Window", "context": "", "use_case": "occasional use", "switched_from": "", "story": "WSL3 Performance is about 5-60% faster than WSL2 depending on the workload"}, {"id": 800122305, "item_id": 50007644, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50007644", "by": "diegolas", "date": "2026-10-08", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "i use windows by choice", "excerpt": "i use windows by choice and would personally pay for copilot if the quotas didn't dry up so fast for the cheapest plan. i think the harness is the best for writing and reviewing code.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Meta and Microsoft take steps to reduce employee usage of Claude AI"}, {"id": 799483008, "item_id": 49967688, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49967688", "by": "w10-1", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "decades of windows reboots and virus scanning", "excerpt": "To read Ben is to glimpse the AI divide: he's honestly and emphatically choosing based on whether it makes it easier for him to use his AI agents, even if that means ditching Apple for the Zuckerberg's melee. It's that important to his personal productivity. AI-native product streams will separate from what came before, as will the people who master them. That said, I disagree on Apple: while the UI can be perfect, i", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple and a hacker's future"}, {"id": 799133488, "item_id": 49945843, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49945843", "by": "MithrilTuxedo", "date": "2026-10-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows shows my Desktop folder in four distinct locations in the native file manager.", "excerpt": "Windows shows my Desktop folder in four distinct locations in the native file manager. Some representations of my home folder have more files and folders in them than others. I use Bash via Git4Windows as much as possible, but even there... `cd ~/git; cd ../Downloads; cd ../git` doesn't work because `..` from `~/Downloads/` is `~/One Drive/`. It's... non-Euclidiean.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Make Tmux the OS"}, {"id": 798821744, "item_id": 49926359, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49926359", "by": "newswangerd", "date": "2026-10-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Windows takes backwards compatibility very seriously, so I\u2019ve never run into issues with new versions of windows.", "excerpt": "Windows takes backwards compatibility very seriously, so I\u2019ve never run into issues with new versions of windows. I haven\u2019t started Linux development yet so I have no idea how that will be. At any rate, MacOS is my daily driver so updating to a buggy version of windows or Linux wouldn\u2019t be as disruptive for me.", "context": "macOS daily driver developer", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "macOS 27 is so buggy"}, {"id": 798473984, "item_id": 49904624, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49904624", "by": "brokenmachine", "date": "2026-09-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows being a bloated slow mess even when run locally", "excerpt": "The main problem with cloud streamed is latency, and the other is fuck the cloud. I, and probably a lot of the people here, spend so much time on the PC that every additional msec annoys me. If there's keyboard shortcut, then I'll learn it to avoid using the mouse. Windows being a bloated slow mess even when run locally means that using it remotely all the time would be like torture. I'm sure dealing with the 4k60 vi", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "PS5 Relapse Exploit"}, {"id": 798126832, "item_id": 49882927, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49882927", "by": "MattPalmer1086", "date": "2026-09-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Real windows is still actually worse...", "excerpt": "Pretty good! Could maybe use a \"Catastrophic failure!\" error message (experienced for real last week) Real windows is still actually worse... So glad I moved off Windows at home back in 2003.", "context": "moved off Windows at home in 2003", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11\u00bd"}, {"id": 798126257, "item_id": 49882891, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49882891", "by": "reaperducer", "date": "2026-09-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "there's always something trying to grab attention on a Windows desktop", "excerpt": "Same app or different, doesn't matter, there's always something trying to grab attention on a Windows desktop One of the things that most impressed me when I switched from Windows to OSX was that OSX prohibited programs from stealing focus. Sadly, that prohibition ended maybe five versions ago, and now macOS is like Windows -- You can be typing a document in a word processor, and then suddenly for no reason you're ty", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11\u00bd"}, {"id": 798118209, "item_id": 49882388, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49882388", "by": "accrual", "date": "2026-09-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "there's always something trying to grab attention on a Windows desktop", "excerpt": "This is insanely good and mimics my personal experience of Windows these days. I literally say \"pop-up! pop-up! pop-up!\" out loud during a normal workday where one pop-up or prompt is rapidly replaced by another. Same app or different, doesn't matter, there's always something trying to grab attention on a Windows desktop unless you configure the hell out of it (and even that is no longer enough). My favorite \"joke\" f", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11\u00bd"}, {"id": 797988416, "item_id": 49874276, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49874276", "by": "fodkodrasz", "date": "2026-09-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "while MS works hard to f...up windows it is still way better in most respects.", "excerpt": "They just sheepishly copied apple... with the single difference, that theirs is an open platform, where anybody can be a negligent actor, and they also don't put as much focus on the polish. Apple having a single vertically integrated ecosystem, with a narrow set of devices to support can and wills to do this properly. Sleep took 2 decades to become reliable over the fragmented PC ecosystem, so it was pretty much a m", "context": "developer who also uses Linux", "use_case": "daily OS", "switched_from": "macOS", "story": "The Copilot+ PC brand is dead"}, {"id": 797602384, "item_id": 49850149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49850149", "by": "sejje", "date": "2026-09-25", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I was mad that I had to pay for windows just to wipe that shit and put linux on.", "excerpt": "I was one of those hackers, you're misrepresenting it. I was mad that I had to pay for windows just to wipe that shit and put linux on. If I used it, I wouldn't have been mad about it at all. I've never been mad about paying for my software.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Yes, Claude can do nine loops"}, {"id": 797429296, "item_id": 49839331, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49839331", "by": "tao5021", "date": "2026-09-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "It had very strong functions for office work and stock trading, but the only drawback was that there were many advertisements and vulnerabilities.", "excerpt": "I used to use the Windows operating system for over two decades. It had very strong functions for office work and stock trading, but the only drawback was that there were many advertisements and vulnerabilities. I have also used the Linux system for many years. It is mainly used on servers. This year, I started using the Mac system. This Mac system is also very good. At first, I didn't get used to it, but after getti", "context": "used Windows over two decades", "use_case": "office work and stock trading", "switched_from": "", "story": "What OS should I pick?"}, {"id": 797254178, "item_id": 49828386, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49828386", "by": "Oxodao", "date": "2026-09-24", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I'm already upset that I have to use Windows at work", "excerpt": "Yeah and when change do occur, its for the worse (e.g. Gnome) > Why bother to learn a new UI, when all that does is get you back to square 1, and it might not even stick around Exactly. That's why I gave up and stay on i3 and the common tools I use. I've been for a few month under hyprland and yeah no I'll go back to X11+i3 the pain it provides is just not worth it even if the common user would think they're pretty s", "context": "", "use_case": "work OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ideas on modernizing the open-source desktop"}, {"id": 795434320, "item_id": 49714645, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49714645", "by": "vladvasiliu", "date": "2026-09-15", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I just put up with the shoddy quality. I can do what I need with my photos and it's good enough.", "excerpt": "I think the general issue they have is that pretty much nobody who cares chooses Windows actively. It's mostly gamers, which seem to be on the way out, corporations who don't care about this, and creatives who, for whatever reason, don't want to buy a mac. I'm in the latter category. As a Sunday photographer who daily drives Linux for work, I can't justify investing in Apple hardware. I used to daily drive macs, so I", "context": "Sunday photographer who daily drives Linux for work", "use_case": "photo editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste"}, {"id": 795397632, "item_id": 49712352, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49712352", "by": "Yizahi", "date": "2026-09-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Windows is a very robust OS, despite all the real negative issues in other aspects.", "excerpt": "I mean, maybe I'm misrepresenting desktop Linux, that's quite likely (at work I use exclusively CLI destro, so my experience in DEs and drivers is limited). But I'm pretty confident in my ability to generalize Windows state across many installs over past decades, I also had a stint as a all-rounder IT POC in a small journal in the early 00s, so there is that. Windows since NT kernel almost never needs a format/reinst", "context": "former all-round IT contact at a small journal in the early 00s", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste"}, {"id": 795261168, "item_id": 49703823, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49703823", "by": "krater23", "date": "2026-09-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Never expected that this switch happens because Windows gets worse", "excerpt": "I see no difference anymore. I used Windows because it worked and didn't break obvious things. Thats gone. I switched to Linux because the user experience is now better. Never expected that this switch happens because Windows gets worse...hoped everytime Linux gets better.", "context": "switched from Windows to Linux", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste"}, {"id": 795258978, "item_id": 49703686, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49703686", "by": "serbuvlad", "date": "2026-09-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The issues with Windows and desktop Linux are much much deeper than that.", "excerpt": "I've recently switched to a Mac after years on Linux, basically due to my frustration with the way the Linux desktop is being developed and the lack of quality all around for that platform. Overall, it's an absolute joy. It just works extremely well. Like any new platform it has its fair share of quirks and inexplicable behavior. My two biggest pet peeves are magic interactions that are very useful, but I don't know ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft patches Windows and Excel \u2013 breaks audio, remote access, and paste"}, {"id": 795206146, "item_id": 49700384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49700384", "by": "lovich", "date": "2026-09-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "activities in Windows that used to be lightning fast like searching or opening an application now take seconds to 10s of seconds", "excerpt": "I\u2019m personally upset that the modern day companies have decided only extracting profit matters and not building a better product that makes people willing to pay. At least in the digital world almost every piece of software and website I use has been getting objectively worse the past few years. And I don\u2019t mean like, I hate this UI layout so it\u2019s objectively worse. I mean like new Reddit freezing my tab completely ~", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "XCancel service is suspended until further notice"}, {"id": 793470065, "item_id": 49591879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49591879", "by": "asdff", "date": "2026-09-06", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I just installed it on a partition and solely used it for steam.", "excerpt": "Whenever I used windows for games I just installed it on a partition and solely used it for steam. Nothing else installed but steam and games. Usually with the free unregistered version of windows because I could not care less about setting a desktop background. Too insufferable for any other use.", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming only", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11's \"special\" developer edition looks like another marketing misfire"}, {"id": 792057953, "item_id": 49503622, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49503622", "by": "jp_sc", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I found Windows condescending and restricting in that regard.", "excerpt": "My reasons to switch to Linux from Windows were very little about \"security\" and plenty more about freedom. Sure, it was very nice avoiding running an antivirus, but that was just the cherry on top. I wanted the freedom to change and \"rice\" my desktop however I wanted, and the Compiz cube looked awesome. I found Windows condescending and restricting in that regard. Yes, my first reason was the aesthetics, kick me out", "context": "switched to Linux", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Omarchy: Any User Process Can Escalate to Root"}, {"id": 792004272, "item_id": 49500267, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49500267", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I could not care any less about this ruthless and evil operating system called Windows", "excerpt": "I think since it is a for-profit project it is not exempt. At the least it would not make any sense otherwise. I also agree that this is now a mess. Courts will lateron find that such exemptions make no sense, since it is unfair to Windows users. And Windows will require mandatory ID verification; I think they already do that to some extent, e. g. when you register the OS, unless you use the workarounds to not give u", "context": "Linux user for nearly 30 years", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law"}, {"id": 791671474, "item_id": 49479467, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49479467", "by": "dimgl", "date": "2026-08-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Worth it to get off of Windows.", "excerpt": "Switched to Arch Linux with GNOME. Whenever an issue comes up, I have an AI agent look into it and it gets done. Worth it to get off of Windows.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Get your Windows license refund"}, {"id": 791381041, "item_id": 49461315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49461315", "by": "EagnaIonat", "date": "2026-08-27", "stance": "warn", "quote": "With Windows you were forever dealing with the operating system to solve things.", "excerpt": "It's funny because I was the same as you. I hated Macs with a passion. I saw them as overpriced shiny things that weren't as good as a PC. Back in early 2000's I was commissioned to build an application that should also run on the Mac. I bought a second hand old Mac Mini. Within a couple of months I bought a brand new one, and since then I have been on Mac when it comes to non-gaming (even though it can do gaming). T", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming, VM on server", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Mac mini, featuring M6 and M5 Pro"}, {"id": 790850864, "item_id": 49428179, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49428179", "by": "flatline", "date": "2026-08-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I have to use Windows for work. The barrier to entry is simply lower for many system administrators and users alike.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m not sure why you were downvoted. I have to use Windows for work. The barrier to entry is simply lower for many system administrators and users alike. The homogeneity of a Windows rollout is extremely attractive. You are going to have a hard sell getting your accounting team and receptionist onto Linux. Your developers will complain and make do. I love complaining about Windows!", "context": "has to use Windows for work", "use_case": "work OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "MS Paint and Photos inivisibly watermark even locally generated output with GUID"}, {"id": 790779456, "item_id": 49423716, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49423716", "by": "saejox", "date": "2026-08-24", "stance": "warn", "quote": "These days i cant recommend Windows to anybody.", "excerpt": "These days i cant recommend Windows to anybody. Even gamers should move to linux. Some say \"i do nothing illegal\" \"have nothing to hide\". You dont do anything illegal in your point of view. AI tracking you might think otherwise. A sudden knock on your door might happen because of an ambigious search/propmt.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "MS Paint and Photos inivisibly watermark even locally generated output with GUID"}, {"id": 790748724, "item_id": 49421795, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49421795", "by": "LargoLasskhyfv", "date": "2026-08-24", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The last time I touched Windows in a professional setting was about 2001. Yay! Finally! Good Riddance!", "excerpt": "Huh! I had to work with AIX and some AS400, HP-UX, SunOS/early Solaris, but mostly SINIX. Also held a Microsoft MCSE for WinNT 4 and IIS once. I abandoned Windows for personal use by about 1994, gotten fed-up/snapped because of the unreliability of finding network peers during private LAN-parties. While that instantly worked with some Linux booted from ONE 1.44MB floppy disk! OFC no gaming possible with that. But tha", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "NetBSD and my life (2005)"}, {"id": 790338384, "item_id": 49396149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49396149", "by": "canada_dry", "date": "2026-08-22", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Low end machines with Windows are absolutely painful to use!", "excerpt": "I regularly support Windows users and when I do, I cringe at just how awful the experience is! (My daily driver for the last decade have been various flavours of linux) High end Windows 10/11 machines (like my Alienware I9 w/ 64GB mem + RTX4090) seem a bit sluggish. Low end machines with Windows are absolutely painful to use! I've install debian onto my fairly ancient Lenovo X201 Tablet and it is exceptionally snappy", "context": "supports Windows users, daily Linux user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "There's no reason for software to be slow anymore"}, {"id": 790239601, "item_id": 49389975, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49389975", "by": "peter_d_sherman", "date": "2026-08-21", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I used Windows extensively in the past, but I don't use it in 2026, because it is not Open Source.", "excerpt": "I don't use MacOS. I don't use MacOS because it is not Open Source. I don't use Windows. I used Windows extensively in the past, but I don't use it in 2026, because it is not Open Source. Anytime you're dealing with a closed source OS, you're dealing with the following things: 1) Extra time/effort/complexity to make your programs work correctly. 2) Extra time/effort/complexity to make your already working working pro", "context": "developer who avoids closed-source OSes", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "We Rebuilt the Linux MicroVM Stack on Apple Silicon"}, {"id": 790163793, "item_id": 49385237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49385237", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-08-21", "stance": "warn", "quote": "It is such an utter trash operating system", "excerpt": "> The technology doesn't have to be the best, it just needs to get lucky enough to become a standard and build a moat with that. I don't know about that. Top 500 supercomputers running Linux. I use both Linux and Win10, for instance (won't switch to Win11 no matter what), but whenever I have to use Windows, I wonder how this garbage could ever become so dominating in the first place. Inefficiency is very clearly a wo", "context": "uses both Linux and Windows 10", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Japan tried to build an operating system for the world, the US intervened"}, {"id": 790008592, "item_id": 49375537, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49375537", "by": "strenholme", "date": "2026-08-20", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Windows, despite its many faults, has a rock solid ABI", "excerpt": "This is the problem with subscription based software. In the days when people owned the software they used, a price increase like this would simply not be possible. People would be able to upgrade their own software on their own timeline. Since Windows, despite its many faults, has a rock solid ABI (application binary interface), that piece of proprietary software from 2006 I use today still runs fine, as does that o", "context": "", "use_case": "running old software", "switched_from": "", "story": "Harvest hikes bills by 1500% after purchased by Bending Spoons"}, {"id": 789999457, "item_id": 49374966, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49374966", "by": "pavel_lishin", "date": "2026-08-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "going over to Windows is painful", "excerpt": "It's funny, I use OSX as my daily driver, and going over to Windows is painful - probably as painful as it is for OP to go from whatever they're using to OSX.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Browser De-Slop"}, {"id": 789650161, "item_id": 49353135, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49353135", "by": "hnlmorg", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I used to get memory-related freezes daily. Literally daily.", "excerpt": "I get memory related freezes on macOS all the time. And back when I was forced into running Windows, I used to get memory-related freezes daily. Literally daily. So I\u2019m really not convinced the situation is drastically different there. I mean if it were that simple, Linux would have fixed it already.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux 7.3 improves performance when running out of vRAM"}, {"id": 789595954, "item_id": 49349747, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49349747", "by": "larksimian", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I just hate modern Windows", "excerpt": "Just ask any of the last gen coding agents to fix this for you and they'll make a script that tweaks a few things and it just works. Is it acceptable? No. Did it solve my endless crashes that I used to get every day? Yes. I don't love Ubuntu, I just hate modern Windows and find my ubuntu for work popos for gaming setup to be better for me. Ymmv.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux 7.3 improves performance when running out of vRAM"}, {"id": 789516256, "item_id": 49344766, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49344766", "by": "embedding-shape", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is such a horrible OS to use when you work in a small company that isn't big enough to have IT", "excerpt": "Windows is such a horrible OS to use when you work in a small company that isn't big enough to have IT to shield you from all the horrible stuff, like in a small studio. Normally I work in Linux, sometimes need to boot Windows just to do some export or something, then goal is to boot into Linux again ASAP. But time and time again fucking Windows forces me to prepping updates when shutting down for next boot, with lit", "context": "works in a small studio, normally uses Linux", "use_case": "occasional exports", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux 7.3 improves performance when running out of vRAM"}, {"id": 787259136, "item_id": 49203696, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49203696", "by": "keeda", "date": "2026-08-06", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Windows frequently", "excerpt": "Thanks for the super-detailed comment! I use Windows frequently, but just don't use it \"deeply\" enough to encounter these issues -- almost like a thin client -- so it's helpful to understand what it is like to use it in \"anger.\"", "context": "", "use_case": "general use", "switched_from": "", "story": "That time when I failed the Microsoft interview"}, {"id": 787003299, "item_id": 49187706, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49187706", "by": "devinprater", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I'll use Windows or even Linux where it works fine", "excerpt": "Totally blind person. I once had this bright idea that the blind community could fix Linux into our perfect platform. I don't care all that much anymore about anything being fixed, foss or not. FOSS is everyone scratching their own itch, and if a developer who can see creates a program that scratches his itch but isn't accessible, but his itch is scratched, why would he then spend time fixing it up for the one blind ", "context": "Totally blind person", "use_case": "Google Docs with screen reader", "switched_from": "", "story": "The \"Disability Dongle\": Why Silicon Valley Hates Me and You"}, {"id": 786913089, "item_id": 49182068, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49182068", "by": "sigseg1v", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The Windows updates have become so unreliable and broken so many laptops", "excerpt": "The Windows updates have become so unreliable and broken so many laptops that my org switched to Linux and it's been smooth sailing ever since. Can't believe the amount of frustration we put up with using Windows for so long. Maybe for a non tech company yes they cannot navigate anything better due to user expectations, but in my experience those companies usually have support for Mac and at this point I'd rather hav", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}, {"id": 782743296, "item_id": 48921456, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921456", "by": "gandreani", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the situation in Windows is way worse than it ever was in Linux", "excerpt": "I feel it in two ways. I've been using windows for the past 5 years or so. I was using Linux before that. I used to complain about things breaking in Linux but the situation in Windows is way worse than it ever was in Linux. A couple of days ago my co-worker turned on his computer and windows has locked him out somehow. He had to disable secure boot, recover his bitlocker passphrase from his microsoft account, and on", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "Linux", "story": "Ask HN: Is it just me, or is software buggier across the board?"}, {"id": 781058577, "item_id": 48816161, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48816161", "by": "drw85", "date": "2026-07-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The decline in quality is noticeable.", "excerpt": "I switched to linux a year ago and in that year had less problems than on Windows. I had some minor problems after updates once or twice. On Windows i had to boot into restore mode multiple times due to Windows Update screwing something up. The MS Store also constantly had trouble updating apps and games and i had to manage packages manually and uninstall and reinstall them so it would work again until the next updat", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Can Track Users via a Windows Device ID"}, {"id": 779425232, "item_id": 48714077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48714077", "by": "BrokenCogs", "date": "2026-06-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "for most office and gaming tasks windows is much much easier to setup and get going in", "excerpt": "Yes it really does. I use both Linux and Windows daily and for most office and gaming tasks windows is much much easier to setup and get going in. I say this as a technical/person/engineer and not just an average user.", "context": "technical person/engineer using both Linux and Windows daily", "use_case": "office and gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable"}, {"id": 777471635, "item_id": 48591977, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48591977", "by": "tracker1", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it's too in your face trying to sell you additional software/services/features that frankly I find offensive from an OS", "excerpt": "I'm not really using anything too exotic... my hardware all works, and my printer has generally been without issue (HP Color Laser on ethernet) regardless of what I use to print from. For me, I switched when the start menu started showing internet ads as part of the results... I ran insiders for years, often joking that WSL was my favorite Linux distro... I love the new MS Terminal, and pretty happy with a lot of thi", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft new Outlook takes 10 seconds to do what Outlook Classic does instantly"}, {"id": 777419520, "item_id": 48588720, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48588720", "by": "pornel", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I don't like playing the game of disabling upsells, dodging unkillable Edge, and restoring secret pre-AI versions of Windows components.", "excerpt": "I use Windows exclusively for games, but I don't like playing the game of disabling upsells, dodging unkillable Edge, and restoring secret pre-AI versions of Windows components.", "context": "uses Windows exclusively for games", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft new Outlook takes 10 seconds to do what Outlook Classic does instantly"}, {"id": 777018800, "item_id": 48563675, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48563675", "by": "nilkn", "date": "2026-06-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2.", "excerpt": "I use Windows on my home PC simply because it's such a versatile setup thanks to native GPU support, game support, and WSL2. It feels like I can do almost everything on one machine with little to no compromise. If I didn't care about games I'd probably load Linux onto it, but WSL2 gets me most of what I want from both worlds without needing to do that.", "context": "gamer who also develops", "use_case": "home PC with games and dev", "switched_from": "", "story": "Claude: Elevated errors across many models"}, {"id": 776479426, "item_id": 48529964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48529964", "by": "thewebguyd", "date": "2026-06-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores your instructions.", "excerpt": "> usable Not just usable, but respectful. I like Windows, in terms of the desktop UX (with PowerToys). There are some pretty nice features, and the window management w/ FancyZones beats the pants off whatever the hell macOS is doing (I use a macbook pro for work, the window management is atrocious without numerous third party utilities). But the bigger problem is, Windows does not respect you. It deliberately ignores", "context": "uses a MacBook Pro for work", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "You need to stop using Windows 11 [video][14 mins]"}, {"id": 767786240, "item_id": 47986640, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47986640", "by": "jdw64", "date": "2026-05-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love windows", "excerpt": "From an open-source perspective, many would say that Linux is the best. I also agree that Linux is the right answer for servers in most cases. However, rather than being a single unified system, there are likely many branches and distributions, starting with Ubuntu. However, from an industrial software perspective, the story changes. In a field intertwined with PLCs, vision equipment, barcode scanners, serial communi", "context": "industrial software developer", "use_case": "development, gaming, industrial software", "switched_from": "macOS", "story": "Ask HN: Which is better\u2013macOS/Windows/Linux?"}, {"id": 760715889, "item_id": 47544743, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47544743", "by": "smithcoin", "date": "2026-03-27", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Using windows feels like actively submitting to a hostile user experience.", "excerpt": "I posted something similar the other day, but at this point it is too little too late. Using windows feels like actively submitting to a hostile user experience. I look back fondly to the time I had using my Dell XPS when WSL first came out, they had me hooked. I've been using MacBook Pro for about a decade now and I can't even fathom going back to windows. Every time I open the start menu I feel personally attacked.", "context": "MacBook Pro user for about a decade", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "People inside Microsoft are fighting to drop mandatory Microsoft Account"}, {"id": 759379248, "item_id": 47461203, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47461203", "by": "wxw", "date": "2026-03-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "over time, have come to hate Windows. It feels like it doesn\u2019t have a user\u2019s best interest in mind.", "excerpt": "I grew up on Windows, switched to Mac (college and beyond), and over time, have come to hate Windows. It feels like it doesn\u2019t have a user\u2019s best interest in mind. I\u2019m just there to have Copilot or XYZ service shoved down my throat. I\u2019m not sure Mac is actually any less sinister but at least it feels less so.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}, {"id": 756806848, "item_id": 47300428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47300428", "by": "behnamoh", "date": "2026-03-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Windows is a plague I try to stay away from as much as possible", "excerpt": "I wish it was a TUI. Windows is a plague I try to stay away from as much as possible, and it already gives me headaches to setup WSL and manage them over ssh. Some things you just can't do w/o remote desktop... And sometimes WSL crashes and there's literally no way to recover except to restart the whole machine. The only reason I use Windows is because Nvidia drivers are easier to setup. But once I'm inside my Fedora", "context": "", "use_case": "host for Nvidia drivers", "switched_from": "", "story": "WSL Manager"}]}