Ask Paul: February 2 (Premium)

Happy Friday everyone. Here is another round of questions and answers, including one that dates back to December.

Yubikey vs. Windows 10

Back in December, Polycrastinator asked:

So I just received a Yubikey. I’m rather surprised and disappointed to discover that Microsoft doesn’t support the FICO U2F standard that Google, Facebook, DropBox et al do, especially having now discovered how easy and seamless it is to use. Does Microsoft have any plans to support this in the future?

I asked Microsoft about this. The short version is that Microsoft plans to fully support FIDO 2.0 webAuthN APIs and CTAP (which is 2.0 version of U2F) in Windows. But here is the full reply.

Passwords have outlived their usefulness, so Microsoft is helping champion a better way – making the user the password. We use cloud-based intelligence, combined with hardware and software innovation, to end passwords – first on its own network, and then in close partnership with the industry, applying the same model to many of the devices and services people use every day by collaborating with others in the technology industry via the Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) Alliance. Windows plans to fully support FIDO 2.0 webAuthN APIs and CTAP (which is 2.0 version of U2F), which allows a relying party to move their users to a completely passwordless world on Windows. Microsoft is leading that with [Azure Active Directory] and [Microsoft account] as relying parties adopting FIDO APIs.

No word on timing, sorry.

What apps should be included in Windows 10?

Polycrastinator asks:

To riff off your UWP article [Lead by Example], what UWP/Store apps would you like to see Microsoft develop apart from the obvious mail, contacts, calendar?

This is an age-old question. And Microsoft has vacillated over time between a fairly minimalist set of built-in apps and a larger collection of more full-featured apps. Put simply, I think Microsoft needs to do three things: Match what the competition is doing, modernize its existing apps (make UWP versions of applicable Win32 apps, plus make the built-in UWP apps more professional), and then provide unique value that the competition can’t match.

The first point refers to both desktop platforms (macOS and Chrome OS) and mobile platform (Android, iOS). What apps are Apple and Google bundling? Windows needs native versions of all of those.

The middle point is obvious. Paint is a good example: There should be a UWP version of Paint (no, not Paint3D) that provides all of the features of the legacy app. Period.

So what’s unique value? I think Microsoft needs to bundle improved/more modern versions of the UWP Office applications with Windows and enhance the level of functionality that they provide for free. They can still do more with an Office 365 subscription, of course. But these apps should be why many customers choose a PC: They know they’re going to get the best experience.

OneDrive Files on Demand

wolters asks:

I’m happy that “place holders” is back in OneDrive via Files On Demand. On a PC that has been syncing 1 to 1 with OneDrive, I’ve selected Files on Demand but everything is still on my local hard drive. Do you have any tips to “convert” this to all Files on Demand?

This feature is confusingly implemented, in part because the UX bits where you configure how Files On Demand works used to do something else. I do cover this feature in Windows 10 Field Guide, but some readers provided the answer to this exact question.

IanYates82 writes:

Right-click a folder that you want to treat as “on demand” and choose “Clear Space”. Also worth seeing if, in that same menu, “Always keep on this device” is ticked or not.

That should do it.

We Help Wednesdays

jr.flynn asks:

Are you and Brad doing We Help Wednesdays anymore? The Forum for FRD hasn’t had a post for questions in over a month.

Since Brad and I both provide other places for Q&A—this series of posts and his Friday podcast—we decided that We Help Wednesday was redundant. So we eliminated it.

He also asks:

Also any update on when we may get a “State of the site” update relating to features and changes? Soon™, Kidding aside I don’t expect you to announce anything just want to make sure that previous request hasn’t fallen off the radar.

It hasn’t. Our team is meeting in person all day on Tuesday in New York. I’ve been waiting for this.

Photo management

Cdorf asks:

What are you guys doing for Photo Management? I know Paul you are big on Google Photos and in the past, you mentioned you had a SAN. I’m trying to come up with the easiest way to manage all my DSLR photos, phone, wife’s phone, old photos.

I have a NAS, not a SAN. 🙂 Regardless…

There are a few answers in the original post that are worth reading. But when it comes to photos, I recommend:

• Multiple backups to different places. That is, don’t just use one PC (or NAS) in your house. Backup to the cloud too.
• Multiple cloud backups. You should be backing up your photos, and doing so automatically on your phones, to at least two cloud services. I use both Google Photos and OneDrive for this. Dropbox and Amazon are other options.

Free office productivity suites

helix2301 asks:

Paul what are you thoughts on Open Office or LibreOffice I remember when office was one time purchase these were big alternatives at the time due to cost. Now with Google Docs and Office 365 I don’t hear as much about them. Are they just not popular platforms for bloggers to write about? Cost is maybe not an issue anymore because of subscription based services? Someone must be using the products as LibreOffice and Open Office both keep releasing updates and new versions.

You might be surprised how often I look at these things: I get emails each time LibreOffice is updated and always download it and check it out. And I’ve been looking at Linux lately, and that’s pretty much the default over there now.

Frankly, I don’t think much of these solutions. If I were dead set on not using Microsoft Office for some reason, I’d consider Office Online (with either Office 365 consumer or commercial) or the Google apps. The latter work offline if you use them with Chrome, which may make the most sense right now. Web apps are the way forward.

Polaris v. Windows 10 S

hrlngrv asks:

If Polaris or Windows One Core come into existence, would that mean Windows 10 S would disappear? Or can MSFT just not handle having fewer than two dozen Windows SKUs at the same time? Note: I have to give MSFT credit for using multiple SKUs to eliminate as much consumer surplus as possible.

I do think that a successful Polaris would replace Windows 10 S, yes. And that Windows 10 S transitioning from a “version” of Windows into a “mode” is part of the work to see if that can happen.

Keto/low-carb

Clarkb asks:

Paul, still doing Keto/low-carb? In the last What the Tech when Andrew was pitching the RXBAR, you said “I was doing a Keto diet…”, which sounded like you may have stopped. Curious if this was this just phrasing or have you’ve stopped or tempered it and are adding some more carbs back into your diet?

I’ve gone in and out of keto, which for me means under 20 net grams of carbs per day, but I have been consistently low-carb since December 2016. This isn’t a “diet” as we tend to think of it these days—e.g. a fad and/or something temporary—but a lifestyle change. This is what I’m doing forever.

The issue with any diet is that your body adjusts to what you’re doing and you start to gain weight again over time. The way you fix that is by fasting, and I’ll be writing about that soon. But as I tweeted just today, I finally weighed myself and discovered that I have lost at least 35 pounds since I started this diet. (I’m not totally sure because I stupidly didn’t weigh myself when I started; the truth is, I probably lost more than 35 pounds.) But my first-year goal was really 50 pounds. And I’d love to lose 75 pounds overall if possible. It may not be. Anyway, I will keep going.

New laptop

STPFan82 asks:

Any recommendations for a new laptop? My Surface Pro 4 seems to have bit the dust with really loud fan noise. Microsoft Store won’t help due to it being out of warranty. I am a software developer professionally and need ability to run VMs. Driving multiple displays is also a must. I’ve looked at HP Spectre X360, Macbook Pro 13″ (with and without Touchbar), and Surface Laptop. I already own a Surface Dock, but am open to get a USB-C dock.

This is kind of a tough question with many variables. So I can only speak generally.

I am a huge fan of Surface Book 2, though it is very expensive. I also really enjoy Surface Laptop.

Many HPs—the Spectre x360, the EliteBook x360, the ENVY Laptop, and many others—are amazing. All ThinkPad X-series laptops are worth considering, they’re top-notch.

Everyone has specific needs, tastes, etc. It’s kind of hard to answer this.

Games with Gold for February

gvan asks:

What are the Xbox games with gold going to be for February? This site usually has a short article with all the details and release days but I don’t see an article for February yet? I’m not sure Microsoft has released this info yet? FYI, i really like being able to pickup all the latest info for Games with Gold and Game Pass from this site. Saves me a ton of time and hunting around…

Sorry for the delay on this. I did post the games list today.

G Suite v. Office 365

dcdevito asks:

Since you left G Suite, how about a feature-by-feature comparison of Office 365 and (free) Google Apps?

I’m going to be writing more about this topic. It’s complicated.

Regarding G Suite, I’m not really “leaving” it per se, I’m just not going to use my G Suite account as my primary Google account sign-in. This is more closely related to changing Microsoft accounts than anything else, and as with that scenario, there are complications. Many complications. But I’ll figure out something for this topic.

Leaving Microsoft?

DanStorm7 asks:

Paul, bit of a random question, but you’ve mentioned on podcasts in the past and indirectly in your writings that your interest in covering Microsoft is from the perspective of things you care about, mainly the a consumer point of view. However again from Microsoft’s latest financials it’s clear their future is commercial cloud products, Dynamics, Azure etc, though with maybe Xbox being the exception, and more and more of their focus will be on that corporate side of things. But with Surface as a hardware division not making the inroads you’d expect, potentially limiting it’s longevity, Windows becoming less and less important overall to the bottom line and almost all other consumer markets Microsoft has exited or is quickly finalising a exit, at what point would things make you go ‘that’s it, that’s me done’ for covering Microsoft anymore, once the consumer side of things becomes much less of a driver of new things?

This is something I think about a lot, actually.

I’ve sort of joked that the day Microsoft gives up on its consumer offerings, I’m out. That I’d retire that day or whatever.

The truth is, there’s no hard stop like that. What has already happened is that Microsoft is no longer the center of our computing lives, and that being true, I’ve expanded my coverage of non-Microsoft platforms from Apple, Google, Amazon, and others. In the same way that the market has changed, I’ve evolved as well.

But regarding Microsoft specifically, I don’t ever really see them bowing out completely. They are a huge, important, and influential company. And I “care” about Microsoft more than I do, say, Apple or Google because I feel that it is the better company. I mean that broadly: The people who run the company are more trustworthy, their corporate aim is truer and less devious, and so on.

From a perspective of providing real-world value every day by making our lives better and more productive, only Google comes close. But Google is also gross on certain levels because the whole operation is just a byproduct of the fact that their business, literally, is selling ads. Which sucks.

Anyway, I’m never going to cover Azure or Dynamics to any great degree. But Office 365 is very interesting to me, as is Microsoft’s developer efforts.

Microsoft Edge v. cryptocurrency mining

Suberungoer asks:

Will Microsoft Edge browser get a Miner Block extension in the next release of Windows 10?

According to the minerBlock extension for Chrome description, it blocks browser-based cryptocurrency miners, which seems like a necessary feature these days. Hopefully, Edge does get such a thing (or even built-in blocking) soon. But it won’t happen in RS4, which is due in March. Technically, a third-party could provide this at any time.