Ask Paul: October 21 (Premium)

Happy Friday from Mexico City! Let’s kick off the weekend a bit earlier with another great set of reader questions.
Settings sync
AnOldAmigaUser asks:

Do you think that Microsoft is jumping the shark, so to speak, with Windows 11 and Edge? Not only are there constant interruptions, but they do not honor past settings and defaults that the user has explicitly made. I constantly have to go back to check and fix, which is, of course, another interruption.

This is a topic that has upset me for some time. And it’s not just Windows and Edge: for years, I’ve griped about having to make the same complicated set of configuration changes to Microsoft Word every time I set up a new PC. Surely there is a way to sync those settings.

But the issue(s) with Windows and Edge are a bit more complex. As you note, Microsoft will revert to defaults of some settings in both cases after certain updates. (For example, I configure File Explorer a certain way and remove most of the pinned folders from Quick access. After a feature update, two of those folders are always returned there.) And as irritating, Microsoft introduced settings sync in Windows 8, and instead of adding to the vague set of settings it would sync over time, or even documenting exactly that they were/are, it has instead stepped back from that now. Even the desktop wallpaper doesn’t sync anymore.

I’m sure this is a hard computer science problem, but Microsoft has never gotten it right anywhere anyway. And the Windows/Edge stuff is clearly malicious.

I do not think anyone chooses an operating system as the reason to purchase a computer. I use Windows because I use legacy applications that require it. What is important to me, and I do not think this is unique, is (1) my data and files, (2) the applications that are used to create and edit this, and way down the list is the OS. A successful OS is one that the user never notices.

I agree, especially now that desktop platforms are mature and there’s little room for updates that are meaningful enough to trigger someone switching. For the most part, I don’t mind the updates/changes in, say, Windows 11, and some of them---the new Snap layouts functionality and Live Captions---are excellent. But ultimately, yes, we’re there for the apps.

You always mention the test of a new version is if the old version feels old. I have to say, that in every way that matters, I prefer Windows 10 to Windows 11. Windows 11 always seems to be trying to draw attention to itself, like a child having a tantrum.

I do actually prefer Windows 11 overall, but I can see many others wanting to stick with Windows 10. The only thing we can hope for here is that Microsoft addresses the major complaints from Windows 10 holdouts before that system exits support. But it’s more likely that they will continue with their Mac-like simplification strategy. It’s going to be an interesting couple of years.

jchampeau adds:

Since Microsoft will n...