Angusmatheson

I’ve been thinking a lot about what windows 11 is, and I really think it was windows 10X in which all the really exciting features like sand boxing of programs torn out of it, and they just release what they had. For security windows 10X was only going to run on new hardware, while 11 can run on some computers up to 3 years old. Windows 11 clearly has 10X’s UI changes. I guess this is better than Longhorn’s failure and Vista. But it seems to me really sad. Microsoft couldn’t pull off windows 10X, so instead put out Windows 11 - which does look a little different and will be a little safer. But isn’t the Future OS that could have been.

I miss the games of my youth, and don’t really have time to get good at modern games. Nor have I had the time to make a retro pi. Looking at reviews foe the Atari VCS they talked about a streaming service foe retro games: antstream. Works in Windows, Mac, Linux, snd android. Streaming is great for ancient games like this. It assumes you have an Xbox controller. For a little PAC Man or galaga or mortal combat, it seems like a perfect solution. Right now it is $10/month which seems like a lot, but they say there will be a free ad supported tier.

I will start that I am a fan of app stores. I think app stores are our best hope of preventing viruses in normal users. I have loved steam, PlayStation, switch app stores. Windows and mac AppStore’s I admit it tend to skip. I haven’t followed the Apple vs epic lawsuit closely. But as my son has gotten into fortnite we have been spending more money to buy virtual goods on Epic’s fortnite. I have to pay what epic wants. And they don’t even let 3rd parties sell anything. I don’t understand why they can tell say to Apple if I sell on your platform, it isn’t fair to say you can do it but I get 30%. If the person who is selling gets to set the amount - won’t that kill all platforms like apple, PlayStation, x-box because all developers in the end would want to pay nothing and keep all the profits. I don’t get how Apple is monopolistic. Yes, Apple controls all iPhones but with something like 50% of US market, and 15% of world market of all cell phones that doesn’t sound like a monopoly to me. Sure a monopoly in iPhones. But then Sony is a monopoly in PS4 and Microsoft a monopoly in Xbox. And epic is a monopoly in fortnite. Destroying App Stores in iOS and within games like fortnite will in the end hurt developers and costumers. Companies have the right to do with their hardware and software what they want - as long as they aren’t true monopolies - which clearly neither Apple nor Epic are. I don’t know if 30% is fair - it does seem quite high to me - but let the market decide that not the courts.

Over the last week my sons PC gave him a blue screen, another random computer at home has done the same. And a few computers at work werenij endless RAM testing bios Windows - which no keyboard command would stop but turning them off and on stoppers. This is a lot more Windows 10 instability than I usually see in a week. I haven’t heard of a bad update. Is there something that just came out that is a problem?

Fry’s was a store made by nerds for nerds. Born in Silicon Valley. I always loved going in and seeing every imaginable kind of electronics. I am sad to say I am not surprised by its demise. The last time I went to Fry’s was two years ago in Arizona. Before the pandemic, it was one of the saddest stores I have ever visited with random broken computers scattered around and no one to help. But in its heyday, Fry’s was the best place with amazing staff.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/24/frys-electronics-worker-store-closing-retail-tech-economy-job-layoff/

6 years ago we bought 11” MacBook airs for our nurses to carry with them as they work. They have worked great...but are beginning to show their age. Apple is making amazing 13” M1 MacBook airs, but I just bought a surface laptop pro to see if it will work. It can run our 30 year old office management software which the Macs never could. Some of our doctor use surface laptops and pros so we have surface chargers in each room. The nurses want something small. It all makes sense to get the surface laptop Go. But it breaks my heart to not be getting the computer that I know will running the ARM processor that I know will be the future.

I think it is a mistake to have two devices that look identical just are different sizes - from the same company - that run different operating systems. I think it will be confusing for customers - who are used to buying laptops, phones, tablets, TVs and being able to choice the size and everything else is the same - that one runs android apps and can act like a phone. But the other runs windows apps. And the names. I can never keep straight which is neo and which is duo. Shouldn’t they both but duo as they both have two screens. Duo and Duo max/plus? The value of two screens with a bezel between them aside. (Couldn’t I basically do that now if I wanted to by carrying two smart phones in my pocket. Same thickness in my pocket. Unlike folding phones - you can’t use the whole screen for a bigger experience gaming or video.) they should have decided windows or android and done both with that.

We have surface pro 7 and the old and new iPad pros at work. I love using the pen. I use a program where there is a little or clicking and having the pen really helps. But compared to the apple pencils the surface pen seems super cheap. It doesn’t feel solid. The tip is different from the pen itself. And the tip is black, but within a few minutes the black tip wears off so the very tip is grey (as I look at pictures on line, maybe the tip is supposed to be grey). But as you touch the tip it kind of rattles. I don’t have a surface slim pen, it might feel better.

We are a medical office and now have a USB plug in in every room. The device is large and a pain to carry. We already have some surfaces so tried the Microsoft surface dock. And it worked great. Changed, plugged in the USB device that could just sit in the desk in each room, and TEAMs attaches and reattached seamlessly. Brilliant. My only worry in 2019 is going all in on surface connect crazy? Does anyone have any inside knowledge or guesses if Microsoft is going to get rid of the surface connect and replace it width USB-C (which the surfaces we own don’t have so I didn’t try an USB C dock).. Microsoft swears they are going to keep it, but when even apple is going USB C it seems crazy to buy 9 surface connect ports and design our work flow around it. Is it crazy?

“Apple recommends using the Microsoft Edge browser on a PC running Windows 10.“ from ZDnet. That is the most support for Edge outside of Microsoft itself.