[irusensei]

Not him but I share the same opinion. I've recently tried Windows 10 and 11 and the thing is trying to make you sign in to a Microsoft.com service from the moment you finish installing it. Dark patterns everywhere during the setup and in order to create a local account you must do weird stuff like inserting invalid Microsoft.com accountname or disconnecting the computer from the network during setup. Are you sure you want to have the """limited""" Windows experience?

Third party software also doesn't help. I shit you not I had to install some Asus software that legit started sending me offers through the main OS notification widget.

Using Windows is like walking through a very crowded Chinese market with lots of nagging merchants trying to pull you in plus AI enhanced security cameras everywhere. SIR HAVE YOU TRIED THE NEW EDGE BROWSER? WHY ARENT YOU USING EDGE?

It's an ad platform that can run program nowdays. I might start calling it BonziBuddyOS.

Now if you compare it with the clean default desktop macOS popular Linux distributions offer out of the box it makes a lot of sense for someone to avoid Windows.

[kennend3]

> Not him but I share the same opinion. I've recently tried Windows 10 and 11 and the thing is trying to make you sign in to a Microsoft.com service from the moment you finish installing it.

I'm sorry, but doesnt MacOS do this too? You can skip it in both MacOS and Windows but MacOS will prompt you later to create an account.

MacOS also wants you into its "iCloud" service badly....

[irusensei]

There is a button to skip and use a local account. Windows wont't allow you to skip cloud account unless you put something invalid on the account field (like user cancel pass cancel) or run setup unplugged from the network.

[easygenes]

I agree, but will add that you can avoid most of the consumer-focused adware junk by just installing Windows Server 2022. E.G., it is compulsory that the first account is a local account named "Administrator". Overall, it is a very minimal default install, with the focus being on reducing the attack surface.

[irusensei]

According to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/pricing a license costs 500 dollars. Linux is free as in beer and MacOS is a free complementary feature if you have the proper hardware.

[_chu1]

Windows is free. I refuse to believe you actually pay or have paid for it before. Mac is free sure, only with the purchase of a $100000k MacBook.

[easygenes]

Yeah, if cost is a matter, then Linux always wins. Just saying if you really need Windows, there's an option that's not adware still. It is also the same as the consumer editions in that the only limitation if you don't activate is the watermark and inability to customize the desktop.

[irusensei]

Correct me here but Server and Enterprise/LTS have a proper evaluation period (180 day?) that upon expiration shutdowns the machine after 1 hour of use.

[easygenes]

It seems you're right and I was mistaken.

https://digitalitskills.com/how-to-stop-windows-server-auto-...

[irusensei]

I always wondered if some really detailed and maintained script or ansible book could make the expiration date a minor issue. Just install it again assuming there is no hardware id of sorts involved in the trial activation.

[vladvasiliu]

The problem with that, aside from the licensing questions already raised by siblings, is that some things don't work on it, although they do work on regular win 10 / 11.

One such example is the Fortinet VPN client. It refuses to connect when running on Win 2019 and 2022 for some reason.