Sure some people just want simplicity. But Chromebook locks you into a limited application space. A while ago a similar thing was netbooks, cutdown versions of laptops, with limited CPU and disk space just designed for simple access to the net and simple apps.
But Win10s and Win10x are starting to force you into the cloud. Not just any cloud, but Microsofts cloud. Soon, when you go to buy a laptop, it will be preinstalled with one of S or X and you will be stuck.
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You could always purchase an iPad Pro or a Mac instead. Cloud storage and backup is a popular option for many. The Apple eco system is also controlled. It works well on the lower cost options with Pages, Numbers etc. Apple also has very limited options (nil) for adding direct storage capacity to many of its devices.
Windows 10x, the same but different?
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Depending on the net 100% is not rewarding. As I type it looks like AussieBB is down big time.
Google reports their website is offline and no internet services. If I had a job to do it would be a bugger on my fully charged mobile.
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Todayâs choices vs those of tomorrow?
Businesses, IT and connectivity might be seen as a premium market.
Working remotely from home? Ideal for the NBN and the property market. Some will justify paying the extra to get the most reliable high speed connection over the not so good they now have. Properties with full fat fibre will become the sort after locations.
Not the future most of us would want, unless we have that 1Gbps fibre already.
Back on topic. Is the push to web based solutions (as per Windows 10X) calling for improved connectivity or a response to improved connectivity? As a market Australia is not the leader. Microsoftâs thinking is around how things are in the other 98% of the high tech world. Not what is best for Australia.
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Last visit to the US 2 years back reinforced the rural services were as unpredictable and unreliable as our own. Depending on the metro area one is in they varied from marginally better to significantly worse to ours.
âLiving on the netâ is still a marketing exercise that has been âsoldâ to governments and consumers than a âyou can bet your business [life] on it productâ. If you are in the lab and by the tower it is a different experience than most of us âenjoyâ.
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Looks like it should be up and running againâŠ
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OT, excepting for depending on a network for everything.
Not one of ABBâs finest hours. No SMS about the down or restoration, and because it appears their entire âworldâ crashed, nada. Their app partly worked excepting one could not actually lodge a fault, and no âknown faultsâ shown.
They were down from before we woke at 06:30 to about 07:50.
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There is possibly no need to get oneâs undies in a knot over Windows 10x. It is a leak firstly. Leaks are often can be not fully accurate as missing pieces of the puzzle are often assumedâŠand even if the reports are 100% accurate, Windows 10x is for single screen devices (e.g. tablets or other single screen devices) and not a roll out across every known Windows OS devices.
With single screen devices, there is a choice of other OS should one be uncomfortable with the alleged restrictions/solutions 10x provides.
Even if one needs Windows OS for some reason, there will be other non-Windows 10x solutions.
Many users may accept the restrictions/solution 10x provides, while others necessarily wonât. Those that donât still have a choice to use alternatives.
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Impossible, as I was sitting up in bed at the time. The rest best not left to the imagination!
Iâm also not that up to date in the Windows verse. An Apple a day âŠ?
I was making a general observation that the apparent direction of Win 10X, that of Google and also Apple is web centric, for what ever reasons we might consider. How it really is?
Open minded?
Businesses and whole industries do think strategically and ahead. Innovation and the knack of creating a demand for something we never knew we needed. Is there anything wrong with consumers thinking at the same time and making informed choices in advance, (IE there is often just one chance to influence before itâs too late). I guess we could avoid the pain by just rolling over and flexing in the right direction. No need to untwist or drop anything. 
As for consumers looking ahead, sometimes we are just a little too easy to outwit. NBN anyone?
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Of course currently 10 S can be one direction updated to full âas we know itâ Win 10, so no going back to S after. 10 S is locked to the MS App Store Apps so not fully online not unless you are getting the apps delivered at the time. 10 X looks very Chromebook like so perhaps challenging that space for those who prefer MS over Google or Apple.
A full Win user can also choose to be App Store only Apps on their machine to help filter out harmful program downloads.
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The old saw is
-if you read about it, it is state of the art. You cannot order it or hold it in your hand.
-if you can order it it was recently the state of the art but now âthe normâ. You can order it but doubtful you can hold it in your hand.
-if you can âeasilyâ order and hold it in your hand you are behind the times, have outdated product, and need to get with it to upgrade!
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Big thumbs down for Microsoft this week.
A few months back I had a hard drive failure requiring me to reinstall windows from scratch. Today I went to use my Xbox 360 wireless controller again, but the Windows wouldnât recognise the adapter because Iâm missing the driver.
Of course, Microsoft has decided to discontinue the driver. Itâs not even offered through a manual download in âLegacy Devicesâ in device manager.
So I guess I can either try a third party driver from the internet and hope it doesnât install a virus, or throw it out and buy a new controller.
Edit: I have located the original box with driver disk! Always keep those driver disks
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Of course a regular system and user files backup would have your driver as well.
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I keep all our program and driver CDâs and DVDâs in a Techworks drawer.
The complexity of doing this across terabytes of data and multiple hard drives had put me off
Running a back up of just the operating system excluding any data files is one easy solution. Whether Windows, or other (I use Norton) or freeware itâs possible to select or deselect folders. Without making it complicated excluding the directories holding all the data files can make this relatively straight forward, and fast. I let Norton do regular backups. When ever there are any major changes to the system I also use the Windows version so that there is a fall back for the OS backup. All done to seperate external portable drives. One per PC, plus a master, and recovery USB.
For the data files when there are terabytes, Iâll not comment in detail. I used a dedicated NAS (gigabit Ethernet) when I had a need to backup large volumes of data, and incremental/differential backups of only the most critical. All else went to DVD RAM, might date that need. Not perfect, but storage these days is relatively cheap.
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I use Macrium Reflect and do daily images, I only have about 300 GB total in play not TB, and there is 1 full per month and daily incrementals. For some additional folders (not on c:) like software and photos I backup via scripted robocopy to their own unique portable drives.
Reflect can show and restore individual files from the image, a handy feature.
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We have about 24 TB (about 12 TB of data the rest is spare space on the SSDs for wear levelling) of drives that are backed up, Differential and done weekly, OSes done daily, 3 sets of Backup including some Cold storage. Once you have the first complete backup Differentials or Incrementals make it easy to keep up to date.
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Update: Looks like either the software isnât compatible with Windows 10 without a fresh update, or my receiver is dead. Either way looks like Iâm up for a new controller even though my 360 one still works.
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Microsoft stopped at Windows 10 as far as versions go. Now âversionsâ, or major updates are delivered via downloaded maintenance. You could well have regressed your version of Win10 by reinstalling from an initial disk.
This is where the Windows recovery disk is important as it builds a new install media that captures all the updates over time. I do a new recovery disk on DVD once every 6 months to reinstall from in case of a disk failure.
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