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[jcorb]

Computers have become such a pain in the ass to use. You're "supposed" to remember a billion different passwords that are all gibberish, you have Microsoft and other developers rolling out "features" that nobody wants and actively prevent you from removing, "updates" that automatically change settings that can cause massive issues (including major security vulnerabilities, ironically enough), and "UX designers" who've clearly never met a functional adult in their fucking life because they obfuscate options or remove them entirely for "simplicity's" sake.

Motherfucker, we peaked at Windows XP. I can't fucking stand using computers today. It's a constant source of stress and having to fight whatever arbitrary bullshit the dev of the week decided to force upon the entire userbase.

This shit should be simple, and it should work. That's it. I don't want a goddamn thing beyond that.

 

[BlackTron]

 

[hyperbertha]

Gone are the days when a new windows release was an event, and exciting. Even if they sucked every other time.
Now, you don't even know when you got a new windows version. And everything looks the same.

 

[Hrk69]

This is the dumbest shit I've read in a while

 

[Trogdor1123]

I too would appreciate them being more simple but I also think we look back with some really rose tinted glasses those days.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

This shit should be simple, and it should work. That's it. I don't want a goddamn thing beyond that.

Create something better. I can feel the Steve Jobs energy within you.

 

[winjer]

For managing passwords, I recommend using Bitwarden.
For managing Windows bloatware and spyware, I recommend Chris Titus tool.

But yes, software has become much worse in recent times.

 

[Nydius]

A portrait of J jcorb :

Like others around here, I’m old as dirt and have been dealing with computers since they first arrived in homes. Compared to the days where you’d have to know obscure shit like BASIC or understand how to manually program hardware interrupts and EMM386 command lines so DOS didn’t shit the bed when you tried to launch an application, computers these days are easy-peasy.

 

[T8SC]

As much as I agree, I also disagree as we tend to remember things with rose tinted glasses. The amount of times I needed a fucking codec (K-Lite ftw), had to sort IRQ conflicts, or watched as my PC shit itself and BSOD'd because I opened Word AND Excel.

Like cars, there's a lot of utterly pointless stuff coming bundled with PCs that nobody wants or needs and for PCs, there's a new vulnerability every day usually due to a update to fix the last one. However, we'd also not be able to do half the stuff we do in life without them and the latest APIs etc.

AI can fuck off though.

 

[nkarafo]

There are ways to stop updates if you want. Don't fall for the security bullshit. You can have an old PC with "outdated" OS and still be safe as long as you don't randomly click every pixel on the screen.

I had Windows 10 version 1909 for years, until a few weeks ago. The only reason i updated was because of a bunch of apps that didn't work. I never had issues with viruses, etc, besides Defender gets updated anyway. In the worst case scenario just keep clones of your OS drive and backup your important files.

There are also mods that help you remove bloat and telemetry shit.

I'm not sure what your issue with passwords is. Try to use portable versions of every program possible. This way you can backup their folders along with your settings and passwords. I never had to think about passwords after that.

The computer can be shit if you let others control it. You need to learn how to control it yourself.

 

[SJRB]

Use a password manager, grandpa.

Bitwarden, it's free and its service and overall integration is incredible.

 

[Skyfox]

Linux

 

[AGRacing]

If you just changed this to “windows” sucks your probably have more in your camp. I am not a fan of the design of the new Windows… mostly because it tries to hide from you what you’ve installed. The start menu is mainly just a search.. and there’s the modern AND legacy uninstall program screens both present with some software only appearing on one of the two of those screens.

It’s the OS equivalent of cleaning your bedroom by jamming all your shit into the closet.

 

[EviLore]

Get a MacBook and use a password manager, done

 

[Muskrat_Farms]

They fucking hate you too

 

[sharp weiner]

Modern software is DEI at its finest

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Get a MacBook and use a password manager, done

 

[kruis]

Get a MacBook and use a password manager, done

I bought a Mac Studio two years ago. I thought MacOS was supposed to be the bees knees but I personally thought it was illogical and clunky compared to Windows. non-Apple monitor support is awful, the colors are off compared to Windows. That was an expensive disappointment, I'm still a 24x7 Windows user.

Oh, getting a password manager is a must. I use Keepass, it's free and there are many free password managers on iOS and OSX that are compatible with Keepass files.

 

[EviLore]

OP doesn’t know how to use computers, dweeb.

 

[bitbydeath]

Computers have become such a pain in the ass to use. You're "supposed" to remember a billion different passwords that are all gibberish, you have Microsoft and other developers rolling out "features" that nobody wants and actively prevent you from removing, "updates" that automatically change settings that can cause massive issues (including major security vulnerabilities, ironically enough), and "UX designers" who've clearly never met a functional adult in their fucking life because they obfuscate options or remove them entirely for "simplicity's" sake.

Motherfucker, we peaked at Windows XP. I can't fucking stand using computers today. It's a constant source of stress and having to fight whatever arbitrary bullshit the dev of the week decided to force upon the entire userbase.

This shit should be simple, and it should work. That's it. I don't want a goddamn thing beyond that.

This sounds like a Mac ad.
It has Keypass built-in to store your passwords, it’s designed well, receives meaningful updates, and everything is simple down to software installation and removal. Everything works and lasts 10+ years with zero maintenance, you don’t need to worry about viruses and adware, nothing breaks, there’s no such thing as BSOD. Even Microsoft 365 (Outlook specifically) works better on it.

 

[decisions]

Buy a Mac. Only use Windows for gaming because that's the only thing it's good for.

 

[simpatico]

Agreed. I just hope Microsoft or Amazon buy Valve so I can quit my gaming addiction and just use my iPhone to pay bills and take pictures.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

OP doesn’t know how to use computers, dweeb.

Ohhhhhh, I see

I will say though, a mate of mine swears by them for music creation. Says nothing else compared. And some of his music is pretty damn good..

I just couldn't though. I'd need a shower after.

 

[Syphon Filter]

use linux, windows is garbage after windows 7.

 

[diffusionx]

OP is right. Using a computer today is a much worse and more degraded experience than it was 20 years ago. The new software that comes out from big companies has less features and is worse to navigate than it was before. Compare Outlook NEW to regular Outlook. I had to reboot my work laptop 3 times yesterday, I thought we figured this out with Windows 2000.

It's all very bad.

 

[jason10mm]

Get a MacBook and use a password manager, done

Macs still use a mouse with just one button? No thanks!

 

[EviLore]

Ohhhhhh, I see

I will say though, a mate of mine swears by them for music creation. Says nothing else compared. And some of his music is pretty damn good..

I just couldn't though. I'd need a shower after.

PC is often preferable if you’re a gamer, which of course all of us (maybe??) here are.

But a MBP is what I always keep with me these days. It’s stable, battery life is great, runs everything (other than games) blazingly fast without turning into an overheating brick, etc. For a developer it’s hard to argue that a better machine exists.

 

[pauljeremiah]

PC is often preferable if you’re a gamer, which of course all of us (maybe??) here are.

But a MBP is what I always keep with me these days. It’s stable, battery life is great, runs everything (other than games) blazingly fast without turning into an overheating brick, etc. For a developer it’s hard to argue that a better machine exists.

Same, I have a MBP for everything but gaming.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Anyone running Windows for anything except work or gaming is a masochist. With the Steam Deck and all the Linux support we have been seeing lately, there is less and less of a reason even for gamers to subject themselves to Microsoft's bullshit.

 

[JayK47]

The amount of sites that require that I register and maintain a password is astonishing. Each ones requires a different password. You then need a password manager, which is stupid to even need one. If you ever lose access to the manager, or your phone number, which is used a ton for multi-factor authentication, you are going to need a week to recover from it. It really has gotten out of control and is very tedious.

 

[SJRB]

Macs still use a mouse with just one button? No thanks!

I like how the mouse comes with 8 tiny bullets you can use to shoot yourself in the head after using this for 7 minutes.

 

[Wheeljack539]

Macs still use a mouse with just one button? No thanks!

So I see the designer of the Atari 5200 controller is still working.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Way better to fucking hate computers than to hate fucking computers, I guess.

 

[Krathoon]

There used to be cool and silly Windows themes. What happened to that? You also had weird screen savers.

 

[Krathoon]

Computers used to be more friendly in the past. It still had it's headaches.

 

[poppabk]

This sounds like a Mac ad.
It has Keypass built-in to store your passwords, it’s designed well, receives meaningful updates, and everything is simple down to software installation and removal. Everything works and lasts 10+ years with zero maintenance, you don’t need to worry about viruses and adware, nothing breaks, there’s no such thing as BSOD. Even Microsoft 365 (Outlook specifically) works better on it.

My MIL practically has a standing call to Apple once a week to figure out something that isn't working like she wants on her Mac. It's one of the main things I like about Apple, I don't have to troubleshoot their stuff for relatives because I am on android and windows.

 

[nightmare-slain]

Password manager. I don’t know any of my passwords except my master password.

What I’ve been doing in windows is deferring updates for as long as possible which is 5 weeks. That way any new features have time to be fixed before they reach me. Also with Firefox I’m on the ESR channel. The version I’m on right now is based on 115 which came out July 2023. So I don’t get any new features for over a year. Only security updates. There is a new ESR out based on 128 (July 2024) but I think I might be moved over to that next month. Looking at the schedule it seems they might extend 115 until April 2025 but I’m not sure.

If the 5 weeks Windows deferred update doesn’t do anything for you then Linux is the best option. The new Ubuntu LTS came out in April and will be supported until 2029 and get extended maintenance until 2034. So if you really don’t want things to change you could sit on that for the next 5-10 years.

I’m thinking about going back to Ubuntu as my main OS and using Windows for gaming. I also have a MacBook so I can use that to do things Linux can’t instead of relying on Windows.

 

[12Goblins]

Get this guy an XP computer and he'll be begging us to let him come back within 5 minutes

 

[Krathoon]

I got Win98 in 86box so I can mess around with old PC Gamer demo discs.

 

[Lord Panda]

PC is often preferable if you’re a gamer, which of course all of us (maybe??) here are.

But a MBP is what I always keep with me these days. It’s stable, battery life is great, runs everything (other than games) blazingly fast without turning into an overheating brick, etc. For a developer it’s hard to argue that a better machine exists.

I'm using an M1 Max as my daily driver, and honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I heard the fan kick in. The most I’ve heard is a faint hum once—during those rare times I really messed up my code and smashed the system. But 99.87% of the time, it stays completely calm, no matter what I throw at it. It’s a game-changer after years of dealing with Dells, ThinkPads, HPs, and other machines that sound like they’re about to take off and go nova as soon as you move the cursor.

 

[K' Dash]

This is the dumbest shit I've read in a while

As a software developer myself, it is true and I feel the same.

 

[sono]

Op has a point

Modern cars are just as bad.

 

[LimanimaPT]

So true...

 

[-Minsc-]

Linux

use linux, windows is garbage after windows 7.

Anyone running Windows for anything except work or gaming is a masochist. With the Steam Deck and all the Linux support we have been seeing lately, there is less and less of a reason even for gamers to subject themselves to Microsoft's bullshit.

Can we go back to the old days and have nested quote abominations?

Give Linux a try. There are distributions out there that are more user friendly. I personally use Linux Mint.

 

[Zathalus]

I agree with the love of MacBook for a developer machine. I use it for my job and the performance and battery life combination is hard to beat for a laptop.

As for my gaming PC, Windows, which I really don’t have issues with either. Just use a password manager and defer updates, problem solved.

 

[Nostalgic Nightmare]

Man you should have been there back in the day, managing IRQs like a guy with a blown out prostate, just tryin to wrangle a few drops of piss to put in a modem.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

"UX designers" who've clearly never met a functional adult in their fucking life because they obfuscate options or remove them entirely for "simplicity's" sake.

C’mon people, even if you don’t agree with the rest, this is pure truth.
Engineers and UX designers were hardly ever user friendly, but ever since touch devices became widespread and very high res made onscreen writings pretty much microscopic, things have degenerated badly.

It’s like modern car parking slots in many parts of Europe. More and more people are buying SUVs, yet parking slots have shrunk to the point you can’t get out of your city car if you even manage to park it. And I’m willing to bet money that the people who design those slots come from the same design school as Ikea designers, and most importantly, they don’t own or drive cars, and have no intention to.

 

[Risible]

This is the dumbest shit I've read in a while

For real. Some real Old Man Yells At Clouds vibes going on.

 

[Melon Husk]

Dude, browsers autogenerate passwords and sync them for you. Get on with the times.
Regarding everything else, use Chrome or Mac OS, ditch Windows.

 

[nightmare-slain]

use Chrome