The way that I use my computer is as a productivity tool. I manage the forums, write, create videos, edit photos and do website work. I don't do much else, although occasionally I do play an older game.
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Watch "The Shining," starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, for an explanation of that line.
My primary issues with Windows 10:
- There were many programs ("apps") and features I never or rarely used.
- Cortana was of little use but wanted to know if it could help me. Plus, I couldn't speak to it, because this computer has no microphone.
- It lacked some basic things, such as a calculator. I had to go to the Windows Store to download a calculator.
- From Day One, there was some unknown program that would launch itself at startup and remain minimized. It could never be closed. It never had a title, and I couldn't locate it in Task Manager.
- Once launched, the Windows Store would pop up at odd times, hoping that I would buy something. No, thanks. I just need to work.
- After using and closing the calculator, it would relaunch itself.
- Various parts of the Microsoft "experience" would launch themselves in the background, just in case I wanted to rent a movie, go to a restaurant or buy an "app."
On top of that, all of a sudden, my image editor would launch and then take a two-minute breather before it became usable.
Then, there was the decision to make all title bars white, which made it really difficult to tell which was the active program. With a tablet, the active program is the one that is at displayed on screen. But the PC experience is different.
In any case, a reformat of my main drive and fresh installation of Windows 7 took care of things.
I'm now in the process of reinstalling my programs. I am going to take this opportunity to rebuild my music library, which has become a mish-mash of ripped CDs from the past 12 to 15 years.
I also had to apply the many Windows updates – about 250 of them. Some were necessary to allow me to install my third-party programs. Ironically (or maybe not), the ones that wouldn't install at all until the OS was updated were the Microsoft programs: Expression Web, Expression Design and the keyboard control software.
I'm very pleased with Windows 7. While it's not a modern interface for a mobile device (tablet or phone), it's fine as a productivity OS. I purchased Windows 7 from an eBay reseller - $54. It's an official Microsoft CD intended for people who refurbish computers. The activation key worked perfectly.
Windows 7 is sturdy, stable and predictable. It doesn't interfere with my work, and it doesn't ask me to do something at random times.
I know what I want from an operating system, and Windows 10 is not it. It might be fine for many people, but it fell far short of what I wanted and expected.
