# The Win10 other shoe may not be a myth



## Son_of_Perdition (Jan 29, 2016)

Win10 user (my neighbor) decided to watch a movie on DVD.  His newly acquired Win10/laptop wouldn't recognize it.  Nothing he tried worked.  Called MicroSoft support, before he could get anyone on line to help he was required to enter all his personal/laptop information including a credit/debit card number & pay $19.95.  Anyone else have this experience?  If this is true & others will encounter the same charges, then that '*FREE*' version is going to a little costly to seek help.  I also read that after the 12-18 months (free/grace period) updates will cost you. * That could be just a rumor*, but if true MS will easily recover the cost of the '*FREE*' distribution.  Gotcha!!!


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## Don M. (Jan 29, 2016)

There is "No Free Lunch"...and that goes for MS products/support...as well as nearly everything.  MS didn't get to the massive size it is by giving away stuff....and I'm sure they have future plans to recoup the costs of allowing free upgrades to W10.  The entire Internet is becoming a "revenue generating" enterprise for thousands of companies...Unless a person has a good ad blocker installed, half the screen is occupied by nuisance ads, anymore....and some of these sites won't allow access unless the ad blocker is turned off.  Even this forum is filled with ads.  The days of "free" internet are slowly going away.  

I've noted your recommendations for Linux, and have done some basic exploration of that service....if MS becomes a pain in the rear, I may well join the Linux movement.  

BTW, If your neighbor is having issues watching a DVD, there are several 3rd party programs that address such issues....they can be found on sites such as CNET.com, or FileHippo.com...and these programs are usually free.


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## Son_of_Perdition (Jan 29, 2016)

I have adopted the attitude that since no one will listen to me anyway I tell them I no longer speak 'Windows' and tell them to seek help elsewhere.  That's twofold, #1 I dislike MS & want to avoid the stress of dealing with someone's computer investment, & #2 I was trained up to a point in my career with Win7/UNIX/Linux support & have lost quite a few steps beyond 7.  There are a few Linux distros that have gone somewhat commercial, 2 come to mind Ubuntu & Redhat.  As long as the 'geek' squad wants to create using 'free' source code, I'm onboard.  

As for your comment about other apps to help, one of discussion group members suggested using VLC, which I use.  But the complaining user claimed his system would not even recognize the DVD, meaning something was disabled, firmware was not installed or another problem, maybe installing a free app would help.  Decided I don't want to muck around in the gray areas I am weak in.  I did tell him to bring it over if he decides to come to the dark side.  

So far my 'free lunches' have been just that with Linux.


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## Son_of_Perdition (Jan 29, 2016)

The same user who suggested VLC & uses Linux asked me about printer support, it's one of the problems that is common with Linux.  My attitude with that is also twofold.  #1 everybody including the US government will now accept electronic copies, you can store your documents, online on the cloud, on jump drives, DVD's,,,etc.  #2 toner prices make owning a printer a money pit, it costs more to buy the ink that it costs to buy one of those $39 throwaway printers from Walmart.  I do almost everything on line & opt in to receive electronic statements from all my accounts.  And it saves on paper production costs & the environment.  Printed documents are going the way of carbon paper. 

My wife discovered that she can have WalMart print her pictures off her jump drive cheaper than she can support a photo printer & buy the ink.


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## tnthomas (Jan 29, 2016)

Linux has been a joy for me these past 12 years, I get to use my machines my way, without being held hostage by some large corporation.    I can play any media format, and create or copy-for-archive any media that I purchase.

I do have a purchased retail Windows 7 pro product, but no longer use it, as the fancy HP 3 in 1 scanner-printer machine has died, and replaced with a super cheap printer that is only used for occasional text documents.   Serious needs for photo printing are done through the local drug store, much less expensive than buying tons of costly printer supplies.


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## jnos (Jan 29, 2016)

I keep hearing great things about Linux from a younger colleague too. He wouldn't switch for anything. (Actually, now that I think about it, that would be all my co workers. :smile: 

Are there any helpful sites any of you Linux users would care to recommend to a potential new user? 
Can you link/sync a smartphone?
Thanks.


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## tnthomas (Jan 29, 2016)

jnos said:


> I keep hearing great things about Linux from a younger colleague too. He wouldn't switch for anything. (Actually, now that I think about it, that would be all my co workers. :smile:
> 
> Are there any helpful sites any of you Linux users would care to recommend to a potential new user?



Some sites:

linux.com

http://www.newlinuxuser.net/

http://distrowatch.com/




			
				jnos said:
			
		

> Can you link/sync a smartphone?



I use an Android app called Airdroid to access my smartphone's file system via a web browser.    More here.


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## Son_of_Perdition (Apr 7, 2016)

I had another occasion to help a resident with her computing problems.  She said her 7-8 YO Toshiba laptop was crashing & she decided to buy an iPad.  She had the laptop at the tech store getting her files transferred to the iPad.  Not sure how much that cost her.  I then asked her what she was going to do with the laptop.  Chuck it was the answer, so in my interest to salvage usable hardware I asked if I could have it for the day, not keep it but give me a chance to install a Linux system.  No problem.  Next day she called saying she had it & would bring it over.  

When I got it I booted up without connecting to my network, just to find out what OS she was using, MS Vista!  Rebooted, installed LinuxMint, completely installed & configured it within an hour to hour & half.  Called her back, asked her to come over & get a little training.  She was impressed how easy it was to operate, jotted down notes & passwords, seemed satisfied.  Then she informed me she was disappointed with her iPad, couldn't connect to internet & didn't have a clue what she was doing.  I volunteered to go over & get her laptop & iPad working.  

She had a dog-eared notebook with her notes and pages of passwords, finding the correct one for her router was a hoot.  Finally with a little persistence I discovered the correct one.  I connected & tested her laptop, her wireless printer & had her try several things to her satisfaction.  Then I tackled the iPad, found out it was a simple step to connect to the router, with the same elusive password.  No one had showed her anything about it, she was going to call her niece several states away for instructions.  She was like a kid at Xmas when I showed her that you can turn the iPad & view it in landscape or otherwise, again no one showed her.  I exited while she was happy tapping away.

Later she stopped at my house & much to my embarrassment, gave me a hug & a gift certificate to dinner for my help.  She called later, thanking me again, she had been using her laptop to email everyone she knew with news & new found tech abilities.  

When she had first told me about her purchase another member (*) was listening, then telling me she had a computer problem & had called MS support, they had remoted in fixed the issue then sold her a maintenance contract for $179.  I didn't get all the details & don't know whether it was a one time price, annual or what.  She said she needed the computer immediately, she thought of me but knew I had indicated my misgivings about Win 10 & didn't want to bother me.

(*) One of the issues I could see looming, the maintenance contract would be worthless if future MS support is not provided to users who do not have the 'Skylake' microarchitecture installed that was launched by Intel in July '15.  I know the desktop she upgraded with Win 10 is at least 4-5 years old & unless she upgrades her paid up fees will be money down the drain.


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## Butterfly (Apr 8, 2016)

What is "Skylake architecture?"


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## tnthomas (Apr 8, 2016)

Butterfly said:


> What is "Skylake architecture?"



If you are a computer hobbyist, this will be of interest to you.   [url]http://ark.intel.com/products/codename/37572/Skylake#@All
[/URL]


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## Son_of_Perdition (Apr 12, 2016)

Son_of_Perdition said:


> I had another occasion to help a resident with her computing problems.  She said her 7-8 YO Toshiba laptop was crashing & she decided to buy an iPad.  She had the laptop at the tech store getting her files transferred to the iPad.  Not sure how much that cost her.  I then asked her what she was going to do with the laptop.  Chuck it was the answer, so in my interest to salvage usable hardware I asked if I could have it for the day, not keep it but give me a chance to install a Linux system.  No problem.  Next day she called saying she had it & would bring it over.



*UPDATE: * Last night at our game social the resident came with a smile on her face & announced to me that she had returned her iPad (it had a 30 day return policy).  She said I had her laptop running so great she found it was so much easier to use along with her frustration with the iPad.   She had been using the laptop since last Friday & was happy & was ahead by over $400.


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## Manatee (Apr 12, 2016)

Those phone lines to India cost money.


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