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Windows 10 - I'm trying it...

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... and, not surprisingly, not liking it. The core program seems OK and I've been allowed to maintain my old XP-looking desktop.
However, one source of amusement (and annoyance) comes in the form of the replacement for Windows EXPLORER. As widely documented, Explorer is gone and replaced with a program called "Microsoft Edge." I'm about to push it over the edge.
Now, get this, the default search engine is "Bing" (their product)... but, you can't change it!!! I kid you not. I looked around on-line and it seems that there is a work-around to use Google if you download Chrome and then go to it to do your search. This might be the boldest stunt I've seen Microsquish do in some time. 'Course, the obvious solution is to avoid Edge and just use Firefox. That's my thing to look into.

Here's another one. The old "calculator" (nothing special but handy) is gone. One has to download an "app" and the free one has ads!!! Feels like I'm using my phone.

More as it develops.............................

[EDITS below - I'm figuring it out]
 
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I've had the (dis)pleasure to have to "clean up" a Win 10 machine just today. I think they upscrewed with Edge. All they've done is shuffle the deck to make us believe it to be somehow better than 8/8.1. feh. And that they dumped Media Player and forced us into using THEIR search engine is maddening. Some of the posts on the tech forums are blistering.
 
I never liked 8/8.1 but I got it work OK. I'm told that the programming under-belly of 10 is better... but what do I know. Was curious more than anything.
Still, it really is RUDE to not allow one to change some of the default settings.
I'm trying out their default photo-viewer system and might change to it (though I'm facile with an old Paintshop Pro7). Haven't tried the music player (short of opening it); I think they call it "Groove Music" <snort>... and it sure looks like Edge to me.

That's the thing that I'm really not, initially, liking. The old Explorer is now Edge (I think), so although I'll get a different internet browser, I'm not sure I can avoid Edge for internal consumption. Maybe I can, but I'm not seeing it yet.

Correction on the calculator: I got it to work like the old one (sans ads) and pinned it to the task-bar.

Anyway, I can't fathom using Edge for long.
 
I've been using Win10 for about two weeks now. Not perfect - but so far nothing else is either.

One note: Edge didn't replace Windows Explorer. Edge replaced Internet Explorer (altho' you can still use IE if you want). And of course, you can download and install any other browser you want.

Also, it's easy to change the Edge default search to Google (or whatever other search engine you want).

I'm not ready to condemn Win10 yet - heck, I kept waiting for CP/M, DOS and Apple OS 6 to be perfect!

Onward through the fog.
Tom M.
 
NutmegCT said:
Also, it's easy to change the Edge default search to Google (or whatever other search engine you want).
Click to expand...

I must be missing it. I did see several methods on-line but they all seemed work-a-rounds as opposed to just changing a setting. I have found some settings for default programs but not to change Edge itself. :numbness:
 
Boink said:
I must be missing it. I did see several methods on-line but they all seemed work-a-rounds as opposed to just changing a setting. I have found some settings for default programs but not to change Edge itself. :numbness:
Click to expand...

Mark - crank up Edge. Click the More Actions " . . . " icon on the upper right, then choose Settings. then Advanced Settings. Scroll down to "Search in the address bar with" section. Voila!
 
Thanks Tom. FOUND IT!!! Perhaps this is a "fix" from the first release (given all the comments I'd read). Got to add the old Favorites address-bar too!

Probably way too early for me to judge the thing. As long as I can maintain my old desktop, I'll be mostly happy.

This Groove Music thing seems a bit invasive... like iTunes. Still exploring.
 
Seek - and ye shall find!

:triumphant:

Any more questions, I'll do my best.
 
Thanks.

In further messing with the Groove Music, it's definitely like iTunes (which I've never liked). It not only plays songs and harvests a registry of all the music on your hard-drive, but it also is a place to BUY stuff (though no surprises there given the success Apple has had in the department).
 
One thing I stopped right from the beginning: The automatic harvesting of sites visited, cookies, email, certificates, and searches. I turned off Cortana and didn't link to a Live account.

And when you first install Win10, don't choose the "Express Configuration", which defaults to the linking and harvesting. Choose Custom Config instead.

Just my two cents.
 
Cortana strikes me as yet another attempt to integrate this sort of operating system in with a phone. I don't plan on talking to my computer anytime soon (well, until senility).

I shall go see what is turned on by default (which I suspect is everything).
 
The new "Photos" thing also acts a bit like iTunes... in harvesting everything on your system. I suppose it make navigation a bit better, but I'm not sure yet.
 
I've had it on my laptop for a while now. So far, so good.
 
I have one machine with 8.1 in it and that's as far as it's going. I don't care for a program that wants to take over your machine, reason I don't use the 8.1 machine much. 10 will never go in the windows machine. As the saying goes, to each his own! I don't like IE or Fire Fox either. PJ
 
SD Bugeye said:
Change. Resist it
Click to expand...

"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

:smile:
 
Well, I, too, am not keen on change when I've got something that is working - even serving me well. Of course it's inevitable (particularly when you buy a new machine).
I remember going from Windows 3.11 to 95 and thinking that was a huge leap. Eventually, we'll all have touch screens and be able to talk to the machine. 'Course, I'll be dead.
 
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Well how about going from DOS to windows 3.1, now that was a great change! My first computer was a DOS machine with no hard drive, just 5.5 floppy's. My first HD I think was a WD 165 meg and boy was that a treat! We have come so far, it's hard to imagine what we use to use. Are we moving too fast? Leaves room for discussion on that point. :rolleyes: PJ
 
PAUL161 said:
Well how about going from DOS to windows 3.1, now that was a great change! My first computer was a DOS machine with no hard drive, just 5.5 floppy's. My first HD I think was a WD 165 meg and boy was that a treat! We have come so far, it's hard to imagine what we use to use. Are we moving too fast? Leaves room for discussion on that point. :rolleyes: PJ
Click to expand...

Yes, that was a HUGE change. Remember it well... but that was easy. First machine had two 5.5" drives and an 8" green screen.
 
Mickey Richaud said:
I've had it on my laptop for a while now. So far, so good.
Click to expand...

just got it too - thinking there might be a bit more RAM in my future but generally pretty pleased. Pretty seamless transition too.
 
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