alt-text
I can’t believe a paid OS needs a tool like this. Here’s a GUI tool called OFGB (Oh Frick Go Back) to remove all the ads in Windows 11. It’s understandable if a free OS or app needs ad support, but this is just crazy github.com/xM4ddy/OFGB
[Screenshot Of a GUI Tool To Removes Ads From Various Places Around Windows 11]
I don’t need a push, a Linux machine is my daily driver (and has been for something like 8+ years now), and I’ve worked in IT doing virtualization/automation/data management and compliance for several years. I spend a lot of time in the terminal.
To me the Windows gaming PC is essentially a console, no different than a PS5 or a Switch is to someone else. It’s been up and running as such since before Proton was fully viable and for its use case I don’t see a need to change it until it’s due for a rebuild/replacement/upgrade.
Id say a steam deck is like a console. You turn it on, and you play games. A windows machine at the start is nothing like a console. Updates, forced updates, intrusive AI’s, constant suggestions, nothing is straight forward to me.
Maybe that’s just because I haven’t had to use Windows in the last 5 years, but thats been my experience any time I fire up my desktop.
I don’t see any of that. Cortana is disabled via settings toggle, no AI stuff, start menu web search is disabled. Updates are set to automatic download only and are only run upon shutdown if I choose “update and shutdown” instead of just doing shutdown.
I dunno, there are legitimate things to complain about with Windows, but none of this really fits.
In my case I power on, Steam launches, and I run a game. When done, I press the power button and it shuts down. That’s it.
Yes, those are all things you’ve done now that you’ve set up your windows machine. Those are all steps you took to make life easier, what I’m saying is that requiring those steps makes Windows nothing like my steam deck.
I literally powered it on the first time I got it, installed a game, and played. I can’t say that about a windows machine, ever.
These are things for any OS though. I mean, on XFCE I spend time setting up my preferred shortcuts, software, tools, etc.
On Mac, install rectangle, shortcuts, debloat. There’s no perfect default for everyone.
The Steam deck is a special case because it’s literally a gaming handheld (though the term handheld for that thing is admittedly loose).
And there’s still some things even with the deck. Did you set up emudeck? Heroic launcher? Configure it for desktop mode?