Whenever I think of Windows, I think of the insane amount of damage Microsoft has managed to do to it in the last 10 years. I was thinking of switching to Linux on numerous occasions but then realized that most of the applications I use outright don't support it and never will.
Ever since 2018 or so, Microsoft has impletemented a message that randomly appears every time you update that goes something like "Let's finish setting up your device". No, you may not setup my device, since it's my device and not yours. No, you may not force me to setup a Micro$oft account. That's how you get replaced. The best part is that there's no option that to go away forever, only "Go away but come back in 3 days", if you know LITERALLY ANYTHING about UI design or consent, you know that's exactly how not to design a popup.
Another great thing these shitheads did was try to lock out older computers from running Windows 11, which they failed massively at. Windows 11 does not need Ryzen 2000 and TPM 2.0, just as much as it does 9" or larger screen (it's perfectly usable at 7" lmao). You also "need" an internet connection, which is fucking bogus since I installed it fine without internet. I believe they also require all devices that aren't desktop PCs to have FRONT-FACING camera. Not suspicious at all. They may as well go all out and request a photo of my face and ID as well as proof that I own the newest Intel Core i9 before allowing to install the OS.
Why am I not surprised?
Oh right, we all know why they want this, so they can collect as much info as possible and sell that to all sorts of different companies. The problem here is less that they know what I'm looking up and what I look like, but more what shady companies have that information.
Windows was overall a pretty decent operating system right up until Windows 10. I don't know what happened at Microsoft (Sarcasm, I do know, they got greedy) but I find it odd that they can't build a working search bar now but already had a really good search bar over 15 years ago. The whole thing is falling apart despite being stuck in 2006, it's absolutely hilarious how bad Windows has become in the last 10 years.
Also, Microsoft, why is it that you don't rate-limit the emails you send out. No, I don't want all 65 of those single-use-code emails you sent me that one time, dumbasses.