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Old 08-19-15, 07:47 PM   #1
AC_Hacker
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Default Windows 10 computer for $150 (US)

I picked up a Windows 10 computer at Best Buy for $150 (US).




It has a quad core atom, and battery life is rated at 9 hours, 1 week on stand by.

2 GB ram, 32 GB SSD storage.

It comes with Win_8.1 with free upgrade to Win_10.

Mine is still loading updates, etc for Win_10, so I have no hands-on experience to report.

I did notice that it is infested with bloatware, so after the updates drizzle in, I'll put on the hip boots and wade in to see what I can remove.

Looks like it's OK for Internet browsing, and word processing, maybe book reading, etc.

Don't expect to edit video.

Best,

-AC

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Old 08-19-15, 08:25 PM   #2
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Are you an AARP member¿ Last time I looked, those netbooks were boldly displayed in the center pages of their circular. Lifetime support and help and such included.
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Old 08-20-15, 08:52 PM   #3
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Default After a little use...

I've been able to get a few of the problems solved, but not all.

Firstly, I hate Bing. I'm perfectly happy being spied on, and having all of my personal information vacuumed up by Google and having that information sold to the highest bidder, with no limits at all placed on how it will be used, thank you.

I found a page that told how to switch the Bing disease to the Google disease:

Quote:
Microsoft Edge


1.Using your device's browser, go to Google.com.
2.In the upper right corner of your browser, select More actions (...) > Settings.
3.Scroll down to "Advanced settings," select View Advanced settings.
4.Scroll down to "Search address bar with," open the list, and select <Add new>.
5.Select Google > Add as default.



Tip: Find out which version of Internet Explorer you're using by clicking Help > About Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 11
1.Open Internet Explorer.
2.In the top right corner of the search box, click the down arrow (or little gear icon).
3.Click Add.
4.Select Google.
5.Click Add to Internet Explorer.
6.Check the box next to"Make this my default search provider."
7.Click Add.

Internet Explorer 10
1.Open Internet Explorer.
2.In the top right corner of the page, click the gear icon.
3.Click Manage add-ons.
4.On the left side of the page, click Search Providers.
5.In the bottom left corner, click Find more providers.
6.Select Google.
7.Click Add to Internet Explorer.
8.Check the box next to "Make this my default search provider."
9.Click Add.

Internet Explorer 9
1.Open Internet Explorer.
2.In the top right corner of the browser, click the Tools icon.
3.Click Internet options.
4.In the General tab, find the "Search" section and click Settings.
5.Select Google.
6.Click Set as default.
7.Click Close.

Internet Explorer 8
1.Open Internet Explorer.
2.In the top right corner of your browser, click the down arrow in the search box.
3.Click Find More Providers.
4.Click Google.
5.Check the box next to "Make this my default search provider."
6.Click Manage Search Providers.
7.Click Add.
I am also astonished that Win_10 didn't come with Notepad. I mean, how tough can that be??

I found an open source replacement called Notepad++ that looks very promising... perhaps too promising, because I may want to find a less capable, and smaller replacement. But at least I have someplace where I can park text.


I also breathed a sigh of relief to be able to get the CMD.EXE icon on the task bar where I can get at it to go in and tweak and peek at the lovely details of basic networking tasks.

One of my objectives in getting this thing is I wanted to be able to use it as a lightweight, portable network tweaking tool. So I'm half way there. It has no Ethernet port, and I have a few USB-to-Ethernet dongles laying about, I just have to see if any have Win_10 drivers available.

Best,

AC
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Old 08-22-15, 12:44 PM   #4
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I won't touch Windows 10 with a very long pole

Windows 10 is spying on almost everything you do – here’s how to opt out | BGR
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Old 08-23-15, 11:45 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilTheCop View Post
Thanks for this link... But your link is actually a review of another post that has the real guts of the situation:

How To Stop Windows 10's Spying Ads | Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Thanks,

-AC
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Old 08-23-15, 04:50 PM   #6
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I think windows 10 is heading in the right direction after the abomination of win 8/8.1, but they should have waited until it was ready before releasing.

Using it on surface pro 3 and battery life is half that of win 8.1.

The bundled mail app is useless, mail with images(junkmail) doesn't render properly with images spread everywhere.
Links within email cannot be opened and i've yet to find a way of copying text from within mail.
For some reason it doesn't show/receive all attachments, only the ones it feels like receiving.

Onenote which was quite useful on win 8.1 doesn't work properly if at all.

The on-screen keyboard rarely opens when selecting a text input box and when it does i get a handwriting input window instead of the keyboard which takes another 2 keypresses to get the keyboard up, select another input box and the same happens again

My desktop will be staying on win 7 for at least another 6 months and i'm considering rolling back the surface to win 8.1 before the month deadline expires.
If they can't get it working right on their own hardware from day one then it's not ready!

Steve
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Old 08-24-15, 10:33 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ormston View Post
I think windows 10 is heading in the right direction after the abomination of win 8/8.1, but they should have waited until it was ready before releasing...
All good feedback.

On my upgrade, everything, media player, browser, etc. is infested with user-tracking and advertising. I have found that by following the advice I posted previously (and more that I need to post) it is possible to reduce that.

Also, the invasion of privacy, as stated in the 12,000 word user agreement, is absolutely chilling. I am still working on turning off as much of that as I can. It is even required, to turn off some of the newer features that are intriguing, in order to ensure privacy. But even if you do all that, is it really secure?

The user agreement says very clearly, that they are going to search your computer and its contents, and all the computers on your network, and if they find anything illegal, they will not act upon it themselves, but will turn you over to the local authorities. Orwell couldn't have dreamed up anything as monstrous as this.

In my opinion, the user agreement in Win_10 is the clearest possible expression of the intent of corporations and their declared relationship with the police state. It is also a clear statement of the extent of intrusion of corporate interests. Having averts infest the content of your browser is a real drag, but having your private computer activities continuously monitored, and having the adverts operating inside your operating system, is a whole new level of horrible.

It may be possible to reduce the adverts by purchasing and installing a new copy of Win_10. But that does nothing to address the declared intention to monitor all of your behavior and assess the entire content of your computer and all of the machines connected to your network, and to turn you over to the authorities.

This is the best reason I have ever seen to abandon commercial operating systems (Apple, too) and go open source ASAP, And to use encryption internally and externally and to use a VPN when doing anything on the Internet.

* * *

BTW, by removing as many of the intrusive apps as I could, and by turning off all of the 'features' that I could, I have significantly improved the performance of this little computer... privacy concerns are still an issue.

Best,

-AC
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Old 08-24-15, 11:15 AM   #8
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Default Browser Update...

I was beseiged with so many various tracking scripts executing all at once, that I was having considerable difficulty even getting EcoRenovator posts to become viewable.

SO I am now trying an open source browser called "D+", which stated that it was 'security enhansed'.

I am amazed by how fast pages are opening, and images are rendering and how No Adverts are showing up.

The browser's rendering engine is funky, but it does point to what is possible.

-AC
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Old 08-24-15, 01:19 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker View Post
I was beseiged with so many various tracking scripts executing all at once, that I was having considerable difficulty even getting EcoRenovator posts to become viewable.

SO I am now trying an open source browser called "D+", which stated that it was 'security enhansed'.

I am amazed by how fast pages are opening, and images are rendering and how No Adverts are showing up.
I decided that D+ is not developed enough for serious consideratin.

I also tried a browser called Dillo. It is more developed than D+, and has similar rendering characteristics, but it's default browser is Google, by default, and there didn't seem to be any options to change.

Finally I found a browser that looks very promising. It's called Aviator, and it is built from the open source components of Chrome, with all the benefits of current rendering engines. The distinguishing factor is that it is built to maximize security benefit of users rather than the commercial interests of advertisers.

If you become nostalgic and yearn for web pages that load slowly, infested with advertisements, you do have the choice of opting in to tracking and advertisements.

It also it gives you a drop-down menu that allows different search engine choices, such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and DuckDuckGo. If you don't know about DuckDuckGo, it is a search engine that does no user tracking, at all.

Aviator is available HERE

Best,

-AC
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Old 08-25-15, 12:21 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker View Post
Finally I found a browser that looks very promising. It's called Aviator, and it is built from the open source components of Chrome, with all the benefits of current rendering engines. The distinguishing factor is that it is built to maximize security benefit of users rather than the commercial interests of advertisers.
That sounds very like the rationale behind Iron which is the browser I have been using for a while now. Had you considered Iron? If so, why did you prefer Aviator? I hadn't heard of Aviator before so it would be good to know if it is worth changing from Iron.

Quote:
If you don't know about DuckDuckGo, it is a search engine that does no user tracking, at all.
I have been using DuckDuckGo as my search engine of choice for a long time now, and it is usually fine. Very occasionally it can't find what I want and I have to use something else, but that is rare.

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