aworks operational note :: peak microsoft

For various reasons, I hate Apple and MacOS. Just to get that out of the way.

Earlier this year, I took a gamble on replacing my iPhone with the Galaxy Note 2 "phablet" running Google Android. Pleasantly surprised that it "just works" on a bigger screen.

<For the record, everyday, I still use a Google Chromebook from the original free Beta 3 years ago (thanks mandeep), But my ASUS Windows netbook and my $1800 Mac Book Air 1.0 are on the computer scrap heap.>

Anyway, this weekend, I took another gamble and bought a Sony Vaio laptop with a touchscreen. As I hoped, touchscreens are good. Switching between keyboard and touching the screen is confusing but it's actually the best of both worlds.

So for the ultimate gamble, tonight, I decided to upgrade the local family Dell desktop from Windows 7 to Windows 8. I ran the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade utility and it reported some compatibility issues (including a Microsoft product). Despite that caution, I went ahead. My naive mistake.

The email offer I just got from Microsoft is not working. WTF:

Of course, I could pay $120 instead of the email offer of $14.99. Somehow, this is not what I expected for 23 years of Microsoft loyalty. 

Those who know me know I can be stubborn but finally, even I have hit peak Microsoft. Good luck, Steve Ballmer and company.

I hereby proclaim my next computer purchase will not benefit Redmond, WA (nor of course Cupertino, CA).

Mountain View, on the other hand...

Comments

[PhineasG]

Robert,
There is another:
http://www.linuxmint.com/

I've heard there have been some issues with "secure boot" on newer computers (and maybe Windows 8), but you can d/l Mint for free and they make it really easier to install alongside Windows so you can pick which OS you boot into each time.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions.

All the best,
Ph.G.