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[RiccochetJ]

This is creepy. No-one uses Bing, Edge or Cortana.

8.1 with ClassicShell forever!

According to their fourth quarter earnings call, apparently 100 million people are actively using Cortana each month.

via Techradar http://goo.gl/p5sFSo

That being said, I'd like to have the choice. I turned her off for a reason.

 

[twobear]

the way that over the past 5 years apple and ms have started switching places wrt having transparent control over your computer is iconic

 

[TheSeks]

the way that over the past 5 years apple and ms have started switching places wrt having transparent control over your computer is iconic

????

OS X hasn't ever locked you down outside of them putting the iPhone's app store on the OS. I never had issues when I ran OS X a decade ago (before the switch to Intel/x86, even)

 

[KingBroly]

This feels a bit anti-consumer.

 

[Sydle]

I've had it hidden since I installed Windows 10. So this means, after this update, it'll show up and I won't be able to hide it again?

From the article:

Microsoft told PCWorld. "If you like, you can also easily hide Cortana and the search box in the taskbar altogether."

 

[Theanine3D]

What the hell Microsoft.

I feel like such a sucker for upgrading.

 

[Oriel]

It's shit like this, along with other more annoying crap in 10 which forced me back to 7. Really there was little reason to upgrade in the first place barring curiosity to see what the new OS was like. How regrettable.

 

[Nanashrew]

But I don't like her in that way.

I'd rather keep her turned off at all times.

 

[QuantumZebra]

Well, yea... it kinda stores your passwords, WIFI information, personal data, website histories, contacts and other online habits on Microsoft's servers for ... reasons.

Its called Active Directory... now cloud-based as "Azure".

Its amazing, from an ITPro standpoint.

I adore Windows 10 and Office 365. Makes my life SO easy.

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

Cortana isn't available in my language.
I kinda hope they never make it available just so I don't have to find some tweak to turn her off.

 

[Stinkles]

I lold

 

[boredandlazy]

As soon as I see the words 'Great' and 'Bing' in a sentence that doesn't also include 'Pile of Shit', I immediately switch myself off from it and assume it's not worth reading.

 

[Backlogger]

I've literally never used it. Maybe once on the first day I updated to Windows 10. What are the advantages of using Cortana? Like I said, never once felt compelled or interested in using it.

Edit: removed my question about concerns and why people want to turn it off. I see its privacy related.

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

As soon as I see the words 'Great' and 'Bing' in a sentence that doesn't also include 'Porn', I immediately switch myself off from it and assume it's not worth reading.

FTFY

 

[Stinkles]

I assume people are reacting to the headline without reading the article which describes all the other ways to totally disable or restrict/customize (including tracking, history etc) Cortana using the normal OS - the regedit is simply a blanket way to turn off every feature at once in a way that behaves like the old switch.

 

[Delicious Waffles]

From the article:

Next time, I need to read better, haha. Thanks.

 

[LukasTaves]

I just tried and indeed you can't disable cortana now. You still can disable tracking every data she collects individually though, but I dunno what's the difference.

 

[Dryk]

The free period is about to end, I'm running Windows 7 and I just got a new GPU. What do I do arrrggggghhhh

 

[TheSeks]

I assume people are reacting to the headline without reading the article which describes all the other ways to totally disable or restrict/customize (including tracking, history etc) Cortana using the normal OS - the regedit is simply a blanket way to turn off every feature at once in a way that behaves like the old switch.

So in other words, you can't kill the process even if you tell it to fuck off then.

Wonderful, MS.

 

[Plaguefox]

According to their fourth quarter earnings call, apparently 100 million people are actively using Cortana each month.

This just means there are ~100 million people who were upgraded to Windows 10 and didn't go turn Cortana off. The vast majority don't know what Cortana is or what the privacy implications are, they're just searching for files on their device like they used to.

Sometimes there's a tell in the way they say it, too. "Actively using" Cortana? How is that different from just using Cortana? It's just implication to get around how irrelevant or untrue a statement is, like when people say "microtransactions are completely optional".

All that said, I turned her off too and appreciate the option. I have Professional on all but one device so the policy editor will make it mostly easy. Registry will come in handy for the lone Home installation.

 

[Moondrop]

If you don't pay for a product, you are the product.

 

[RexNovis]

Ok so I had my own issues with Win 10 that led to me abandoning windows altogether and switching over to an Ubuntu distro. Stuff like this just cements that the switch was the right decision. Never been happier.

More people should honestly take the jump and try a linux distro out. There are now distros that are just as user friendly (if not more so) these days and considering the stuff Sweeney was saying will be happening to Steam on Windows 10 in the coming years I have a feeling Windows will be a less and less convenient OS for PC gaming as time goes on.

Not saying he's right or wrong, but since upgrading to Windows 10, the number of times Steam has gone belly up on me with an insider update have gone up exponentially, usually due to Windows closing a port required by Steam to connect to their servers for no reason or yesterday, when Steam started flaking out installing an update.

I've seen a ton of posts from people online with similar issues, things that never happened in 8.1 or before.

You might want to consider making a thread about that. There was a lot of shit being flung at Sweeney for saying that was their aim. If its already happening thats pretty damning.

 

[LukasTaves]

I've literally never used it. Maybe once on the first day I updated to Windows 10. What are the advantages of using Cortana? Like I said, never once felt compelled or interested in using it.

Edit: removed my question about concerns and why people want to turn it off. I see its privacy related.

I use it only for setting up reminders, it's specially nice when you are in a conversation over the phone and needs to take notes from it

 

[Accoun]

If you don't pay for a product, you are the product.

Does it mean the (rather expensive) boxed copy I'm about to buy with my new PC will work as I want?

 

[newtypepilot]

I dont understand why they have to resort to these type anti consumer behavior, especially when win10 isn't a bad OS in itself. From forced updates, scummy annoying "upgrade to win10" pop-ups, to now Cortana, ms is just going completely backwards.

 

[Alanae]

I dont understand why they have to resort to these type anti consumer behavior, especially when win10 isn't a bad OS in itself. From forced updates, scummy annoying "upgrade to win10" pop-ups, to now Cortana, ms is just going completely backwards.

I assume it is because they want to earn a profit.

 

[Airola]

Initially I decided to wait and make the upgrade during the last couple of days.

Now I've learned that Adobe CS5.5 might not work at all in Windows 10. My current computer, operating system and Adobe programs work perfectly well. I have no need for the newer versions from Adobe, especially as I can't buy them to own them anymore as there are only those stupid monthly and yearly plans available.

I need my CS5.5, mainly Premiere, in my current jobs, so as it has been confirmed that there probably will be problems with CS5.5 on Win10, I have now decided to stay with 8.1. Can't afford taking the risk.

Things like this Cortana mess don't help either.

 

[aeolist]

I assume people are reacting to the headline without reading the article which describes all the other ways to totally disable or restrict/customize (including tracking, history etc) Cortana using the normal OS - the regedit is simply a blanket way to turn off every feature at once in a way that behaves like the old switch.

will it still constantly run in the background after turning it off like it does now?

 

[Two Words]

????

OS X hasn't ever locked you down outside of them putting the iPhone's app store on the OS. I never had issues when I ran OS X a decade ago (before the switch to Intel/x86, even)

But I wanna delete the roooooot!!!

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I seriously don't understand what's in this update (other than this lame move). Sounds like a bunch of useless shit and a dark theme? And something for programmers or something? This is what they came up with.

At least it's free.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

My monthly reminder that W10 is still too slimy for me to touch.

Ok so I had my own issues with Win 10 that led to me abandoning windows altogether and switching over to an Ubuntu distro. Stuff like this just cements that the switch was the right decision. Never been happier.

More people should honestly take the jump and try a linux distro out. There are now distros that are just as user friendly (if not more so) these days and considering the stuff Sweeney was saying will be happening to Steam on Windows 10 in the coming years I have a feeling Windows will be a less and less convenient OS for PC gaming as time goes on.



You might want to consider making a thread about that. There was a lot of shit being flung at Sweeney for saying that was their aim. If its already happening thats pretty damning.

That was the type of evidence I was calling for in Sweeney's interview.

If one hasn't noticed, you gotta go in pure as the driven snow to criticize policies of that company.

 

[LOLDSFAN]

Yeah I noticed this when I hopped on the Insider builds.

Kind of sucks, but nice to know there's a way to disable it in the registry.

 

[Reversed]

Still tells me Cortana isn't available on my region. /shrug

 

[Trigg]

nvm

 

[GifGafIsTheBestGaf]

god damn, i guess ill have to learn how to fiddle with the registry

 

[SOR5]

Bad move, does Cortana drain much battery?

Seriously should have stayed optional like before, this wont please anyone

 

[Rand0m TAG]

I get why people are annoyed but wow at the overreaction. You know apps are just as invasive. Having an email, purchasing online, anything you do can be monitored and traced way before Cortana came into play

 

[joey_bone_bomb]

Yep, perfectly content with keeping 8.1.
Half of the programmes I use for work aren't yet compatible with 10 anyway.

 

[littlebigman]

Cortana is one of the reasons I stopped using Win10. She would always pop up randomly when I was in the middle of typing something and completely throw off my rhythm, and I could never figure out what I was doing that was activating her. The entire OS is riddled with annoying quirks like this, to the point that it's a chore to get anything productive done on it.

By comparison, OSX has a similar finder program that only pops up if you select it through the toolbar or use a specific keystroke, and I've never had it interrupt me while I was doing something. And you can totally ignore it and use the regular search button like most people do. It may not be innovative, but it sure is convenient.

 

[KevinCow]

I legitimately don't understand why people are getting so upset about this, acting like it completely ruins Windows 10. I've been using Windows 10 since it released, and I've never turned Cortana off, and it hasn't interfered with my computer use or bothered me a single time.

I feel like people just blindly hate Windows 10 for no real reason, and they just latch onto anything that could remotely be perceived as negative to prove that Windows 10 is just as bad as they want it to be.

 

[The Iron Yuppie]

Fantastic...

 

[AstroNut325]

There's an off switch????

 

[Gentleman Jack]

I legitimately don't understand why people are getting so upset about this, acting like it completely ruins Windows 10. I've been using Windows 10 since it released, and I've never turned Cortana off, and it hasn't interfered with my computer use or bothered me a single time.

I feel like people just blindly hate Windows 10 for no real reason, and they just latch onto anything that could remotely be perceived as negative to prove that Windows 10 is just as bad as they want it to be.

Maybe people don't see Cortana as solving any problem they used to have, or filling any urgent need going unfilled in their daly computing life, and having it be even a little bit harder to turn off doesn't help the long-held belief that Win10 is another step in MS trying to shove their ecosystem down your throat whether or not you like it.

 

[Syphon Filter]

What is wrong with Microsoft these days, can't seem to do anything right.

 

[Alpende]

Cortana's not even available in my language. Hopefully it stays that way.

 

[Nzyme32]

It's getting worse - Windows 10 Pro will now be prevented from editing certain Group Policies to prevent cutting out unwanted "features"

 

[whatsinaname]

It's getting worse - Windows 10 Pro will now be prevented from editing certain Group Policies to prevent cutting out unwanted "features"

Holy shit. This is a lot more egregious than the minor annoyance I posted about in the OP.

My $130 retail Win 7 pro key is essentially turned into some bizarre OEM Win 10 key which is slowly losing it's Pro features.

 

[flaxknuckles]

It's getting worse - Windows 10 Pro will now be prevented from editing certain Group Policies to prevent cutting out unwanted "features"

Yeah this is too much and looks like it is just going to get worse. I'm staying on Ubuntu and only going to my Windows install to play stuff that's absolutely crucial now. Microsoft, you done finally did it.

 

[Nzyme32]

Holy shit. This is a lot more egregious than the minor annoyance I posted about in the OP.

My $130 retail Win 7 pro key is essentially turned into some bizarre OEM Win 10 key which is slowly losing it's Pro features.

Exactly.

 

[Skinpop]

Couldn't be happier with not upgrading.
If I understand that link right, you can't turn off that part of telemetry anymore? Disgusting..

Edit:

Lock screens, isn't that where MS push their ads? So now you can't disable that either? wow