timppu: At least you can still change the desktop wallpaper... maybe it will also become a locked feature that changes in each new Windows release, just so that those articles can write about a new wallpaper in a new Windows release.
dtgreene: Actually, in Windows 7 Starter, you *can't* change the desktop wallpaper.
(I had a laptop with that Windows flavor, and I dual-booted it with Linux, which did not have that limitation.)
No one should be using “starter” or the lowest grade of windows at all. You can’t do anything with it. When I say windows I only mean pro/full.
deesklo: while on Windows it's a compatibility nightmare with very few clues given about what's wrong this time.
pds41: That's just... wrong. I don't dispute that you can get stuff working on wine really easily, but it's also incredibly easy to get things working on Windows. Even at it's worst, it's the same effort as doing it through wine, it's just different, which might be what's driving your comment.
Basically, 99.9% of Windows problems are fixed by one or more of:
- stripping out securom or other DRM which had support removed due to security concerns (needed for physical media only)
- using dgvoodoo2 or other wrapper to pass Glide or earlier versions of DirectX than 10 through to DX 10-12
- Using a Windows Compatibility mode (most of the time, XP SP3)
16 bit applications are admittedly harder, but Windows tells you what they are. Either way, there's a third party layer for that, or you can VM/emulate a 32-bit Windows.
I'd also say that most GoG games are pre-tweaked out of the box and just... work.
Yes. Unfortunately when windows 10 came out it had some major issues, inability to turn off updates, nag screens, telemetry and data capture of course, but also they removed support for the awful securom and safedisc, and for some reason disabled directplay, thus the cult of “windows is not compatable with anything” was born, and it’s still popularised to this day. It’s frankly nonsense, very little, if anything does not work. Perhaps some tweaking, patches, emulators, but nothing out of the ordinary.
So yes, Linux is fine, am sure it is great for those who have the time and will to put into learning it all, deciding on each of the bits, learning wine etc.
Me, until someone pays me for my time, I am happy just switching the box on and playing a game for the limited time I have. All works fine.
