https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2017/mar/30/cloud-avoid-pc-microsoft-windowsHow long will I be able to avoid the cloud?
*Brian likes to have everything on his own Windows PC and doesn’t want to share anything with others. Can he avoid using the cloud?
‘I have a feeling that Microsoft and others want everyone to sign up to the cloud.’
Jack Schofield Thu 30 Mar 2017 10.03 BST
Given that people have, or will have, a plethora of intelligent devices, they will certainly need a way to monitor and control them, receive error messages, and synchronise data between them. You’re not going to do that without the cloud.
*Why SHOULD Brian share if he doesn't want to?
So he is saying "ONLY WAY" to control them is "the cloud", "none of your business how it works... RUBBISH!
"You are not going to do that without the cloud"
Bullshit: I heard that one before with the same attitude and I did many many times before and I just did it despite being told the nonsense (thanks to the opensource community and Homeasstant) looking back at how I was lied to about the Foxess Inverter and the ethernet port and all the other inverter manufacturers and their stupid "SMART WIFI" sticks.
In sum, you can’t avoid the cloud completely, unless you give up your internet connection and swap your smartphone for a dumb one. Of course, you will have difficulty updating Windows 10, and might consider switching to Linux, which doesn’t have a consumer-oriented ecosystem.
In what way? I thought it does enough to do basic stuff.
Bullshit: I don't NEED to give up my internet connection and insinuating? that a "smart phone" won't work without internet connectivity.
I DO have a smartphone with an old OS and another I installed LineagOs that I specifically use for certain tasks and internet browsing is not one of them for the older and it doesn't nag for updates. I still use the old from 2018, still works and it has a removable battery. The programs I installed, which I checked at the time are none freemium don't really auto update but a donate in the info/about. I think I still have the original APK files for them somewhere.
If you plan to stay online and use a smartphone, then best accept that Windows 10 benefits from cloud integration and *exploit the cross-platform apps and online services. There are far worse things to worry about, including what Al Gore called the web’s “stalker economy”, British and American government snooping, and the huge cybercrime industry.
The author sounds to me like they are *for it* and promoting this nonsense with the distracting of the fear of government spying.
*Until they start EXPLOITING YOU by starting charging a subscription fee for everything if they have the numbers and own the majority with this attitude.
Smartphones are now ***cloud-integrated devices. *They are monitored and updated from the cloud, and the cloud is used to install and update apps, collect photos and data for longer-term storage, and to provide streaming media, messaging and other online services. These include **intelligent assistants, such as Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana. You can still buy “feature phones”, but if you use a smartphone, you’re using the cloud.
*From the manufacturer.
** I don't want an "intelligent assistant" that is what the ability to think is there for.
It is not that I am avoiding, "the cloud", as the article is stating, which might be useful for certain things, secondary backups, temporary short term use but I don't want to use it as a primary means for storage and dependency where it takes over and other people who own it starting controlling me directly through it when they feel like it. A big nono.
*** No I don't want my phone to be made into an equivalent of a dumb terminal.
Then he starts describing it as "THE ECOSYSTEM
"
Google’s ecosystem is based on doing everything online, preferably via its Chrome web browser on PCs, tablets and smartphones. It has marketed some hardware, including smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks, and it’s trying to ramp up its cloud platform. However, it still makes almost all of its money from web-standard surveillance-based advertising.
Microsoft’s ecosystem is based on selling Windows-related software and services, but unlike Google, it lets you work “on premise” with your own PCs, servers and software or online with Office 365 and OneDrive. Unlike Apple, it doesn’t care who makes the hardware you use. (Remember that Microsoft was the Mac’s biggest supporter when it was launched in 1984, and Microsoft Office first appeared on the Mac.) Today, Microsoft has dozens of apps for Apple iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and it’s hosting Linux in its Azure cloud and in Windows 10. (See How to Install and Use the Linux Bash Shell on Windows 10)
Some of the wording sounds very condescending to me:
Buzzword bullshit: "The technology", "apps on your pc", "intelligent assistant", excessive referring of "the cloud" like I am somewhat stupid, "smartphone", "update apps", "The ECOSYSTEM"
Some good news is that Microsoft has Released Office 2021 for a one time fee:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-professional-2021/cfq7ttc0hhj9?activetab=pivot:overviewtabMicrosoft Office Professional 2021 $439.99
For 1 PC For 1 person
One-time purchase for 1 PC
Classic 2021 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, plus Publisher and Access
Microsoft support included for first 60 days at no extra cost
Compatible with Windows 11 and Windows 10*
Works with Microsoft Teams
A bit expensive but isn't that nice they are providing a choice for those who want it long term?
And then there's opensource stuff like OpenOffice and Libreoffice as far as I know doesn't need "internet" to work.
With my copy of Windows 10 Enterprse LTSC that I made some alterations to, I emptied and set the Task Scheduler folders for the Update Orchestrator service so it does not have permissions to recreate the keys, default user permissions and to do what it likes.