Microsoft keeps adding stuff into Windows we don't need

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Windows bloat, ads, and user-hostility

  • Many commenters see modern Windows as actively hostile: adware in the OS, OneDrive/Xbox/Office nags, attempts to move home folders to OneDrive, and increasingly coercive OOBE flows that push Microsoft accounts and cloud backups, sometimes even bricking machines when account access is lost.
  • Copilot, Recall, and AI-in-everything are viewed as “features nobody asked for” added to serve Microsoft’s revenue and lock-in goals, not user needs.
  • Nostalgia is strong for Windows 2000 and 7, seen as peak “respect the user, get out of the way” OSs. Today’s Windows is described as a marketing platform rather than a neutral toolbox.

Debloating and power-user workarounds

  • Power users report spending hours or days stripping Windows 10/11 via PowerShell, group policy, registry edits, and third‑party scripts (Win11Debloat, WinUtil, O&O tools).
  • A few say once debloated, Win11 works well and stays out of the way, but note that settings can be reverted by updates and some components cannot be removed.
  • LTSC and Tiny11 are praised as “real Windows again,” but seen as hard or improper to use for home users.

Alternatives: Linux, macOS, BSD

  • Some have fully switched to Linux (often Mint, Ubuntu/Kubuntu, Debian, Arch), citing lack of telemetry, no ads, stable environments, and good enough gaming via Steam/Proton.
  • Others push back: Linux desktop still has UX friction (sudo for common tasks, multi-user assumptions, config-file fragility, driver quirks, gaming edge cases). Distro fragmentation and inconsistent UX are recurring complaints.
  • macOS is praised for hardware and cohesive design, but criticized for its own nags (iCloud, TV, services) and service upsells.
  • A few look at BSD as a more reliable alternative; others argue for a hardware‑vendor Linux consortium, but note enterprise Windows integration as a huge barrier.

C# and the “Microsoft bloat” mindset

  • A side thread argues Microsoft’s “add features forever” philosophy appears in C# too.
  • Some decry added language features as mis‑prioritized versus long‑requested sum types; others say most additions are useful and that “bloat” just means “things I don’t use.”
  • Various clumsy patterns for emulating sum types in C# are discussed and found unsatisfying.

Incentives, enshittification, and feature wishes

  • Several link Windows’ trajectory to shareholder‑driven incentives and adtech; others contest the strict legal framing but agree incentives favor rent‑seeking over user experience.
  • Desired OS improvements include: simpler audio device switching (partly solved in Win11), fully remappable shortcuts, movable taskbar, saner right‑click menus, multi‑monitor pinning, and fewer “dark pattern” dialogs.