The Problem With Windows Users

I’ve kicked up a right stink. Again.

When I published my video reaction to the Windows 11 preview announcement, I knew it’d invite a few spicy comments.

It took a while for the trolls to arrive, but they did. And just like every other needlessly abrasive, die-hard loyalist tech person, they didn’t listen to a single word I said.

I’ve considered filming a follow-up piece where I explain the narrative that underlines the entire video. I thought it might be a good idea to highlight the fact that I’m actually on their side (after all, I want Microsoft to do Windows some justice, and these people appear to be very fond of Windows).

Alas, I couldn’t be arsed.

I am going to write about it, though, because I did receive some insanely stupid comments which I’d like to share with you today.

They don’t listen, do they?

If you haven’t watched my Windows 11 video yet, I simply highlighted what I believe to be a pretty awful PR effort on Microsoft’s part. The weird ‘going home’ inspired announcement video, broken compatibility tool and subsequently rushed blog post from The Windows Team overshadowed what looks like a pretty interesting new version of Windows.

Sure, I had a bit of fun and took the piss, but that’s me; I’m not about to sit there and ramble on blandly about something I find mildly disappointing. No one will watch that. Not even my mum.

I also used clickbait tactics to get people to watch the video (and, indeed, read the blog post version). As I’ve explained numerous times to people who have ‘called me out’ on this approach, clickbait is entirely justified if you follow it up with content that delivers value.

It won’t deliver value for everyone, but that’s cool.

And, yeah, I’ve used that exact tactic with this blog post, too.

Inevitably, this approach results in comments from people who read the title of the video, watch the first thirty seconds and then dive immediately into the comments section — grenade in hand — without hearing me out.

That results in comments like the following (poor grammar preserved):

“Apple products is good if you like crap.”

“”I used windows before (years and years ago)” : That’s what they all say before the bashing states!”

“Isn’t this an early preview — I’d wait until it’s released to judge it…”

“unfortunately it’s not designed for non technical people like you. don’t worry macos is for you”

“I dont blame you people need money and you gotta do what you have to do to earn it rather be it making a clickbaity title video. unemployment is a serious issue. i feel u man goodluck…”

“Shouldn’t you try Win11 before declaring it a “disaster”?”

“The TITLE would have been “ LUCIFER’S PERSPECTIVE on THE BIBLE AND JESUS” TEACHING” what do you expect”

“A Mac guy’s perspective” Without listening to much of it, this is no different than any other Windows bashing by a Apple user that’s too lazy to double click!”

“Lol, what a terrible take. If you get a new Windows 11 PC, you won’t need to know any of that.”

“Stupid. Complaining about windows not running on old hardware while you can afford Apple new hardware.”

“honestly i switched away when he called windows hello the windows version of siri….”

“cant argue with a delusional apple fan boy.”

“Just pressed the unlike button. You clearly miss the big picture.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, and we can’t even understand what the point of this video is…”

“A Mac sheep calls Windows a disaster, what a new thing.”

“Just go back to your Mac, you belong there”

“So, you dropped window right before it became super stable, then judged windows based on an unstable alpha? brilliant.”

“Stick to modern slave built apple”

“This dude is a fool.”

“Immature bashing of beta product.”

They go on, and on, and on. Makes for depressing reading, right?

At no point in my video did I bash Windows itself. Yet, that’s effectively what I’m accused of in virtually every comment above.

I should highlight that these comments are, thankfully, in the minority. A good number of Windows users dropped by to offer some interesting, measured thoughts that counterbalanced my reaction. This, as you might guess, is the reason I created this piece of content; I wanted to inspire good-natured, interesting debate.

It’s just a shame tech still seems to be infested with people who can’t look past their own nose.

Why I switched from Windows to macOS

These days, I’m a Mac guy, through and through, but this isn’t due to any form of undying loyalty to their brand.

I just like their stuff.

For many, many years, I was a Windows user, and a heavy, passionate one at that. I’d build my own PCs, tinker with registry settings and tweak graphics card drivers to squeeze out every last frame-per-second.

Ninety per cent of the time, it was an absolute ball-ache. I’d lose sleep over thermal paste. My nights would be lost to blue screens of death. I’d invest 95% of my time in raising performance and 5% enjoying it.

I used Windows pretty much solely throughout school (bar my first encounter with a Mac), and it was a Windows PC on which I learned how to record, program and produce music. Indeed, I’ve spent the vast majority of my working life using Windows to get shit done.

Then, I bought a G5 tower, and I fell in love, immediately.

But I didn’t fall out of love with Windows. Indeed, I’ve been curiously watching it from afar ever since I last clicked on the Start Menu. I’m a bit jealous of Microsoft’s willingness to allow users to touch the Windows interface, and I dearly wish more people had bought into Windows Phone (me included). Microsoft has created a really interesting platform, and Windows 11 looks capable of drawing me back for a proper test.

Will I ever go back to Windows?

It’s a distinct possibility. But I’m conscious of how comprehensively Apple has welded me into its ecosystem. That’s my fault as much as it is theirs.

It’d therefore be a heavy lift to move wholesale back to Windows, but the variety of hardware and the ability to interact with a single OS via touch, rather than having to peg back my expectations to something like iPadOS, is genuinely intriguing.

This is what I was attempting to get across in my Windows 11 video. I’m interested. It’s just a shame Microsoft is so inept at marketing and PR.

They appear to be forever in Apple’s shadow, but only because they’ve placed themselves there. Every product announcement, blog post and keynote feels like it’s aimed squarely at Tim and co, when it simply doesn’t need to be. The platform wars made for some mildly amusing adverts, but it is teeth-itchingly boring now; the last thing we need is the brands themselves fuelling it.

Unfortunately, Microsoft’s approach mirrors that of its staunchest supporters. They’re so obsessed with highlighting Apple’s failings and holier-than-thou approach that they’ve lost their own identity.

At times, Apple does look stupid from afar. I get it. But I also think it’s such an easy, boring target.

Windows deserves better from both its makers — and its fans.

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Originally published at https://markellisreviews.com on July 16, 2021.