Time For a New Operating System
It’s funny how it is often the little things that become the proverbial straw that breaks the Camel’s back. I have been struggling for a while with the overall performance and functionality of my Windows 11 PC. The operating system is bloated, slow and buggy. It all too often commits that unpardonable sin of trying to do my thinking for me and enables some stupid feature by default. Despite having good specifications, my PC takes too long to boot up for my liking and is becoming too much of a wild card with regard to whether it will co-operate or not when I try and undertake a simple task. As someone who is very particular in their PC habits, IE I see my PC as a tool that I use on the terms that suit me. Hence, I find the faux enthusiasm that accompanies each uncalled for “improvement” that results in me losing agency, singularly antagonising. Then a minor issue arose recently that escalated into a thorn in my flesh and I decided that it was time that something must be done.
It’s funny how it is often the little things that become the proverbial straw that breaks the Camel’s back. I have been struggling for a while with the overall performance and functionality of my Windows 11 PC. The operating system is bloated, slow and buggy. It all too often commits that unpardonable sin of trying to do my thinking for me and enables some stupid feature by default. Despite having good specifications, my PC takes too long to boot up for my liking and is becoming too much of a wild card with regard to whether it will co-operate or not when I try and undertake a simple task. As someone who is very particular in their PC habits, IE I see my PC as a tool that I use on the terms that suit me. Hence, I find the faux enthusiasm that accompanies each uncalled for “improvement” that results in me losing agency, singularly antagonising. Then a minor issue arose recently that escalated into a thorn in my flesh and I decided that it was time that something must be done.
I have an ageing 7th generation Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet from 2017. I’ve never really used it that much but it has recently gained a new lease of life as a means to entertain my grandson when we collect him from school. I copy various TV shows and films in .mkv format, onto the tablet and he watches them via VLC player. The tablet has sufficient battery life to keep him entertained throughout the journey. However, the problem occurs when trying to connect the Fire HD 10 to my Windows 11 PC and copy new content. The problem lies in the Windows 11 MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) which is the standard protocol that allows Windows to access files and media on your phone over a USB connection. It is unreliable, resulting in a lottery as to whether you’re tablet will be recognised when connected. Yes, there is a work around but this takes a few minutes each time to implement and it is not permanent. The problem returns each time you connect.
The home computer is predicated on ease of use and reliability. Sadly Windows 11 is not an exemplar of such ideals. There are a litany of performance issues that randomly occur throughout daily use, such a the Taskbar and the Start menu freezing, or officially sanctioned updates failing. The O/S is bad at uninstalling software, frequently leaving orphan files and other “dirty footprints” around. New functions such a recent addition of Co-Pilot are added and enabled by default and there is an ongoing move towards locking basic functionality down so as to make it harder for users to customise their overall experience. Windows is no longer a pure operating system but instead a live service that offers a wealth of superfluous functionality. Running your PC is an afterthought. Such a business strategy is alien to an individual such as I who thinks that when you attach a tablet to a PC to copy files, it should work first time.
Zorin OS has no issue detecting attached devices, such as an Android tablet, unlike Windows 11
Hence I recently installed Zorin OS, making my PC officially a dual boot system. The current version is Zorin OS 18.1, released on 15 April 2026. It uses a newer Linux kernel and updated drivers, improving support for recent graphics hardware, laptops and peripherals. Zorin OS 18.1 is currently regarded as one of the safest and most polished Linux choices for someone coming from Windows. It is not entirely trouble-free as there have been some hardware compatibility issues with the latest version but compared to Windows 11 is is far more stable and reliable. Let it suffice to say that I attached my Fire HD 10 and it was immediately detected and accessible. I rebooted the PC a further two times and encountered no issues. Zorin OS recognised the device and allowed me to access it. As I knew I’d be writing about this matter I needed to take a screen capture. I managed to figure out how to install an appropriate app and configure it. Again Zorin OS made this process easy.
I intend to experiment with Zorin OS over the next few months and come to grips with what it can do within the parameters of what I require from a computer. I intend to try and figure out as much for myself, rather than rely on YouTube and other sources of learning. I wish to determine how easy it is to master, using my existing knowledge of computer architecture and system administration. I am certainly not going to rush to abandon Windows 11, because that operating system will inevitably will have to be kept for gaming purposes. However, I can see a situation where my content production is all done via Zorin OS and that Windows 11 is used exclusively for gaming. However, let’s not get ahead of ourself. Let’s see how intuitive Zorin OS is to use and whether there are Linux alternatives for all the apps that I current use on Windows. I suspect that I may not be able to quit Windows altogether, but it seems feasible to relegate it to just a gaming platform.
Windows 11
I recently bought a new laptop which shipped with Windows 10 preinstalled. As I use this device mainly for writing and web browsing, I deemed it the perfect test environment for Windows 11. I have very few programs (sorry, I believe we now have to universally refer to them as “apps”, regardless of the platform) installed, there was minimal risk of running into compatibility issues. So I duly installed the free upgrade and to date there’s been no major problems. So far there have been some minor changes associated with contextual menus but nothing that I’d label a deal breaker. I can live with the visual changes and such like. I look forward to experimenting with the installation of Android apps which this version of Windows is supposed to support. Overall, this upgrade has been a success.
I recently bought a new laptop which shipped with Windows 10 preinstalled. As I use this device mainly for writing and web browsing, I deemed it the perfect test environment for Windows 11. I have very few programs (sorry, I believe we now have to universally refer to them as “apps”, regardless of the platform) installed, there was minimal risk of running into compatibility issues. So I duly installed the free upgrade and to date there’s been no major problems. So far there have been some minor changes associated with contextual menus but nothing that I’d label a deal breaker. I can live with the visual changes and such like. I look forward to experimenting with the installation of Android apps which this version of Windows is supposed to support. Overall, this upgrade has been a success.
However, and there always seems to be a however, that was not the case with Mrs P’s new laptop. That model shipped with Windows 11 in S Mode. According to the Microsoft website “Windows 11 in S mode is a version of Windows 11 that's streamlined for security and performance, while providing a familiar Windows experience. To increase security, it allows only apps from the Microsoft Store, and requires Microsoft Edge for safe browsing”. Which explained why I couldn’t install Mozilla Firefox. I suppose I can see the logic of having such a facility, especially for those who are not especially tech savvy. However, for someone like myself who is very particular about how they configure a laptop or desktop PC, this mode was nothing short of infuriating. It requires creating a Microsoft account and changing your settings online to disable this mode. Something else I wasn’t entirely happy about.
From what I’ve learned from some online research, the main differences between Windows 10 and 11 are mainly in advanced features, design and aesthetics. It would appear that the fundamental architecture is the same. A summary of new features and functionality is as follows:
Design and interface
Android app integration
Better virtual desktop support
Easier transition from monitor to laptop
Microsoft Teams added to the Taskbar
Widgets
Enhanced touchscreen, voice and pen support
Xbox tech to improve gaming
As I stated earlier, upgrading my laptop to Windows 11was a calculated risk that paid off with minimal problems. At present my desktop PC in my office is still running Windows 10 and due to the wealth of games and other software that is installed, I am reluctant to upgrade when there is scope for far greater inconvenience if things do not go well. Hence, I shall defer changing operating systems for a while longer, having learned over the years the hard lessons of being an early adopter. At some point I obviously will have to upgrade but by then if there are any “issues” associated with Windows 11, they will hopefully have been rectified. As I’ve stated before, it would be nice if Windows per se had the facility to disable or uninstall the features that you don’t use or need.
Video Game Monopolies
Less than two weeks after we learned that Microsoft would be purchasing Activision Blizzard for $70 billion, today it was announced that PlayStation Studios (AKA Sony) is to buy Bungie for $3.6 billion. Both Microsoft and Sony have extolled the virtues of their respective acquisitions and claim that gamers will benefit. Game passes will become better value for money with new titles added to them. Accessibility and crossplay may well increase due to each company’s technological innovations. Console prices could even be reduced. And at a company level, restructuring and streamlining presents a potential opportunity to purge some developers of many of the toxicity issues that blight them. If you believe the press releases from both Sony and Microsoft, then the future of gaming is in safe hands and looking good. And so far there hasn’t been one mention of NFTs.
Less than two weeks after we learned that Microsoft would be purchasing Activision Blizzard for $70 billion, today it was announced that PlayStation Studios (AKA Sony) is to buy Bungie for $3.6 billion. Both Microsoft and Sony have extolled the virtues of their respective acquisitions and claim that gamers will benefit. Game passes will become better value for money with new titles added to them. Accessibility and crossplay may well increase due to each company’s technological innovations. Console prices could even be reduced. And at a company level, restructuring and streamlining presents a potential opportunity to purge some developers of many of the toxicity issues that blight them. If you believe the press releases from both Sony and Microsoft, then the future of gaming is in safe hands and looking good. And so far there hasn’t been one mention of NFTs.
However, if one steps back as a gamer and considers the nature of monopolies and their historical precedent, then things don’t look so great. Typical problems associated with monopolies are as follows. Higher prices than in competitive markets. A decline in consumer surplus. Monopolies have fewer incentives to be efficient. Possible diseconomies of scale. Monopolies often have monopsony power in paying a lower price to suppliers. All of which can lead to poor quality, unoriginal, expensive video games made by overworked developers in poorly paid and bad working conditions. And let us not forget the industry's ongoing and ever increasing infatuation with blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens. The days of paying once for a game are on the way out. The prospect of gaming being a second job is on the horizon.
I find my interest in gaming waning on a daily basis. Have I outgrown gaming? No. Not at all. I still enjoy many aspects of playing a well conceived and implemented video game. But I have outgrown the hype, the tribal and partisan nature of video game culture and I’m as tired as hell with many generic, uninspired and frankly unenjoyable titles. Like good quality films, you need to cast your net far and wide to find decent video games these days. Or defer to older classics. The prospect of large monopolies dominating the video game industry hardly assuages my concerns. However, monopolies are not bulletproof institutions. When reflecting upon successful companies like De Beers, do not forget the fate of Pan Am, IBM and AOL. And if contemplating the machinations of big business is too depressing for you, consider The Very Big Corporation of America from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.
