No other OS employs dark patterns to trick users into upgrading. Plenty of OSes have online accounts that the user is encouraged to use/create, but no other OS forces it. Plenty of other OSes have privacy settings tuned to opt-out, but no other OS has those settings sporadically resetting to the less private defaults. No other major OS runs ads in their app launcher.
Even in cases where other OSes do commonly misbehave, Microsoft puts them to shame. I think I had one popup about storing things on iCloud when I set up this MacBook. My Pixel phone rarely sends notifications about features I might have missed, but it's possible to shut those off with a single switch. But on my Windows laptop, Teams insists on launching in the foreground on every boot and OneDrive slides into my notification drawer on a daily basis.
Two most used OSes on the planet - iOS and Android - force you to create online accounts and do not allow you to fully use your device without online accounts.
No one complains about it and instead they praise this as a great feature.
Windows does not force you to use the online account to access all the features of your computer, it tries (more and more forcefully) to get you onboard so you get similar backup protection as what you have on your phone but minimally technically savvy users can still create local-only accounts (which is near impossible on the phone OS).
What's missing from iOS and Android if you don't use cloud accounts?
> Windows does not force you to use the online account to access all the features of your computer
With current Windows (11 23h2) you have to know the correct incantation to be able to create a local-only account. Is it technically possible to not have a cloud account? I suppose it still is, just the same as you can technically install it on an older CPU with no TPM. Is it something Joe RandomUser will be able to figure out on his own? I doubt it. So in Windows-land, the situation is much closer to "you can't use your pc at all without a cloud account".
Windows is far more lenient there, it's a flag in Rufus and you're good. Meanwhile your iPhone becomes a dumb phone if you don't want to make an iCloud account.
Android of course also just let's you install apks.
> Two most used OSes on the planet - iOS and Android - force you to create online accounts and do not allow you to fully use your device without online accounts.
Last time I checked, AOSP based phones as well as Samsung's and Google's lineup as well as iPhones can be installed without an online account just fine and everything works, the only thing that doesn't work is the Find My stuff, it obviously requires an account on either platforms.
You do need an Internet connection of some sorts during setup though, because iCloud Lock/Samsung Knox was the only way to get theft and robberies under control.
> Windows does not force you to use the online account to access all the features of your computer
Unless you know about the OOBE\BYPASSNRO trick, you literally cannot proceed in setting up Windows 11 at all.
There's an easier Windows online bypass. Just log in with "no@thankyou.com" and any password; it will tell you the account is disabled before dropping you to local account creation.
It's because it's not magic, someone has a microsoft account named no@thankyou.com that has enough sign in attempts to be disabled. I bet you could also do any other email address that people commonly use as a fake.
> No one complains about it and instead they praise this as a great feature.
That's because we have a duopoly in phone operating systems.
> minimally technically savvy users can still create local-only accounts
On Windows 11? Can they still? I tried setting up a windows 11 arm VM recently and I couldn't find a working way to use a local account. Yes there are tutorials, but i think everyone at Microsoft is working overtime to invalidate them all.
I’d disagree with “doesn’t force you” if it’s getting harder and harder. If I have to look up how to run a new install without an online account (just setting up without network doesn’t work any more), then that’s near enough forcing in my book.
Patently untrue. Both iOS and Android allow you to skip setting up an Apple ID or Google account. The only way you are not allowed to fully use your device is the app stores which require accounts. It's still a phone, you can still sideload apps on Android, or install them on iOS through some sort of device management schemery.
However, on Windows, Microsoft is removing every workaround they can find to create a local-only account. It used to be a skip button. Then it used to be unplugging the network cord. For a while it was a magic email address. I believe that trick no longer works, although it did for me the last time I set up a new Windows install. But now, as far as I know, there is no way to create a local account during setup, you have to create an account, then convert it to a local account later.
And that still leaves dark pattern upgrades, OS-level third party ads, privacy nightmares, and unmatched first party ads. MSFT is not the good guy in the ecosystem. Never has been. They're not illegally curbstomping their competition anymore, sure, they've redirected their energy at enshittifying their OS.
Even in cases where other OSes do commonly misbehave, Microsoft puts them to shame. I think I had one popup about storing things on iCloud when I set up this MacBook. My Pixel phone rarely sends notifications about features I might have missed, but it's possible to shut those off with a single switch. But on my Windows laptop, Teams insists on launching in the foreground on every boot and OneDrive slides into my notification drawer on a daily basis.