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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- A former Microsoft developer thinks Windows sucks and explains why.
- Windows has become a marketing tool to sell Microsoft services.
- A Microsoft exec calls Windows an agentic OS, with brutal responses.
I’ve used Windows for more years than I care to count. Starting with Windows 95, I’ve worked with each new version, both personally and professionally. And though I’ve sometimes been tempted to switch to a Mac or Linux as my main platform, I’ve stuck with Windows as my OS of choice.
Ed Bott: Microsoft has lost its way
But my allegiance to Windows has been tested over the decades. That’s never been truer than over the past few years. And I’m not alone.
Windows needs a Pro mode
In a recent YouTube video, former Microsoft programmer Dave Plummer, who helped develop the Windows Task Manager and the ZIP archive tool, shared his thoughts on Windows. “It sucks,” Plummer said right at the top of the video. However, rather than leaving it with that provocative statement, he went on to explain why he feels that way.
By trying to be all things to all people – from beginners to power users to developers – Windows takes a simple approach, often trying to hold your hand or steer you to other apps and services that you don’t necessarily need. In this regard, Plummer thinks there should be a “Professional” mode for power users that dispenses with the hand-holding and lets you use the operating system the way you want, not the way Microsoft wants.
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That’s not a bad idea. Other products offer different modes depending on your experience and skill level. I use Adobe Photoshop Elements to edit photos and images. Here, Adobe provides three modes: Quick mode, which displays only the basic tools; Guided mode, which guides you through specific tasks; and Advanced mode, which displays all tools and features. I typically stay in Advanced mode, but I sometimes use Guided mode when I need help with an unfamiliar feature. Why can’t Windows adopt the same concept?
Too much telemetry
But Plummer’s gripe goes beyond the actual design of Windows. Rather, he also faults Microsoft for turning Windows into less of a usable OS and more of a telemetry tool that doesn’t respect your privacy.
“If you listen to the gripes that generate real heat today, there are three or four big buckets,” Plummer said in the video. “Privacy and telemetry, being forced into a Microsoft account during setup, updates that surprise like a SWAT team advance, and the general feeling that your desktop is the last unmonetized surface in a world that hates empty space.”
Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 – for free
Plummer argues that Microsoft needs telemetry on how people use Windows to develop the OS. That’s a good point. But he also believes the company needs to be more transparent about all the data it wants to collect. Here, Plummer suggests that Windows should include a “privacy ledger,” a system log that would list every piece of telemetry with clear details on what it’s for and why Microsoft wants it.
Why no local account?
Next up is the choice, or lack thereof, between a Microsoft account and a local account. Certainly, there are valid reasons for using a Microsoft account in Windows. However, the company forces this option down your throat, increasingly eliminating any workarounds for going local. It’s almost as if Microsoft sees its users as children, as it takes away their freedom of choice, insisting that it knows what’s best for them.
As Plummer suggests, why can’t the company simply present a clear screen with two choices: Continue with a Microsoft account or continue with a local account?
“No tricks, no connect to the internet to see what your options are,” Plummer said. “No dark patterns. And if you choose local, the OS should explain once and then stop asking.”
After discussing how Windows updates work, or don’t work, Plummer moves on to what he calls “ads, nags, and suggestions.” Here, he argues that Microsoft has crossed the line to where the operating system feels like a sales channel for all of the company’s other products.
Stop disrespecting users
“When the OS suggests, hey, maybe you should switch browsers after you explicitly chose another one, that’s not onboarding,” Plummer said. “That’s just disrespect. When the Start menu shows sponsored apps, you put a price on my attention on my machine.”
With Microsoft’s desire to monetize everything, including its users, someone in the company would need to push hard to turn Windows into less of a marketing machine.
Also: How to get free Windows 10 security updates through October 2026
“But it’s worth it,” according to Plummer. “Trust is more valuable than any click-through metric. And right now, this is what people mean when they say Windows sucks. They’re not complaining about the anti-thread scheduler or the IO stack. They detest the experience of being sold to by your own computer that you already own.”
The ultimate irony here is that Microsoft continues to prove Plummer’s points, especially the one about promoting its own products and services.
Who actually wants an agentic OS?
In a tweet posted Monday, Microsoft president Pavan Davuluri boasted that “Windows is evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere.” He invited people to join the company at Microsoft Ignite to see how “frontier firms are transforming with Windows and what’s next for the platform.”
Also: How Microsoft finally makes good on its syncable passkey promise – and what’s coming next
Of course, when he speaks of connecting devices, cloud, and AI, he’s naturally referring to other Microsoft products. Yes, the sales pitch is strong here.
Undoubtedly, Davuluri expected his post to be greeted with cheers and huzzahs. That did not happen. Instead, the post was inundated with hundreds of angry responses about what Microsoft can do with its agentic OS.
“Here’s a crazy idea, how about mmm…just give us Windows 7 back? Clean UI, clean icon, a unified control panel, no bloat apps, no ads, just a pure performance OS,” said one person.
“You can’t even correctly implement small taskbar icons, which is something users actually want. You are getting overwhelmingly negative feedback about all this AI stuff. And yet you persevere. Why?” said another.
Also: Microsoft said my PC was ‘too old’ to run Windows 11 – how I upgraded in 5 minutes anyway
“I’ve been a Windows user for >35 years and it’s still my go-to for productivity both at home and at work. This vision of the OS evolving isn’t really something I want. Consider creating a robust, simple, lightweight, and distraction-free version and letting the customer decide,” said a third person.
Bloated mess of a marketing tool
Past versions of Windows certainly had their flaws. But at least they served more as basic platforms on which to run your applications and work with your files. That’s the definition of an operating system – at least it should be. Now, Windows has turned into a bloated mess of a marketing tool with promotions, come-ons, and updates that interrupt your work instead of helping it.
Also: Why ‘debloating’ Windows is a bad idea (and what to do instead)
So does Windows really suck? Yeah, it does, at least in certain ways. Of course, I’m still using it after all these years. Maybe it’s become like an old, worn shoe that still feels comfortable despite all the problems.
And Plummer’s ultimate take?
“So, does Windows suck?” he asks. “Only when it forgets who it’s working for. Most days, it’s for everybody, and that’s fine. But some days, it has to be for the person who knows exactly what they want and is willing to take responsibility for asking. Give that person a switch, give that person respect, and then get out of the way.”
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