Windows 10 – Karin's New Adventures

32GB just doesn’t cut it for Windows 10.

Posted on February 17, 2018February 19, 2018 by Karin Brenig

When I saw this deal on Microsoft’s website a few months ago, I thought it was a steal. Just $99 buys me a tablet with Windows 10 on it that I can leave in the office, and use for my personal online activities during lunch break.

Initial set-up wasn’t too bad. I added a 64GB microSD card and installed all extra programs (except my virus protection) on it, to make sure Windows has enough space for itself. For a while that seemed to work, even though the frequent updates, that you can’t do much against, made it hard to find times when I could actually use the tablet for the intended purpose.

But then the “creators update” version 1709 of Windows 10 came along, and that was the end of useful life for my little cheap tablet. While the finished installation might have fitted onto what was left of my 32GB SSD, Windows 10 needs a lot more space during updates – and it will not use the SD-card for that??

I learned my lesson. Went out to eBay and found a refurbished Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140, with 128GB SSD in it. Windows 10 Pro came pre-installed. $209 doesn’t break the bank either, and it has room to grow, even with Windows 10 on it.

So, in case you’re thinking about getting yourself a Windows tablet, make sure it has at least 64GB (or better 128GB) of harddrive space, and 4GB or more of RAM.

Posted in 07 - Frustrations and Losses

Microsoft – neither “micro”, nor “soft”?

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Karin Brenig

I’ve used Microsoft’s products professionally and personally since 1995, you could say I am a loyal customer. In the early days I would have claimed to even be a fan.

Over the years, though, the company has changed so much, that I feel the compelling urge to shake my head at their “business practices”. The sense of pioneer spirit and world community of software developers is completely gone. It has been replaced by corporate greed.

Sometimes, however, little old me feels the sweet smile of victory creeping up onto my face when I accomplish something that big, bad Microsoft didn’t want me to.

I recently purchased an Asus Transformer Mini, which looks like a Surface Pro clone, but costs about a third – that alone is a small victory. It comes with Windows 10, which I am still not a fan of for various reasons. I was sort of OK with my purchase, until I realized that I can’t have MS Movie Maker on it?? They discontinued, and tried to eradicate, that entire package of Life Essentials software tools some time in January 2017.

That’s when my hunter’s instinct kicked in! With a little help from Google, my best friend professionally and personally since 1998, I found an old offline installer for MS Life Essential 2012, in German – because you need the version that matches your operating system’s language – and got my Movie Maker installed on this new notebook.

Posted in Opinions