Are you a proud Windows user? Tell us why!

[Al Sacco]

To kick off summer (and just to have some fun), the Windows Central team decided to put together a team story on why we're all proud to call ourselves Windows users in 2018. As writers and editors for a Windows-focused site, we're obviously pretty passionate about the platform. But the reasons we came up with might not be what you expect. Make sure to check it out.

This story isn't only about us. We're going to do a big social-media push focused on the story and the concept of sharing reasons to be proud to use Windows, using the hashtag #PCproud. And we're hoping YOU will contribute, as well.

Are you proud to be a Windows? If so, let us know why in this thread, on Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #PCproud. Even better, leave your reason here, with an image if you have one, and then share the link to your response on social. (You can hit the chain link icon on your post to grab the URL.)

We'll be following this thread and that hashtag closely, and in a few weeks, we'll round up the best reasons from our readers and feature them in another story. There may even be some prizes involved ... so be creative!

Oh, and feel free to use the image below when you share your reasons on social. That's what it's for!

 

[anon(10458357)]

Shining a Spotlight on Spotlight

This may sound silly, but I love Windows 10 on my i7 powered, 360 hinged, 2 in 1 if for no other reason than Spotlight. I love that little rotating picture on my lock screen. I even RESET my Windows 10 machine more than once, back in the days when Win 10 was still new and well frankly unstable, just so I could get Spotlight working again.

I think for me it represents something bigger though, I actually love the design of Windows. The revolving photos are true artwork. I'm not an artist, or even a very good photographer for that matter, but I appreciate good art. Spotlight turns my PC into a new work of art almost daily.

It's for this same reason, if I'm honest, that I first switched over to Bing as my primary search engine several years ago. It's visually stunning! I learned only later that its searches were every bit as good as the mighty Google, and in some cases better, such as when doing an image search. I learn something too with the daily trivia on Bing. And where else can I earn rewards for merely searching the internet? Add a tastefully done News feed at the bottom and you have near perfect design.

Apple fans may brag about design, but I can tell you honestly that in my darkest hours... mostly due to my Windows UWP app suffering greatly because of Microsoft canceling its mobile phone efforts after swearing up and down that it was "committed" to it... when I've made up my mind that I'm leaving Windows for good... and I begrudgingly make that long sad trip down to the mall, and stare blankly into the eyes of a Mac, I think of Spotlight, I think of Windows design... and I eventually lick my wounds, politely excuse myself from the hipster sales guy... and go back home and hug my Yoga 900!

 

[kingtigre]

#PCProud

Windows loves creatives. That much has become apparent over the years with their Surface devices. I started in 2014 with a used Pro 2. I loved drawing in a mobile studio. Being able to go from start to finish on a drawing in one place. That was it. I was sold. Microsoft "got me."

I went all in on Microsoft. Retrospectively not the best idea I've had. Windows Mobile, Band, Groove, Slowly the chinks in the armor of my love for Microsoft have begun to grow. But my passion for my PC is still strong. I'm coming up on my 3 year anniversary of my Surface Pro 4 purchase and love my PC as much today as I did on day one.

Microsoft may not "get me" as completely as they used to, but the Surface team knows what's up. I'm #PCProud because PC lets me be creative whenever and wherever. No limits. Start to finish on a single device. No mobile OS BS. No cloud-based file hand-off. Just one cohesive creative experience.

 

[SvenJ]

Wonderful article about all the Pro's of Windows. Agree with most. Not sure why I should be proud to be a Windows user though. I didn't create it. The world isn't a better place for my using it. Except maybe my use being 1 in billions keeping it alive. My 1 in hundreds didn't help Windows Phone/Mobile unfortunately. I kind of reserve pride for things that I had some significant influence on.

 

[NoMoreNadella]

I used to be. Then came Nadella and it all went to hell.

 

[Cbarnhorst]

I have been a Windows user since Windows 2.11. Along the way, I have tried Linus distros galore and MacOS but lost interest because of the lack of software that appeals to me. I like the open architecture of the Windows Ecosystem and the choices among software. There is nothing like it. I have seen MSFT change into an opaque company where I never knew what was going on until it happened and then in the last few years become transparent where I could participate in the progress of the new technologies as they appeared. And of course I love to tinker and Windows computers are the place to be for that. Go Microsoft. Go Windows.

 

[garak0410]

This reply may be all over the map some but just wanted to hit at some things about why I still choose Windows.

My Windows journey has been pretty stable since the mid 90's . After holding on to my Amiga for as long as I could, I finally picked up a very, very poor third party PC called Amerigo but with a SoundBlaster and an early Voodoo card and I never looked back. I struggled through the years of needing to fine tune sound card settings with IRQ and all that. What a nightmare that I am glad is behind us.

I went through a period where I built my own machines but lost time and interest. My main home file server/media/Plex server has been a Dell XPS for many years now. The Surface line has been my mobile (and primary) PC and currently on the Surface Book 2.

I miss Windows Phone but I simply had to move on in the Fall of 2015 when it was announced that Verizon would not get the Lumia 950xl. Don't like it but it was a necessary move...

I really like Windows 10 but it still feels like a Frankenstein OS, even 3 years in. I still use and organize the live tiles but I wonder if a future Redstone release may be focused on a new "launcher" of sorts. I really don't see the Administrative Tools and legacy Control Panel moving to the more "modern" look anytime soon. But those are my only real complaints about Windows 10.

I own a Pixelbook which is way more useful than I expect but ChromeOS, yes, is still no Windows. Sure, I could survive off of a Chromebook but it still has a long way to go before it can replace Windows, if ever.

Oh and my XBOX is the center of my living room media center.

Side note...I am a person of few Pet Peeves but I grow tired of people in TV shows or YouTube videos showing off their Apple Logos on their Macs. They hold a small percentage of the market. There are not as many Macs out there as they want you to believe.

Though the future of Windows is cloudy as far as the consumer end goes, I plan to remain on it for some time.

 

[HeyCori]

As someone that spends 40 hours a week using a MacBook Pro, I recognize that OS X is a perfectly acceptable operating system that - while not as flawless as enthusiasts will have you believe - has a certain allure to it. It's very fluid, stable, easy to use navigate, and has enough features to satisfy some power users. That said, it's still no Windows. There's no single aspect of OS X that I hate, and there are certainly features that I wouldn't mind seeing on Windows, but it still feels like death by a thousand cuts. I won't bore you with all my subjective annoyances, but generally speaking, my workflow on Windows 10 is simply faster and more efficient. And it's simple things like keyboard shortcuts or the differences between the dock and taskbar. I'm talking general quality of life stuff that are, IMO, better on Windows. Again, it's not as if OS X doesn't have its fair share of merits, but not enough to sway me to Apple permanently.

 

[Andrew G1]

"This device is literally every device I need, wherever I go. Windows 10 and Office absolutely shine on Surface Pro, and the combination of touch and Windows Ink makes digital inking seem almost as natural as writing and drawing on paper." - Jason Ward

Yup, that's me. I'm on my second Surface and I'm not looking back. The next device I own may not be made by Microsoft, but you can be sure it'll be a Windows detachable with a great pen experience and enough power to crunch numbers all day and drive my two external monitors smoothly.

I can tell you I used to hate Windows. Now I live and breathe Windows, and I kind of wish my phone ran some form of it.

Poor Apple posers.

 

[robert beadles]

I love that with Windows you can share a device between may users, and still keep each users space personal. Windows likes to share the love. This is important for a Family with a budget. If you are on other platforms you just do not have that ability like you get with windows.

 

[CSJr1]

#PCProud

I am the only one in my office that primarily uses a Windows machine for work. It's not that dire. Coroporate requires everyone to have an assigned Windows laptop, but no one uses their assigned Windows laptop. They request newer MacBooks. When it came my to turn, I requested a newer HP Spectre x360.

I couldn't be anymore proud work on my HP x360 despite the constant bashing I get from my peers. I dish out just as much as I take because I realize their Apple devices are riddled with problems and application issues that come to light when my peers continue to ask for solutions on group chat.

This is not a story about Apple problems, but a story of Windows delight. I enjoy the flexibility of Windows. It is a productivity workhorse with the flexibility of an acrobat. No other machine on my floor, nigh my division, can convert from a laptop to a tablet and then to presentation mode. Windows is the ultimate package for work and play. Some colleagues boast of the Linux shell interface in Apple not knowing that the same can be accomplished with the Linux subsystem shell with Windows 10. With Windows 10, I can code all day and then return home and engage Cortana for an interactive game or a joke as I still code. I can go on about switching from productivity to play, the Windows 10 ecosystem is filled with both types of top tier applications. This is not found on a MacBook.

Personalization is more than just what screenshot you have when the machine boots up or what color your borders are. Personalization is realized when you swap out your memory or upgrade your hard drive. This is something that individualizes a Windows user, the ability to make the machine his or her own. I am not tied down by proprietary peripherals, on the contrary I am able to open up a tower and make my machine do more than what it was originally meant to do. This personalization benefits not only me, as I have an investment in my machine, but it also benefits many different vendors as there is hardware choice when upgrading Windows machine. I got the build itch when I upgraded my memory on my mini tower in college and continues to this day as I tweak in my full tower gaming rig now.

Innovations are coming from Windows. I remember not two years ago when I hooked my 950xl up to its display dock for Continuum at work. While the enterprise IDE wasn't on my 950xl to code and RDC from my 950xl to another computer did not pan out due to firewall restrictions, I am excited about where Continuum can go. There is no other company that is on the brink of scaling up to enterprise level work from one phone size device.

The path of a Windows user is the path of the cutting edge. Who knows, maybe one day I might be able to come full circle and upgrade the GPUs on a docking station to give more power to my future all-in-one pocket device that has many presentation modes of its own!

I never had any social media accounts, so this story cannot be shared there.

 

[john doe126]

I used to be a windows phone fan until Microsoft changed Nokia's contacts tile photos from squares to circles . The squares flipped which looked cool , & they joined with other squares to form larger photos , it brought the screen to life. The circles don't do this ,they just slide along with gaps in between & it's boring .please bring back the squares . If another phone has the squares I'll be buying that instead

 

[Paul Stoner 2]

#PCProudNoMore

Sorry gang...unless Microsoft coughs up a fully loaded Surface Laptop in grey/silver - I am never going back...

Grew up with DOS/Windows 3.11, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, 7, 8, and 10. 30+ years of loyalty and what did Microsoft do to me?

Lumia 1520 / 950 XL - Dead...pulled all support...took the phone that I loved and killed it.

Microsoft Band 2 - Dead...pulled all support...took the best fitness product and killed it.

All the promises of the new Windows 10 App Development - "we have every major software developer on board to create the greatest app ecosystem ever..." Outright lie. No one was on board with it.
Now completely gone...Microsoft's "app" store is pathetic at best.

Every Windows loaded laptop I have ordered from every major manufacturer in the past 6 years, dead mysteriously a little over the one year warranty.

Microsoft has already got my share of money and thensome - enough to pay for a Surface Laptop! Microsoft wants to say sorry? Fully loaded Surface laptop at no charge for years of getting screwed.

#ChromeBookProud

 

[Wevenhuis]

I think I'm proud to be a windows user, because, to date it is still the most ubiquitous OS in business and the home. Windows is a household brand. Everyone knows it. It's mertis and disadvantages. For me it's easy in everyday work and life to help and be helped. Globally it is still the larges comunity, and that makes communication easier. It's easier for me to know and use and help others and be helped by others if you speak the same language. I think we're not quite there yet in the real world for other OS'es.

 

[Noah Tarinyebwa]

I am #pcproud because I have grown with windows, from the 1st time I touched a computer; my sisters windows 95 dell pc (still in an office somewhere running windows xp that I installed). It was on Windows I first used MSPaint to draw, MSWord to learn how to use a keyboard, fell in love with Clippy and the other office Assistants (yes I used it), used IE to access the internet and connect with people from all over the world on myspace, hi5, Friendster, Messenger - Where I actually chatted up a girl from the UK, got to meet and date her like 2 years later on vacation there; saw porn for the 1st time (IE got me there), downloaded so much software I filled the whole desktop.

Its on a Windows I played my 1st game Solitaire (which I play till this day) then got introduced to the original prince of Persia because Mario was too expensive (Game boy) now I have an Xbox.

Its on windows, I learnt how a computer/software worked, learnt how to troubleshoot problems (windows always provides the challenge to this day); got into 3D Animation and games design, taught myself how to design websites, provide tech support to friends, family and co-workers... Windows


After years of tinkering, many PCs/Laptops, tons of Computer/Software knowledge learnt I now have a family, a business and what do you know; Windows is still here, now helping me pay the bills, feed the family and keep me ever productive, creative and playing.

 

[AnonymousRider]

I love Windows 10 for the Insider Program, ease of installation, & revamped Settings App.

It also plays nice besides my Linux partition.

 

[Rahul cholate]

If everything is working fine JUST as same as in case of Android and IOS, them there wouldn't be any any possibilities for new creation. Thank god that everything is not fair on Microsoft side. This is the true challenge for Microsoft and I keep surprising how company is keep on crawling to get better at every time. I love the company is growing.
My first experience with windows was three years back with its dynamic live tiles on Lumia phone. From there on I keep on seeing new things added in the cap of microsoft . Either it be new software, PWA, UWP, UWA, SURFACE PRODUCTS, etc..Also the company efforts in fluid design, and many more in the field of AI. i really love my windows device. I am still sticking onto my lumia 535, till the arrival of Andromeda. In short I can say that I have learned a lot about software world only by following Windows central, Microsoft platforms regularly. I am even part of Bing insider's India team. Still on seeing new things from Microsoft and would wish to see more. I wish I could be a software engineer (may be on insider part not the true developer),

Ahh...after all this texting, i could proudly say that I am a #PCProud geek.

 

[Joseph Casavola]

I am a proud windows user. Originally, I started out as an Apple user in my first degree, introduced to the classic MAC, using Photoshop 2.0. It was a very exciting experience, being able to digitally manipulate images back in 1993. 1997, when I entered into my BA program, I was introduced to the PC Workstation. The BA program was a tech. education in multimedia emphasized in 3D animation, video, graphic applications, and audio. The PC was more in depth, which taught us not only for multimedia applications, but also for IT and PC modifications, upgrades, and modular components. In addition into our education, we were instructed in A+ certification.

I found that the PC was more powerful, more rounded, and a customizable experience with better peripherals with no proprietary limitations like the MAC. MAC, I found there were limitations mechanically and technically. MAC automation just gets you into trouble, because of the OS automation, which has limitations. With PC, I became a Power User, especially when I immersed myself in Audio / Music Production Software and Hardware. There are far more online resources and free applications for Audio for the PC in contrast to the MAC. Of course, I found in the industry, the PC is widely used in Business rather than the Apple MAC.

However, with the only exception, Apple does have one product that I am a fan of, which is the Apple iPod. I bought the iPod Classic (2006) for my music collection, which was a lot easier to carry around in contrast to carrying around a portable CD player with a bunch of CDs in a backpack. Later in 2015, I bought the iPod Touch, which is a better unit obviously for my music collection. Albeit though, I still like to buy CDs, but more so, more Artists are switching to the Digital format only or Digital/ Vinyl format only. So, having the iPod is a very useful device.

 

[Baz S]

Naysayers please respect our space to be #PCProud . There are hundreds of other places you can pour your vitriol into, but please let us have this small space.
Thanks.

 

[Michael Bromley]

Right click, baby!