webroot, windows 10, drivers & conflicts.

[HipKat]

Running three dual-boot computers here - Ubuntu 20.04 and Windows 10. We use Linux 99.9% of the time but 'the other one' is there just in case a game won't run in compatibility mode with Proton. Otherwise Steam works great under Linux for gaming.

I had to give up Ubuntu a long time ago. It was getting too bloated and too obviously trying to compete with Windows. I have an old Mini-laptop that nothing would run on smoothly or without lag - until I found Manjaro.

I'm thinking about formatting that Linux drive and trying to build Archlinux from source.

 

[HipKat]

I probably should have mentioned, in keeping with the OP's concerns, I run a VPN, Avast A/V and Comodo firewall. Sorry guys, I just don't trust MS to keep me safe, especially since they got into the data harvesting business themselves.

I should add, also, I run SurfShark on all my and my kids' devices

 

[FTA4PA]

I had to give up Ubuntu a long time ago. It was getting too bloated and too obviously trying to compete with Windows. I have an old Mini-laptop that nothing would run on smoothly or without lag - until I found Manjaro.

I'm thinking about formatting that Linux drive and trying to build Archlinux from source.

Yes, I have noticed that tendency as well but have hung in so far because it's what I'm used to.

 

[jct21]

I probably should have mentioned, in keeping with the OP's concerns, I run a VPN, Avast A/V and Comodo firewall. Sorry guys, I just don't trust MS to keep me safe, especially since they got into the data harvesting business themselves.

for as long as ive been into computing i have never trusted microsoft to keep me safe online. ive always used other programs to handle that task. back in the win98 days i relied on zonealarm firewall until i came across kerio firewall which was superior in every way. blackice was a nice piece of software as well. i have read several reviews here and there that claim the windows 10 defender is pretty good. i have it enabled right now after i just did a clean install of windows pro just to make sure i get rid of all the BS webroot left. besides, i rather enjoy a good ol' reinstallation .... i will see how defender handles different scenarios as i test this out for a few days.

yeah microsoft, like many others are knee deep in data harvesting. turning off telemetry now just breaks windows. stopping the cortana process & renaming the folder breaks windows now. they sure go out of there way to track us. luckily there are ways to disable a lot of it using the registry or gpedit.

nvidia with their massive 600mb drivers are in the harvesting game too.

 

[Comptech]

Manjaro is a great system, only problem is it is continuously being built. So Just when you have things right the next upgrade you need to recompile. I love the system, and recompiling is not terrible, but still looking for the load and use Linux distro for me. All are great, but none are perfect. Still use Linux mint as my main.

 

[wx86]

for as long as ive been into computing i have never trusted microsoft to keep me safe online. ive always used other programs to handle that task. back in the win98 days i relied on zonealarm firewall until i came across kerio firewall which was superior in every way. blackice was a nice piece of software as well. i have read several reviews here and there that claim the windows 10 defender is pretty good. i have it enabled right now after i just did a clean install of windows pro just to make sure i get rid of all the BS webroot left. besides, i rather enjoy a good ol' reinstallation .... i will see how defender handles different scenarios as i test this out for a few days.

yeah microsoft, like many others are knee deep in data harvesting. turning off telemetry now just breaks windows. stopping the cortana process & renaming the folder breaks windows now. they sure go out of there way to track us. luckily there are ways to disable a lot of it using the registry or gpedit.

nvidia with their massive 600mb drivers are in the harvesting game too.

speaking of tracking us...i cant count the times my that me & my wife have talked about something and have it show up in our facebook feed feed within the same hour. even when the phone apps are closed and phone is not being used, they listen. they listen closely. if you got a smartphone, they know all about us.

 

[TRG]

back in the day, the first thing I'd normally do is take off Norton. That was infamous for taking over and hampering system resources.

Amen to that. Norton had great utilities back in the DOS and Windows 3.1 days. After that i became a resource hog.

 

[TRG]

Manjaro is a great system, only problem is it is continuously being built. So Just when you have things right the next upgrade you need to recompile. I love the system, and recompiling is not terrible, but still looking for the load and use Linux distro for me. All are great, but none are perfect. Still use Linux mint as my main.

Manjaro and the other Arch distributions are great if you have some Linux experience under your belt. I built a dedicated NAS box using Arch and it runs in a closet 24/7. Debian and it's derivatives such as Ubuntu and Mint are much more suitable for beginners wanting to ditch Windows. It's also more than adiquate for old seasoned Linux users like myself. My daily driver is an older, slower dual core i5 with 16Gig RAM, 1Tb SSD running Linux Mint and the Cinnamon desktop. It's very fast considering the moderate hardware. I have newer hardware but I like the system I'm using because it's completely fan-less. I absolutely hate fan noise and I'm not a gamer anymore so the only heat I need to dissapate is the CPU. I once had a gaming computer that had 7 fans in it. That thing sounded like an airplane when it started up. I went on a mission after that to build a completely silent computer.

 

[HipKat]

Manjaro and the other Arch distributions are great if you have some Linux experience under your belt. I built a dedicated NAS box using Arch and it runs in a closet 24/7. Debian and it's derivatives such as Ubuntu and Mint are much more suitable for beginners wanting to ditch Windows. It's also more than adiquate for old seasoned Linux users like myself. My daily driver is an older, slower dual core i5 with 16Gig RAM, 1Tb SSD running Linux Mint and the Cinnamon desktop. It's very fast considering the moderate hardware. I have newer hardware but I like the system I'm using because it's completely fan-less. I absolutely hate fan noise and I'm not a gamer anymore so the only heat I need to dissapate is the CPU. I once had a gaming computer that had 7 fans in it. That thing sounded like an airplane when it started up. I went on a mission after that to build a completely silent computer.

I hadn't logged into Manjaro on either my Desktop D: Drive or my mini laptop. The Desktop when I tried to update all my packages was giving me pacman errors, due to incompatibility with an older AUR, but I got that figured out. The mini is just stuck on an error telling me Incompaytable Package Error with no details.

Might be time to test drive a new distro on that machine

 

[TheKrell]

I like the system I'm using because it's completely fan-less.

Interesting. Your CPU heat sink must be enormous.

 

[TRG]

Interesting. Your CPU heat sink must be enormous.

It's similar to this.

 

[TheKrell]

It's similar to this.

Cool.

 

[harshness]

Norton had great utilities back in the DOS and Windows 3.1 days. After that i became a resource hog.

Consider how hard it is to protect Windows from malware along with how many blackhats are targeting it.

Of course if Micro$oft spent half the money they spend on lobbying enterprises that their product is great on actually making Windows less of a pushover...

 

[EarDemon]

It's similar to this.

Fanless Industrial PCs are awesome! 100% passive cooling, no fans or air vents to draw in dust and debris.

 

[harshness]

Fanless Industrial PCs are awesome! 100% passive cooling, no fans or air vents to draw in dust and debris.

They also tend to be wicked expensive.

 

[EarDemon]

Not really. At work we get our industrial and automation PCs from B&R. Last I knew we paid about $1K for a Core i5 w/16 GB RAM.

You get what you pay for. Devices like these and Panasonic Toughbooks and Toughpads are worth every penny.

 

[harshness]

Not really. At work we get our industrial and automation PCs from B&R. Last I knew we paid about $1K for a Core i5 w/16 GB RAM.

Most of what B&R shows on their web page now is some manner of rack-mounted modular stuff.

Tou can get an i5 notebook with 16GB for under $1,000. Of course the Intel 11th gen models are a lot more than the 8th gen (don't they know that AMD is eating their lunch?).

Ruggedized/nasty environment computers are necessary in some applications but you pay through the nose for them. Toughbooks go for well upwards of $3,500 and the displays aren't anything to write home about. Last time I had to buy something like that, I opted for a Dell rugged model and told the user to be very careful.

 

[EarDemon]

Cost is relative. If I have to replace a laptop every other year because of damage, it makes no sense to issue the same fragile computers over and over. I went though a dozen Dell Venue tablets, between 5 users, in two and a half years. Now it’s Panasonic ToughPads only, and the same five I purchased in 2018 are still in use today.

The B&R computers we get are not rack mounted. There are similar to this and are mounted in cabinets, either to the bottom or on the side with video and LAN cables running through a whole drilled though the side and enclosed in conduit. A laptop will not suffice. 90 degree plus days in the summer, dirt and filth all over, metal shavings, welding dust. For what they are, they are not expensive at all.
Automation PC 3100 | B&R Industrial Automation

Paying $3500 for a computer is nothing for me. My new laptop was upwards of $4000, my new desktop will be pushing $5000. The only difference between that and rugged devices is high end components are being traded for durability which I am fine with. The cordless landline phone I have at home cost $750, it’s only features are 3 ringtones and Caller ID, but it’s built like a tank and has a 1+ mile range with the included antenna.