this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2026
80 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

83893 readers
2774 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
80
The Downfall and Enshittification of Microsoft in 2026 | Caio Bianchi (caio.ca)
submitted 4 hours ago by lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com to c/technology@lemmy.world
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 13 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

I hate how the author frames Linux as "cheap". Just because it's open source and free does not mean people use it because it's cheap. They use it because they're tired of the shit. Windows is "free", too, if you never activate it.

[–] NaibofTabr 3 points 40 minutes ago

Microsoft Activation Scripts: https://massgrave.dev/

What Is MAS?

MAS (Microsoft Activation Scripts) is a fully open-source Windows and Office activation tool distributed as batch scripts. It implements multiple activation methods that operate against Microsoft's software licensing subsystem (SPP / OSPP / CLIP) to activate Windows and Office without a purchased product key.

https://deepwiki.com/massgravel/massgrave.dev/2-microsoft-activation-scripts-(mas)

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 6 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (2 children)

I hate how the author frames Linux as “cheap”.

I don't like it either but it's definitely an aspect. Why should I continue paying money for (or even pirate) something that exploits me and makes my life worse? Linux is cheap and legal. E.g. I can use it to experiment with old hardware without needing to make a cost-benefit evaluation first.

"Free" has a double meaning that should be pointed out each time one says FOSS, but "as in beer" is not a bad thing.

Windows is “free”, too, if you never activate it.

OK now I'm stumped because it's so long I actually used Windows. I rcently installed Windows on some work computers but I had to enter the code on the laptop or I couldn't even finish the installation (I think). AFAIU that code was purchased with the laptop. Did I get that wrong?

And in what way is usability hampered if I don't activate it?

[–] popekingjoe@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

And in what way is usability hampered if I don't activate it?

It's been awhile for me too, but iirc, you can't change the wallpaper or other theme options and you get a persistent watermark in the lower right corner trying to shame you into activating. Otherwise it's mostly normal functionality. Pretty sure you even get updates, though I may be wrong on that one.

[–] Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Yeah, I thought windows was only free if you pirate it? Can't imagine why someone would want to do that, but people are weird sometimes.