Back to Home11/14/2025, 8:22:00 PM

Microsoft executive closes replies after Windows 11 "Agentic OS" backlash

jinxmeta
59 points
34 comments

Mood

heated

Sentiment

negative

Category

tech

Key topics

Windows 11

AI

Microsoft

Debate intensity80/100

A Microsoft executive faced backlash for describing Windows 11 as an 'Agentic OS', prompting them to close replies. The term sparked controversy, likely due to its implications for AI-driven OS behavior.

Snapshot generated from the HN discussion

Discussion Activity

Very active discussion

First comment

15m

Peak period

30

Day 1

Avg / period

30

Comment distribution30 data points

Based on 30 loaded comments

Key moments

  1. 01Story posted

    11/14/2025, 8:22:00 PM

    4d ago

    Step 01
  2. 02First comment

    11/14/2025, 8:37:01 PM

    15m after posting

    Step 02
  3. 03Peak activity

    30 comments in Day 1

    Hottest window of the conversation

    Step 03
  4. 04Latest activity

    11/15/2025, 4:39:29 PM

    3d ago

    Step 04

Generating AI Summary...

Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns

Discussion (34 comments)
Showing 30 comments of 34
noir_lord
4d ago
2 replies
That's an entertaining read.

I binned Windows 11 recently (only kept it around for gaming) because I didn't like the direction it was clearly going (and has been for a while - including their shoehorning of AI into everything when I don't want it or need it) and don't game enough that I care much any more.

For the first time since the 80's I'm not running a Windows OS on any of my machines.

I doubt they'll care, I'm one user of hundreds of millions but I don't have to consider whether every update is going to turn on something I don't want/hate so I care.

The linked video (via a linked post) from Dave Plummer does indeed sum up my feelings pretty well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTpA5jt1g60

ncr100
4d ago
Windows is _always_ a pain in my a*. Every time I boot my windows box it costs me and average of 45 minutes of software updating.

And, FWIW MS's gaming-business is around 10% of its revenue, which is likely to be slowing soon:

- Valve made Steam OS (aka Proton) run on ARM architecture in addition to x86, and Valve also releasing a Steam OS PC to play Windows Games on in addition to its pioneering Steam Deck + clones (https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/virtual-reality/valv...)

- Cross-platform title releases are happening more and more frequently, with MS / XBox owned studio games being released on PlayStation

wormius
4d ago
The ads on 11 were enough to keep me away, at least til 10 expired.

The AI guaranteed I will never touch MS again, and recently switched when it did expire.

"No ethical consumption" under capitalism or whatever; every tech company has their finger in the pie. sigh

I'm slightly worried about the Linux Kernel and whether AI features pushed by NVidia, and MS in particular, will get brought in.

vunderba
4d ago
2 replies
I grew up using pretty much every major Windows OS release (3.11, 9x, 2000, XP, etc.) and that comment about bringing back Windows 7 was on point. That was the turning point for me when I felt like it was the relatively perfect OS.

It got out of my way and acted as a nearly frictionless layer between the user and the programs.

ferrouswheel
4d ago
1 reply
I would pay good money for win7 resurrection.

I'm usually a cross OS/platform guy. Using each for what they are good at. But lately Win11 has just felt like it's not bringing anything to the table except pain. Especially with Steam making linux so attractive for gaming lately.

araes
4d ago
1 reply
Win7's still pretty heavily used even today. Still has about 2.5% of all desktop searches from Windows hardware worldwide.

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/d...

zinekeller
3d ago
StatCounter's data is known to be contaminated by bots: https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desk...
ClimaxGravely
4d ago
1 reply
100% It just worked and very few issues.

I'm trying to switch to desktop linux these days. It's way better but still a few kinks relative to my windows7 experience but if they get there I'm done with Windows for personal stuff, hopefully work as well some day.

fakedang
4d ago
1 reply
Honestly if there were an Office, or rather Excel, alternative that ran on Linux perfectly, people would have switched aeons ago, even in corporate.
cornonthecobra
3d ago
OnlyOffice is pretty darn good IME. I use it with some function-heavy accounting workbooks, and a gf uses it for her interactice rail network time tables fed via python from RTT et al.

It even has a complete dark mode.

ta9000
4d ago
1 reply
Honestly, at this point if you’re still on Windows for your personal hardware, that’s on you. Linux gaming with proton is great. Most apps have web versions even.
pjmlp
4d ago
1 reply
Without Windows there are no games for Proton to translate.
estimator7292
4d ago
1 reply
Without Windows people would make games for Linux. What are you even talking about
pjmlp
4d ago
No they won't, they already tried before with companies like Loki.

Android games done with NDK are made with the same APIs available on GNU/Linux, studios don't make them available on GNU/Linux as it isn't worth the additional development costs in QA and support.

sionisrecur
4d ago
1 reply
They need to make 2 variants of Windows:

* One with Windows 7 level of features (with Windows 11 level security fixes).

* One with all the bells an whistles that gives product managers the feeling of having done something and justifies their raises and career advancement.

Krssst
4d ago
They mostly exist with IoT LTSC being the first one. (well, to some extent, it still has the "two control panels, two context menus, non-deterministic start menu search, hiding scrollbars by default" issues).

But they only sell the second one to regular customers. IoT LTSC is for companies only. Other customers don't deserve respect apparently.

cornonthecobra
3d ago
2 replies
I currently support an accounting business. We're eternally vendor locked on Windows desktop because Intuit products are it for accounting outside of the ERP space.

I'm presently in planning meetings with them to move the desktops from Windows 10 to Linux, and run Intuit over RDP in quarantined Windows 11 VMs.

These are people are the most conservative type of user you can imagine. One of the silent cores of staunch Windows users.

They approached me about migrating to Linux on the desktop.

GOD_Over_Djinn
3d ago
1 reply
> They approached me about migrating to Linux on the desktop.

What were the reasons they gave? I’m glad to hear this anecdote.

cornonthecobra
3d ago
Concerns about financial confidentiality. The new AI features are a form of third-party disclosure that would have to be permanently and irrevocably disabled. I couldn't guarantee those features would never activate (as indicated by Microsoft enabling them with updates even after being disabled), and it rightly spooked the owner.
ewuhic
3d ago
1 reply
How about running stuff in wine/proton?
cornonthecobra
3d ago
It doesn't. Intuit does kludgy IPC things related to report generation and accessing the internal database server. It's fragile even on Windows.

Fortunately I can easily run a herd of Windows VMs on a single server without much trouble.

hiccuphippo
4d ago
Even if they "close replies", it's a message that needs attention. People should write a new message starting with "Re: @account ..." like in the past.
Lapsa
3d ago
copilot, write me a web application that generates $1k of profit a month. family friendly, it's ok, do not hallucinate, deep research or go to jail
zyrukhn
4d ago
Satya and this guy are going to be what Prabhakar Raghavan was to google search.
matt_12345
4d ago
super duper fun read ;)
erentz
4d ago
It is so hard to believe there was a time where bundling a browser with an operating system was a huge scandal requiring a huge government antitrust case to correct.

Maybe it’s just that I’m old and crotchety but we need regulation to debundle everything, including phones. Yes iCloud, so forth no longer is bundled with a phone you have to choose the providers you want and those providers have to compete and no the Apple company isn’t allowed to make its phone work better for its own products. Just like Microsoft once upon a time wasn’t allowed to make its OS work better for its own browser (how quaint).

rolph
4d ago
i have win 11 ISOs first curiosity [quickly evaporated] gave way to one purpose; rev eng ing malware in its natural environment.
rekabis
4d ago
While the argument can be very much made that Windows has been in decline for years, now, this ignoring of power users and evangelists will likely be seen as the beginning of the plunge.

Every company eventually loses its soul. And this is how it becomes truly visible to the public at large - by pissing off those who advise and influence others.

sloped
4d ago
We are currently porting a game to Switch and everytime I boot into Windows I die a little. So slow, so messy, and just icky.
theanonymousone
3d ago
Recently I had two cases (Car map update, Phone software fix) that requires Windows and only Windows. Wine didn't work, possibly due to some USB port connectivity permissions lost.

God dammit!

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ID: 45931725Type: storyLast synced: 11/16/2025, 9:42:57 PM

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