I'm all about peer to peer to make efficient use of resources but this, to me, is another feature that should be opt in by default.<p>If you are like me you have a decent connection, know for a fact you're not utilizing as much as you're given and understand how a P2P protocol can help you and those around you.<p>But your average user doesn't really know what this all means without explanation. IMO most people probably have no idea what the optimal setting for them would be, therefore they will leave it on for fear of breaking something by switching it off.<p>Cool feature but let those who know better turn it on and let the rest of the masses opt in once their techie friend explains it to them and makes sure it won't hurt with regard to data caps.
They're walking back the click-bait title (it used to say “steals your bandwidth”) but it's still somewhat hyperbolic: it could be described as “Windows 10 uses other peoples’ bandwidth to give you updates faster” with equal accuracy.<p>If it's worth discussing a documented feature, could we at least link to the actual source:<p><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-update-delivery-optimization-faq" rel="nofollow">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-update...</a><p>It's a valid concern for people with really low bandwidth caps who might want to set the metered flag but given the short duration it seems unlikely that this would be an issue for most people.
I think that they have a list of approved ISPs or some dependable way to make sure it doesn't happen on metered connections.<p><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-update-delivery-optimization-faq" rel="nofollow">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-update...</a><p>"As with Windows 8.1, Windows 10 won't automatically download updates or apps if it detects that your PC is using a metered connection. Similarly, Delivery Optimization won’t automatically download or send parts of updates or apps to other PCs on the Internet if it detects that you're using a metered connection."
Wow "Microsoft says that the feature “helps people get updates and apps more quickly if they have a limited or unreliable Internet connection” and “does not slow down your internet connection” as it uses a “limited portion” of idle upload bandwidth."<p>Sorry but Microsoft cannot know that. They can know how much bandwidth your machine has access to on some level, but they cannot know what kind of strain is being put on any shared router upstream including your home wifi router. It absolutely can slow down your internet. Maybe the author paraphrased Microsoft's response, but with that wording it's not accurate.
Is anyone compiling a list of the settings I'll need to check when I finally make the jump from Windows 7 to 10 in a few months? I'd like to be on a newer OS, but between this and Cortana and some sort of XBL overlay that apparently messes with game performance, I'm going to need to do research into the optimal setup first.
Microsoft seems to be setting all their defaults to "screw the user". This isn't good. Distributing Windows 10 as a drive-by install that takes over your machine and turns it into a spamming node is really sleazy.<p>Microsoft is giving away Windows 10. That's a huge problem. It's not a compelling product they can get people to pay for, unlike all previous versions of Windows. Microsoft, for the first time, has to claw its revenue out of the user some other way.<p>For decades, Microsoft has been hard on their competitors and hardware suppliers, and they've had antitrust problems. But Microsoft didn't usually apply pain to their users, who were their primary customers. With Windows 10, that all changes. Windows users, you are no longer the customer. You are the product.<p>This may not end well for Microsoft, because most of their revenue is in the B2B space. Business customers don't like being the product.
If a Microsoft can get away with sharing customers resources like this, could a bank do the same? When forming an account, they add some default opt-out service to "share" resources between accounts in order to help people get a better loan experience.
Windows 10 is turning out to be a giant bate and switch for the average user. Most people will not even suspect that their bandwidth is being leached, their information is being sucked from their entire computer and their whole OS is left wide open to whoever microsoft deems worthy.<p>The entire thing feels like a gigantic violation by taking advantage of the average person's ability or willingness to deal with all the added complexity.
Looked at from a different light, if we had more things like this, on by default, it could force ISPs to remove their caps, or at least raise them significantly.<p>I'd really like to know if the current caps, low as they are, are there for a very good technical reason, or if it's just to protect existing old media outlets. It certainly feel like the later here in Canada.
Another point to notice is, they are probably doing this to save money on bandwidth, at the cost of the user. Commercial bandwidth connections are usually at a "wholesale" price, and consumer connections are really really expensive. They might be able to save less than a cent for every dollar users lose because of this feature.
Am I the only one having "issues" with Enterprises deciding to turn on usage of MY resources for their benefit by default? aka opt-out vs opt-in? I mean how much bandwidth and connected costs ms things to save themselves by this feature?<p>Hyperbole: what's next? Making my machine crack some crypto in a swarm? mining coins?
Remind me again why people on HN are so keen to embrace Microsoft?<p>Seems like they're still up to the same dirty, user-hostile tricks as they've always been since the 90's.