When the Intel Mac arrived, so maybe 14 years ago or more?
Are you saying Windows has fixed all these problems?
The registry is still there.
I do actually have some Windows machines I use sometimes and recall thinking "still the same" but I can't say that as a hard core user, so I'd be interested to hear if Windows is now a sleek, reliable multitasker that instantly kills dead applications. Nothing will make me OK with the registry and the general mess of Windows though - it's like a house someone hasn't properly cleaned for 40 yeaes.
I feel like if you're bothered simply by the existence of the registry, Windows isn't really for you. I get it, a little bit -- the OOM killer on Linux just boggles my mind, but once you view in context, you can appreciate how we ended with it, at a technical level.
But if you think the registry could be replaced with .ini files like the good ol' days, that's a pretty extreme hot take. If you're open to changing your perspective on what the registry is for, how it is designed, and why it's necessary, read any of the Windows Internals books.
I certainly get a lot less blue screens and lockups than I did in the past, and the OS shuts down locked-up apps more quickly.
Group policies have replaced the registry for advanced configuration of the OS. The only time I’ve needed to change the registry is for dealing with poorly written, old drivers, which are becoming more rare as Microsoft’s standards for getting a driver signed are becoming more stringent.
