Windows 11 Now Officially Adware as Microsoft Embeds Ads in the Start Menu

[Sabotaged_Enigma]

Is it the infamous context menu that everyone brings up (the full menu can be accessed by holding the SHIFT key even with out modifying the OS). Or the simple registry edit that's necessary to always display the full menu?

Exactly, and some more. I don't bother to give more examples 'cause I've "upgraded" to Windows 10 already and I think you know them all.
Listen, users didn't have to do this and now we do, so this is a step back. Why does it have to be more complicated? And why should I have to spend extra time learning something new or waiting for someone to tell me what to do and tryna adapt to it when it's not f*cking revolutionary at all?
You have the absolute right to hold your like and I have mine to dislike it. End of conversation.

 

[AGlezB]

what self respecting company puts ads inside their OS? seriously...

ROFL.

The answer is: all of them.
What sane company would pass up the opportunity to make more money?
They'll put ads on their websites. They'll put ads on their services. They'll put ads in their software.
And then they'll add data farming and sell your data for even more sweet money.

The only way to stop that behavior is to make it into law and even then they'll still do it until they're caught and then they'll say "Oopsies!" and pay an eye-watering fine and then keep at it.
Just look at this and keep in mind those are just the "20 biggest fines of 2023". A third of the fines in that list come courtesy of Meta+Facebook+WhatsApp for a little over 2.5 billion euros and that didn't scratch their paint because the made way more than they lost.

 

[Lycanwolfen]

Great more things stupid computer users can click on in a business envirorment. Windows 11 should have never came out period. Ms talks security then has no security except the protection of its own BS.

 

[Vya Domus]

Everything has ads, it's the revenue model that a lot of software companies use and that's not changing anytime soon.

 

[Jism]

MS is pushing bing so hard.. and it's AI model.

Time to unsubscribe once W10 ends. Seriously.

 

[Easy Rhino]

ROFL.

The answer is: all of them.
What sane company would pass up the opportunity to make more money?
They'll put ads on their websites. They'll put ads on their services. They'll put ads in their software.
And then they'll add data farming and sell your data for even more sweet money.

The only way to stop that behavior is to make it into law and even then they'll still do it until they're caught and then they'll say "Oopsies!" and pay an eye-watering fine and then keep at it.
Just look at this and keep in mind those are just the "20 biggest fines of 2023". A third of the fines in that list come courtesy of Meta+Facebook+WhatsApp for a little over 2.5 billion euros and that didn't scratch their paint because the made way more than they lost.

I'm not seeing ads inside any of the BSD operating systems or Fedora, Arch, or OpenSUSE...

 

[cvaldes]

I mean, there is MacOS. LoL just kidding...not trying to get the Tiki Torch march initiated.

Apple's operating systems (and upgrades) are included in the price of the hardware. Their software engineers have rent to pay, kids to raise, taxes to file, etc. Some of their services are free but there's a charge for higher levels (Apple Music, AppleTV+, Apple Fitness, etc.).

If you can't get people to pay outright or fork out regularly for a subscription, ads are one way to get some revenue. Windows engineers are still on Microsoft's payroll.

Windows advertisements are clearly an effort to keep Windows from being a cost center at Microsoft. And as the operating system gets worse, their support costs skyrocket.

There is no easy solution for Microsoft concerning Windows. They can't keep the lights burning from people like me paying ~$7 for a bulk/OEM Windows license key (like the ones frequently sold by online stores advertising here at TPU).

 

[AGlezB]

I'm not seeing ads inside any of the BSD operating systems or Fedora, Arch, or OpenSUSE...

Because they can't. They put ads and their userbase will migrate in bulk to a distro without ads. That's just suicide.

 

[cvaldes]

Ads on Linux would really only work with the biggest distros where advertisers think that there would be enough eyeballs to make it worth the effort.

I'm not sure desktop Linux penetration is sufficient for any distro to try. But someone may. As AGlezB says, such an effort would likely be poorly received by the Linux audience.

The fact that Linux is fractured into 100+ distros makes advertising on Linux an unrealistic solution to generate revenue.

 

[Double-Click]

Absolutely ridiculous for those of us who PAY for their user license...what the actual #%^! MS...

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Heres what you do. 2 models. Paid and free. Free has ads. Paid does not.

BOOM.

 

[AGlezB]

Heres what you do. 2 models. Paid and free. Free has ads. Paid does not.

BOOM.

That is the old way. The new way has 4 tiers:

1. Free: you can barely see the content because ads cover most of the space.
2. Ad-supported (a.k.a. Basic): you have to pay a moderate amount and you'll get ads but not so much that you can't ignore them if you are used to seeing ads everywhere.
3. Premium (a.k.a. Pro): you don't get ads but also don't get some features and from time to time you'll get a prompt to upgrade to the top tier.
4. Ultra premium (a.k.a. Enterprise): no ads and every feature is enabled.

 

[JohH]

They also inject an ad pop-up for people who use Chrome. Even if they paid $200 for Windows 11 Pro.

Truly a scumbag company. Bing managers keep getting promoted upward and put in charge of projects they quickly ruin. Seems they have finally failed upwards to Windows.

 

[Craptacular]

This is what happens when you are a software company and you give the OS away as a free upgrade to those on the previous version of the software. They have to get their money somehow.

 

[watzupken]

To be fair, adding ads is not a problem. Ads is all around us, not that I like it, but we can easily ignore it. The problem boils down to the performance impact as a result of all these unwanted extras requiring more processing power and hardware resources.

 

[Tomorrow]

Exactly, and some more. I don't bother to give more examples 'cause I've "upgraded" to Windows 10 already and I think you know them all.
Listen, users didn't have to do this and now we do, so this is a step back. Why does it have to be more complicated? And why should I have to spend extra time learning something new or waiting for someone to tell me what to do and tryna adapt to it when it's not f*cking revolutionary at all?
You have the absolute right to hold your like and I have mine to dislike it. End of conversation.

If you're already on Win10 then you're not missing much. Like i said the context menu thing is small time issue that can be worked around in a permanent way in less than a minute. Taskbar changes and behavior that cannot be altered even by 3rd party programs is far more important.

Truth be told most of my problems exist in Win10 too but for me Win10 is even worse because it's missing features Win11 has like tabbed explorer, dark mode task manager, end task from taskbar and more. With Win11 i was able to stop using several programs i used in Win10. One was for tabbed explorer and the other was for center taskbar icons - both are default now in Win11.

 

[AusWolf]

Microsoft disgusts me these days. I'll continue using Windows 10 as long as my hardware is supported. After that, it's time for me to learn Linux again.

 

[AleXXX666]

Looks like it's time to switch to IoT Enterprise LTSC.

LMFAO, if it's 11, they could get there too..... back to 10 then, lol

If you're already on Win10 then you're not missing much. Like i said the context menu thing is small time issue that can be worked around in a permanent way in less than a minute. Taskbar changes and behavior that cannot be altered even by 3rd party programs is far more important.

Truth be told most of my problems exist in Win10 too but for me Win10 is even worse because it's missing features Win11 has like tabbed explorer, dark mode task manager, end task from taskbar and more. With Win11 i was able to stop using several programs i used in Win10. One was for tabbed explorer and the other was for center taskbar icons - both are default now in Win11.

Total Commander and its analogs are far better than "tabbed explorer", lol

 

[DaemonForce]

The answer is: all of them.

To the point of being cannibalistic and annoying? Not worth it.
It's the same reason I'll never take a sponsor of anything made by the SPY country or anything that feeds a bunch of high "energy" junk to a bunch of terminally online teen or 20-something NEETs. They didn't ask for it and don't need it. Even when the pay package is high enough to be half a year's pay I'd rather pass than completely alienate a user base like that. Have some (better) standards Microsoft.

Probably time to dump Explorer shell for Q-Dir or something.

 

[Totally]

Sooo I guess Win10 is my last MS OS then. Bye M$, not gonna miss ya.

"optional update", a rational person just would not install the update.

 

[GerKNG]

To be fair, adding ads is not a problem

it is a massive and unacceptable problem.
i want to use MY Computer with a clean and function first operating system. i paid for this OS and i refuse any kind of intervention in any way.
No Ads, Popups, recommendations, pre installed junk, rules against my will, software installations against my will, ANY data collection outside of "is there anything to update? Yes/No".

 

[Octopuss]

What the fuck???? So you pay a lot of money for a OS and it shows you ads? WTF???!!!

 

[starfals]

There are easy to use apps that disable usually everything. This new thing will also be turned off once they update these apps. It sucks that we have to deal with it... I guess It's too much to ask for no ads once you pay like 100-200 bucks for a Windows license.

 

[Vayra86]

Then you should praise Win11 because at least MS is trying to make a more coherent UI instead of ping-ponging between two control panels. Each update migrates more things from the old to the new control panel. Win10 does not get the same treatment as it will only get security updates.

I find Win11's UI much pleasant to look at than Win10's ever was. Less said about the Win8 abomination the better.

First you say that in bold and the very next sentence... each update migrates more things from old to new. In other words, not only is it STILL as mixed up as it is in 10, now you also have to keep wondering what moved where with each update.

I'm not sure you're seeing things clearly
But do enjoy 11. I'll enjoy 10, where things actually just stay largely the same most of the time right now. Its glorious, knowing where things are in an OS. But I understand you prefer constant change instead and praise MS for giving you that.

As for Vista and XP having rounded corners... nah, not the Apple infused ones, where every 90 degree angle is blasphemy, because its way too efficient a use of space. Can't be having that now, no no. People might get confused if they have to look at more than 6 elements on a single window.

So here we are in 2024 with a spanking new OS that is actually still cleaning up its act, and shows far less on a 4K screen than I could view on a 720P in 2005. Yay for progress! At least that half sentence you can read on screen has no jaggies anymore, how wonderful.

There is no easy solution for Microsoft concerning Windows. They can't keep the lights burning from people like me paying ~$7 for a bulk/OEM Windows license key (like the ones frequently sold by online stores advertising here at TPU).

Sure they can, as they evidently always have, for several decades at least now, cheap Windows is commonplace.

They have monopolized, or near monopolized the market for serious PC AND PC gaming with their OS. This represents a huge money tree. The price of the license isn't even relevant, it never was. Microsoft's market penetration makes them the definitive player in enterprise OS for example. And on that, they float their Azure business.

Windows is making buck fine. Stop fooling yourself, and don't believe MS because the company has always turned a profit. For an OS that isn't making money they sure as hell do a lot of dev work don't you think.

 

[AVATARAT]

We want innovations, but not today.
After each new Windows, we cry for the old one - does this help? No?
In our new world, there are ads everywhere, I don't like them and remove them, but we need to adapt.

Before 20 years games were full games for 20$ today we need to buy DLC, in-game money... I don't like it, but there is no way.