I already killed it twice. I remember an old post in the Old New Thing about why the systray has no API to show/hide icons. (Answer: Because if it had an API, application would abuse it to force to show crap.)
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Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
61–70 of 158 posts
Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#62Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#63Does anyone have a list of all the dark patterns Microsoft has used to push IE, Bing, and Edge? It's truly astounding.
What I find astonishing is, that they were fined 561 million once by the EU, for not having an explicit "ballot box" where the user was offered different browser as alternative and now they can do way worse, without getting fined.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission
"On 16 December 2009, the European Union agreed to allow competing browsers, with Microsoft providing a "ballot box" screen letting users choose one of twelve popular products listed in random order.[45] The twelve browsers were Avant, Chrome, Firefox, Flock, GreenBrowser, Internet Explorer, K-Meleon, Maxthon, Opera, Safari, Sleipnir, and Slim,[46] which were accessible via BrowserChoice.eu. The automatic nature of the BrowserChoice.eu feature was dropped in Windows 7 Service Pack 1 in February 2011 and remained absent for 14 months despite Microsoft reporting that it was still present, subsequently described by Microsoft as a "technical error". As a result, in March 2013 the European Commission fined Microsoft €561 million to deter companies from reneging on settlement promises"
The only difference is, that back then IE was dominant and is not anymore. But Microsoft is still pretty much in a monopoly position for Desktop market.
Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#64This is the kind of shenanigan that happens when you use an OS that literally has third party advertisements in its start menu
I wish there was a genuine Pro version of Windows I could pay for that didn’t have any of this.
“Windows 11 Pro for Workstations” doesn’t have 3rd party crap. You still get the MS crap though.
Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#65Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#66Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#67Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wish there was a genuine Pro version of Windows I could pay for that didn’t have any of this.
LTSC doesn't, but it's not easily available through conventional retail channels. If you're putting a Windows machine in a kiosk, POS, machine, or similar commercial setting, though, LTSC is the way to go.
Weird thing is I use Surface kit, ie despite everything being from Microsoft I can’t pay them money to get a Windows (Workstation or LTSP) without ads.
Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#69This is the kind of shenanigan that happens when you use an OS that literally has third party advertisements in its start menu
I wish there was a genuine Pro version of Windows I could pay for that didn’t have any of this.
Its called Windows 10 LTSC. I have been running it for years and everytime I use a non-LTSC version of Windows, i'm baffled by the amount of bullshit MS manages stuff in their OS. It's almost as if they are actively trying to make people leave their ecosystem.
Re: Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop
#70It happens when Edge updates which, like Chrome, happens fairly frequently so I can understand why you might think that it is forced. But you can delete it and not have it appear until Edge updates again. Note that Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of many that does the same thing, it used to do it, stopped for a while, and is now doing it again. My errant thought is that this sort of thing happens when the marketing depar…
If a person was doing the same thing we would rightfully call that "harassment".
Shame on every single at Microsoft involved in this decision.