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Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

theregister.com

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Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#541

Post by nvdr »

spicyusername wrote: post #10

The only reason I use Windows in 2023 is for video gaming. Every other non-gaming PC I own is running Linux. Windows has become inferior to Linux in every other way. More upgrade headaches, worse resource utilization, worse desktop environment, more crashes, data collection, and now embedded ads. These technology companies have really demonstrated over the past few decades that they are unable to maintain reliable pr…

If you’re keen on moving away from Windows gaming, try VanillaOS. Preinstalled game drivers and apps, flatpaks and ABRoot for other Linux sub-systems.

Proton GE and Bottles works well for 95% of my ‘Windows’ games. I have no trouble running Steam, Blizzard and EA stuff.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#542

Post by nvdr »

sleepybrett wrote: post #287
dabluecaboose wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been looking more and more at this since I got a Steam Deck and found surprisingly good compatibility on almost every game. If Steam OS was made available for your run-of-the-mill gaming rig I'd install it in a heartbeat and give it an earnest test run. That said, there is still a latent unease from my last misadventure with a Linux gaming PC from 2017, which ended in a LOT of restarting into Windows whenever th…

I haven't tried it yet but: https://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown My only speedbump at this point is non-steam games, specifically in my case overwatch2 and diablo4. Can I run the battlenet launcher and it's games on steam os .. can i do it and not be banned by their 'anti cheat' spyware?

Try Bottles (use bottles.com).. I smashed through the Diablo 4 Beta on VanillaOS and Bottles and can also confirm that Overwatch, Hearthstone, StarCraft and Diablo 3 works. The scaling / DPI for the BattleNet client is a little small on my 4K monitor, but other than that, it works well.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#543

Post by ragazzina »

pjs_ wrote: post #393

I like the ads. They spice up my day and give me something fun and interesting to look at when I'm bored at work. Plus I find it positive to see adverts for useful and enjoyable products and services. Thanks Microsoft for putting these ads in my Start Menu where they are handy and easy to find. Maybe they could also put some adverts for products and services that are relevant to my interests into other parts of the o…

I personally would like ads in Teams, so that when I am talking to my coworkers, and mention for example, virtual machines, a nice popup tells me which virtual reality headset just got released. If I mention a user opening a ticket, the popup tells me which attorney close to me can help me fight traffic violations.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#544

Post by account42 »

autoexec wrote: post #527
handity wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Users should learn to say "no" to companies. The surveillance advertising economy is not some hapless mistake that companies will suddenly wake up to one day and realize the error of their ways. Whatever Microsoft "should" do is just wishful thinking. Change will come from users or regulation, and regulation seems unlikely.

> Users should learn to say "no" to companies. This assumes that consumers have a choice to say no. I can drop windows and switch to linux, but I don't think everyone could. I want a phone that doesn't come with Google's software and won't severely limit what I can do with it like apple would. Could most people find and afford one? Some surveillance companies like facebook and Experian don't give you any choice at al…

> I can drop windows and switch to linux, but I don't think everyone could.

Honestly, most people could if they really wanted to. People come up with all kinds of reasons why they can't but ultimately it just boils down to not wanting to be inconvenienced.

Your other examples are a lot harder to do something about but that doesn't mean you can't do anything. Do you really need a smartphone at all? Third party data harvesting is bad and should be regulated out of existence but you can limit how much those companies affect you. Broadband does work a bit better in some parts of the world where the last mile cables are considered common infrastructure so go campaign or heck you could start your own ISP or support someone else that does. Can any single person fix all of this on their own? No. But you can resists wherver possible. You can choose better companies where they are available even if that means paying slightly more. You can get involved politically, especially locally. You can say no to services that are not really essential.

You CAN say no even if that has a cost.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#545

Post by account42 »

techsupporter wrote: post #87
JCWasmx86 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies should really accept a "No" from their users. No I don't want to use a microsoft account just to use my computer. (Without jumping through hoops) Don't ask me again the moment I say "No". You can see the same with all those dialogs that only have "Yes, do $THING" and "Remind me later".

And notice how "Yes" is permanent. Once you "agree," you can never go back without starting all over again, if even then. This is why there are no more "No" selections. The developers--from marketing to the people who ask ChatGPT to spit out the required Python code and then paste it into a GitHub repository--all have financial motivations for you to say "Yes".

This is why I think that the GDPR is such an important law not just for the things it covers but because it formalizes the notion of iformed consent for computer interactions - specifically requiring that saying no has to be as easy as saying yes.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#546

Post by account42 »

marcosdumay wrote: post #248
mihaaly wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Without client conciousness clients will be fcked! Sooner or later will be, as their agressive provider shoves more and more crap down their throat without resistance it will only make that provider more and more determined feeding even more crap for fortunes. Not being satisfied and stop. It will continue into the eternity if can. When something is forced on you that you do not want or even harmful for you then not…

Don't come with client consciousness. MS's deal with computer manufacturers makes them pay more if they want to not install Windows on all of the computers they sell. And when some decided to just sell computers, you know, unbundled, the way that maximizes consumer choice, they were framed as criminally enriching from piracy and lots of governments felt into them with all their rage. It's not the client's fault that…

No one is powerful on their own. Power is derived from other people going along. Always.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#547

Post by account42 »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #231
mihaaly wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not paying them, perhaps? : / Not buying their products.

I highly doubt people buying a Windows 11 license with their own money is even 0.1% of the installed base. If they had hundreds of millions of people, or OEMs, sending them $150 USD per license, it would be unlikely for them to put in ads. As in windows 7. But when it's almost freely given away...

OEMs aren't paying license fees for preinstalled Windows (if they are doing that at all) because they want to support Microsoft but because their customers expect Windows to be installed. That means you still decide.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#548

Post by jwestbury »

FireBeyond wrote: post #462
thewebcount wrote: post #361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is stupid, but if I recall correctly, if you click the close box “x” in the upper left corner of the notification, it will stop asking, but if you say “remind me later” it continues to ask you. It is utterly infuriating that they use this dark pattern.

Apple and unintuitive UI patterns, be they dark or otherwise. How many people have discovered macOS or iOS behaviors with accidental keypresses, swipes or gestures, or long holds on a button or ... bleh.

> How many people have discovered macOS or iOS behaviors with accidental keypresses, swipes or gestures, or long holds on a button or ... bleh.

A similar number to those who have discovered them on Windows, I'd wager.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#549

Post by ragazzina »

snvzz wrote: post #294
dabluecaboose wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hilarious how the first Linux user's response to a Windows user's unease is immediately "open the terminal" As long as that's how it goes, it will never be the Year of the Linux Desktop.

Typing (or pasting) a command into a terminal will always be more reproduceable than anything GUI.

The issue is discoverability.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#550

Post by account42 »

chongli wrote: post #111
JCWasmx86 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies should really accept a "No" from their users. No I don't want to use a microsoft account just to use my computer. (Without jumping through hoops) Don't ask me again the moment I say "No". You can see the same with all those dialogs that only have "Yes, do $THING" and "Remind me later".

I don't see how we get them to accept a "No" when they know they can make more money by relentlessly badgering the users until they say "Yes".

You do it by making sure that in your case it means they make less money, ideally none or even less, and convincing others to do the same.
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