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Windows 8 has been one of the most anticipated and talked about tech launches of 2012. Discussions intensified as the operating system neared and for the most part, everything went off swimmingly for Redmond. Sure there was the post-RTM update ahead of Microsoft’s October 26 release date but there’s something else with Windows 8 that most aren’t yet aware of: built-in advertising.
The advertisements are reportedly found inside some of the applications that ship with Windows 8 under the Modern UI (Metro) user interface like Finance, News, Travel and Weather. Advertisements in free mobile apps or even trial software are perfectly understandable, but how should you feel about finding ads inside software you paid full price for?
Several prominent figures from around the web are voicing their opinion on the issue, both in defense of the ads and against them. As ZDNet highlights, John Gruber from Daring Fireball simply believes it’s “gross.” But it’s not just Mac fans that feel that way as Paul Thurrott from Supersite for Windows essentially believes it cheapens the operating system.
ZDNet’s Ed Bott doesn’t feel the issue is nearly as big of a deal as Gruber and Thurrott, however. Instead of seeing this as another revenue stream for Microsoft at the expense of paying customers, he says the ads are simply part of a project from Microsoft designed to inspire Windows 8 app developers.
Granted, the ads themselves aren’t terribly obtrusive. In fact, most say you have do a little digging to find the ads which is probably why we haven’t publically heard about them sooner. As Bott points out, the ad in the News app is found by swiping through seven full screens in landscape move. It’s similarly placed in the Sports app shown above as well.
Have you had an opportunity to try Windows 8 and if so, have you noticed the ads before? How do you feel about them being in a piece of software you’ve already paid full price for?
User Comments: 62
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Time to move to Linux, it's free, it's ad free, truly an OS for the user.Oh everybody says that, then they try it, and most come right back to Windows. It's generally a PITA to wait around for WINE to catch up with the programs you need to use now.
That notwithstanding, a couple of years ago, I found Ubuntu incapable of recognizing SATA drives as IDE, and reached an impasse with Linux demanding SATA drivers that for all intents and purposes, didn't exist. In in a BIOS attached to a Windows XP, all you need do is click, "run as IDE", and your driver troubles and need go away. You can't expect the average housewife to be willing to take on a hassle like that. I hope they have native SATA drivers packed with Ubuntu now. But, it's a day late and dollar short for me, even if they do.
M$ is in a tough position with this tablet nonsense. The explosion of tablet usage has forced their hand into the form the OS has take.
If desktop adoption isn't what they hope it will be, they will be forced to retool the interface access for the desktop in Windows 9. However, if the tablet market continues to expand to the point where they believe they're meeting their profit goals, "power users" will be SOL.
What's left after that , is the possible release of a separate "enterprise" edition, with an attendant hefty price tag to compensate for the smaller potential sales base.
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Ads in the OS what's next! I am sure the HOST file could be edited to block out ads from running. I don't use Windows Live it seems to be required to use Windows 8 fully.
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I do not think he is comparing cocaine with an OS. He is merely discussing a mechanism of how one forms an opinion, wether that is an OS or cocaine and I for one find it a valid argument.
I for one, never tried same gender sex, and I can tell you I never will and if other people want to, fine that is their decision, but I formed a valid opinion about what I think of it before even trying. I will also not dive out of a plane woth or without aparachute eventhough I never tried it and I will never hit my wife and my girlfriend, all because I find it unappealing and jeez, I never even tried it.
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captaincranky
My experience is different: I have an Ububtu and a Windows 7 system. My Ubuntu system recognizes most add ons without having to provide a driver whereas my windows system has trouble recognizing just about anything with or without a driver. But then again, even after rigorous cleaning, updating and whatnot, my Windows 7 now needs a solid 35 MINUTES to start up of which most of the time it apepars to do just nothing. No, I am not a windows hater (though microsoft makes that hard not to) but for the life of me I dont understand why windows seems to have problems with just about anything and just gets slower the more you use it, while my ubuntu system just runs smooth time after time after time. I will give windows that their desktop looks a bit smarter than Ubuntu
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I noticed the ads except I didn't really notice them until I read this. How does the program know if I've seen the ad?
Not that it matters. I'm going to remove all that 'Bing' stuff anyway, and next time I'll maybe try a Chromebook (Just as long as they've introduced a 'local storage' option...).
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captaincrankyTo further explain my issues with Ubuntu, I was simply unable to settle the driver issue to to complete an install, without providing external drivers for my SATA HDDs. There, I would have needed a RAID card, and the drivers associated to get the HDDs recognized by Linux. I was able to install Ubuntu on an ancient eMachines T-5026, which as it turns out DOES run SATA drives as SATA, because it has Intel's SATA drivers integrated into the the Windows XP "image", AKA "restore discs". So, if you reload that OS, it loads the Intel SATA drivers from an image, rather than forcing you to install them via floppy. Ububtu "?.0" that I tried was workable, but so isa the XP installation in that machine, and I saw no salient advantage in keeping the dual boot OSes.
My experience is different: I have an Ububtu and a Windows 7 system. My Ubuntu system recognizes most add ons without having to provide a driver whereas my windows system has trouble recognizing just about anything with or without a driver.
But then again, even after rigorous cleaning, updating and whatnot, my Windows 7 now needs a solid 35 MINUTES to start up of which most of the time it apepars to do just nothing. No, I am not a windows hater (though microsoft makes that hard not to) but for the life of me I dont understand why windows seems to have problems with just about anything and just gets slower the more you use it, while my ubuntu system just runs smooth time after time after time. I will give windows that their desktop looks a bit smarter than UbuntuIn all honesty, this just sounds like a troll. I'm not one to sit around and brag, or give much thought to boot times but, the eMachine I mentioned, takes less than maybe 5 minutes to boot, but, it's running an Intel 915 chipset, with DDR <notice there's no number behind the last "Dee"!Again, I am fairly unconcerned about boot times, since I have no intention of rushing out to buy an SSD to improve mine. With that said, my Core-i3-530 box (H-55 DDR#@1333) boots in about 45 seconds, from a Seagate "Barracuda 11" 320GB.
I expect my results are much, much, closer to the norm, than are yours. So, while I think it's great that you're a staunch supporter of Linux, I also think it's a bit comical that you can manage the Ubuntu installation, yet your Windows installation is hosed, and obviously out of your realm of experience and ability to control
If I had a 35 minute boot time on anything, I'd repair or replace it.
So, my best counsel for you is either: reinstall Windows on a new HDD, (that would kill two diagnostic birds with one stone), take the machine to a qualified tech for repair, call M$ support so they can tell you the same thing I just did, manage which programs are running at startup (msconfig), or last, but certainly not least, stop bullshitting and/or trolling. If none of the forgoing meet your current needs or expectations, you could ask our "Virus & Malware Removal Forum" for assistance...... (And with a 35 minute boot time, if I were you, I'd ask very respectfully). Go ye forth as a supplicant! To here: [link]
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I do not think he is comparing cocaine with an OS. He is merely discussing a mechanism of how one forms an opinion, wether that is an OS or cocaine and I for one find it a valid argument.
I for one, never tried same gender sex, and I can tell you I never will and if other people want to, fine that is their decision, but I formed a valid opinion about what I think of it before even trying. I will also not dive out of a plane woth or without aparachute eventhough I never tried it and I will never hit my wife and my girlfriend, all because I find it unappealing and jeez, I never even tried it.
This is a witty and topical reply. But, it could have been better with some selected quotes to help us know to who you're replying. I'm pretty sure I do, but the drift tends to get lost as other posts come between the quoter and the quoted.
I realize a"Guest" doesn't get the same option for "reply" (which automatically quotes the intended "victim"
, as a logged in member but, the quote.> " < mark on the far right of the toolbar, will place a quote box around pre-selected text.Don't select text, and hit ( " ) you get either nada or squat depending on whether English is your 1st or 2nd language
Select text, and hit ( " ) you get this groovy box! which you could embellish by saying, "captaincranky said, captaincranky was rude, captaincranky put me up to this"...et alOr, you could simply join, and "join" the fray.
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"
98SE = good
ME = bad
XP = good
Vista = bad
7 = good
8 = starting to look like another turkey."
After ME came Windows 2000 and Vista isn't bad, ask anyone running it with uptodate drivers and SP2.
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Ya know Tony, I appreciate you looking out for me. But honestly, I haven't seen anything in Windows 8 that compels me to even want to try it. That's not a judgment on its quality or lack thereof. It's butt ugly...Thats exactly what I have been saying and exactly why I will not be buying Windows 8. I could probably get used to the functionality of Windows 8, but why would I promote Windows 8 when I don't fully agree with the direction Microsoft is going?
The Win 7 task bar, Aero interface, and slide show background is a constant joy to me. Why would I ever go to this new gobbledegook, that for all the world, looks like a bad photo of a set of Fischer-Price children's blocks?
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Sony is trying the same thing in Europe on the PS3 by sneaking in a forced and unremovable SingStar advertising icon right in our gamelists. It is escalating into a downright PR catastrofy and European PS3 gamers are this close to marching down to SCEE headquarters with torches and pitforks.
Something tells me Microsift won't fare much better...
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Who cares about a few ads, at least they aren't pop-up lol. the os runs faster than previous windows even with these ads, only slightly on faster computers, but slow computers get a huge boost in speed. I've been using the operating system since release and you can do everything you can on previous windows, with certain extras, my favourite beings Xbox connectivity without having to set up any extra software, the "play to..." Button in video player is just genius
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tonowando said:
Built-in advertising: The Windows 8 feature you haven't heard about
sorry folks !!
the title is misleading , the article is misleading .
by now we should all know what a browser window is , ... right ?
and if I open a browser and find advertising I shouldn't blame XP or Ubuntu , ... right ?
windows 8 comes with the live-tile feature .
each live-tile is an open browser window .
or more correctly in this case a mini-browser open window .
what ever is displayed on that tile is a stream from a web site .
and NOT embedded in windows 8 .
the live-feature can be turned on and off .
the live-tiles can be deleted .
Microsoft offers a free tool where you can make your own tiles .
including live-tiles .
sorry folks , ... much to-do about nothing !
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