Windows 11 is getting out of hand with its push for advertisments, frankly - remember the recent full-screen pop-up to persuade users to install Edge or other Microsoft services? Then another advertisment was placed in the Start menu, and now Microsoft has finally worn my temper thin - with a new Game Pass ad coming to the Settings app.

This will likely arrive in the July update for Windows 11, or at least it’s almost certain to do so. It was present in the latest preview update Microsoft just released for the OS (and quickly paused due to a bug, but that’s another story). It’s also worth noting that the ad has been present in earlier test versions of Windows 11.

  • HogsTooth@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    People are abusing Google’s ad distro platform to get malware onto people’s machines. I see Microsoft signed up for the same firestorm of possibilities.

  • big_slap@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I updated my work laptop, and they put their shitty copilot button on the bottom right and TURNED OFF MY SHOW DESKTOP BUTTON.

    nothing more to add, just wanted to vent with people who may understand my rage with windows lol

    • Pumpkin Escobar@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Been 100% linux for like 6-9 months now, these stories make me thankful for finally making the switch.

      I’ve tried to make the switch 3-4 times in the past and was stopped by 2 main things:

      • Drivers / Laptops were tough to get set up
      • Gaming

      The experience was so much better this time and I really have no regrets. I don’t imagine I’ll ever run Windows again outside of a VM

  • Tiger Jerusalem@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    The thing that irks me the most is that those things work. They’ll see a little complain from the most vocal ones, and that’s it. The revenue will increase, their shareholders will be pleased, the OS will be worse, and we’ll have no viable alternative.

    Unless governments start to regulate the hell out of tech companies, it’s only downhill from there.

    Edit: about Linux, it’s not viable if you’re outside IT or rely on commercial software. That’s a debate for another post.

    • saddlebag@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Agree with everything expect for the viable alternative. Linux is viable for many people

    • kescusay@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Regarding Linux, what commercial software are you dependent on? More and more, it’s all online, even Office.

      • JackFrostNCola@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Autodesk for myself, apparently its super dependant on .net and other windows framework so its not like they are going to make it linux compatible any time soon.

      • Tiger Jerusalem@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Adobe Creative Cloud, which despite the name is pretty much local. And although Microsoft Office works online, it has a series of issues that the desktop version doesn’t have, like broken formatting on Word.

      • xavier666@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago
        • Adobe Creative Suite. They will probably never release a Linux version
        • Industry standard music production s/w
        • Offbeat collection of educational/research s/w, creators of which don’t know that Linux exists. They sometimes don’t even support MacOS
        • Office Suite which is compatible with MS Office shenanigans
        • foggenbooty@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          You’re correct on all counts, but you’re also not a typical desktop user, you’re definitely a professional or power user with specific needs.

          The average user needs the ability to use a web browser and that’s honestly about it. That’s why Chromebooks are so popular with schools. A basic Linux desktop is quite capable for a standard user.

          For the things yoi need you’re correct that it’s not 1:1 and you’d need to move to open source alternatives or tinker with VMs/WINE to get those apps working and it would be a chore.

          • xavier666@lemm.ee
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            9 months ago

            This is not me. But the kinds of people I’m encountered in my social circle. I’m in the CS/Research industry, so all my tools are linux compatible and have been a Linux user for the past decade.

            I think it’s better to have a realistic expectation of Linux rather than consider it a 1:1 Windows alternative. I agree with your last para fully.

  • TeddE@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    What’s next Microsoft? Replace the windows os loading windows page with a 30s ad? Or have defender uninstall apps if a competitor pays enough? Maybe capture a screenshot of my screen every 3 seconds for AI analysis?

      • TeddE@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Nah. I’ve been advocating for Linux for decades. For decades I’ve been trying to convince people to switch on its own merits, but none of that has been effective.

        It took Microsoft sabotaging their product for me to see the needle shift. So I’m done trying to convince people with carrots, it’s time for Microsoft to convince the masses with sticks.

  • mtchristo@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    Microsoft is so confident in its desktop marketshare that they allow themselves to push the overton window on what users will tolerate.

    The only competitor they can lose users to is Apple. And even then not everyone can afford an Apple computer, especially in the rest of the world

    • nadram@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Forget Apple. Without buying any new hardware, i managed to replace Windows with Ubuntu just a month ago. My most hated moment on windows was the time i saw the onedrive ad in file explorer… That felt way too intrusive.

  • DarkCloud@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Hopefully they’ll end up with an incredible amount of user telemetry telling them that they’ve created the least adopted version of Windows in the history of the company.

    That’s what Windows 11 deserves, they need a punch in the face from users.

    • NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      they’ve created the least adopted version of Windows in the history

      could be tough to beat “Windows ME”… ;-)

  • GreenStar@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Tbh me switching to Debian (using the KDE desktop experience) is feeling better and better, my PC runs over 3x faster, I have way more control over my own device, and everything works better than ever!

  • neclimdul@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Should I point out the irony of this complaint being posted on a site with ads every other sentence and doesn’t even show what the windows ads looks like?

    It’s a valid complaint and all I just laughed as I scrolled past all the blank “ad here” blocks to read the article.

      • Hackworth@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        WebP is a raster graphics file format developed by Google intended as a replacement for JPEG, PNG, and GIF file formats. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, as well as animation and alpha transparency. Google announced the WebP format in September 2010, and released the first stable version of its supporting library in April 2018.

        The format has spotty support across applications and some vulnerabilities were discovered that required patch efforts last year. It’s not clear why you should do anything.

  • rickdg@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Microsoft already knows that people keep windows around either because they want multiplayer games or are scared of linux.

    • IMALlama@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Or random application availability and/or ease of use.

      Two cases in point:

      • Photo Mechanic. It makes it really easy/fast to sort through tons of photos. There are some Linux compatible alternatives, but they’re just not as good
      • Fusion 360. There are a couple of things you can do to make it work, but since Linux isn’t officially supported the install process can be a bit fiddily and there’s no guarantee that an update won’t break things.

      Things are certainly better now than they have been in the past, but if you’re somewhat time limited (eg your computer is more of a tool than a thing to spend time tweaking) Linux can still be a bit offputting - especially if some of the core applications you use aren’t officially supported.

  • Richie Rich@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I hope they don’t show an ad on my doctor’s operating table computer while he’s performing surgery on my heart and watching through a camera image. 😱

  • yesman@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Are you going to have to deal with a full-screen ad when you’re trying to open File Explorer eventually?

    I was literally reading this sentence when the whole page grayed out and a window asking me to subscribe popped up.