Microsoft's Big Hidden Windows 8 Feature: Built-In Advertising

Wow. Just wow! You really have no idea what your giving up in the way of privacy with a Mac do you?

You have identified a trivial feature of a few apps, not a "Big Hidden Windows 8 Feature".

Nor is "Further, no one is given the option to disable them (though I'm sure it'd take little more than an editing of the hosts file). " accurate. You can simply uninstall the Finance, News, and Weather Apps if you find the ads intrusive. To do so, right click on the app in question, and then select Uninstall.

"companies like Valve's business model and Apps acquired through them will likely have In-App advertisement and you will not likely be able to get rid of them!"

Hmmm... nothing like that came with my OS.  Nor, is it likely to - thanks to the way open-source operating systems work.  If I choose to pay for adverts, fine:  I know what's coming - it's not at all like the stealthiness of the ads which this article implies.

"Solutions like gimp are no replacement for Photoshop,"

For the vast majority of us, they are. I'm a guy who took actual for-pay Photoshop classes years ago, and since leaving I've never been wanting for a feature. I used Gimp several times this week, with ease.  Point me to one thing on this site that can be done with Photoshop, but not Gimp. The world wonders.

" Thus why Linux still lacks many of the more advance software packages."

I suppose that would depend on your definition of 'advanced', since Linux runs just about everything - including more than 90% of the worlds supercomputers and server farms. A few security-plagued Adobe and Microsoft products does not the world make.  When anything is so 'important' as to be necessary, it has always appeared (most times before the Windows version).

"You're confusing what used to be with what will be happening!"

And you're confusing your ability to predict/control the future with reality.  Nothing Valve is doing changes anything in the Linux ecosystem - it just makes it easier to purchase some closed-source games for those of us that don't find that idea offensive.

That's disabling the entire app that comes with your paid-for OS, not just the ad. There's quite a major difference there.

Install the Google Windows 8 App and open it. Do a search. What do you see in the results at the top and right of the app? ADs These are Bing Apps and not Windows 8 OS ads. You can remove these apps at any time.

"Hmmm... nothing like that came with my OS. Nor, is it likely to - thanks to the way open-source operating systems work."

Nope, because when they bring things like Valve's Steam to Linux that means they're also bring non-open source software!

Having a Open Source OS won't change that! For the most part Windows has traditionally been very customizable too, at least by people who had sufficient level of knowledge. Windows users just had to deal with DRM and other closed source issues much more than Linux users, but changing the market ecosystem can bring all the same issue to Linux too!

Really, Android is Open Source too but you don't see any easy way to stop In-App ads there either!

"For the vast majority of us, they are. I'm a guy who took actual for-pay Photoshop classes years ago, and since leaving I've never been wanting for a feature. I used Gimp several times this week, with ease. Point me to one thing on this site that can be done with Photoshop, but not Gimp. The world wonders."

There's a ton of things you can do with Photoshop but not Gimp. Really, point to a single business that uses Gimp commercially instead of Photoshop?

Gimp is functional and you can do a lot, but Photoshop is easier to use, has more features and capabilities, and has far more support behind it.

Besides, what vast majority? Vast majority of people aren't using Gimp! Vast majority of desktop PC users aren't even using Linux.

"I suppose that would depend on your definition of 'advanced', since Linux runs just about everything - including more than 90% of the worlds supercomputers and server farms. A few security-plagued Adobe and Microsoft products does not the world make. When anything is so 'important' as to be necessary, it has always appeared (most times before the Windows version)."

Sorry but the facts are that those products make money and are used by professional! There's nothing really security plagued about them! MS isn't on the top ten list anymore of vulnerable software! And most of Adobe's issue is with Flash and not major products like Photoshop.

While most of that 90% is not desktop Linux! Many servers don't even use a GUI and tend to have custom software! So hardly compare!

"And you're confusing your ability to predict/control the future with reality. Nothing Valve is doing changes anything in the Linux ecosystem - it just makes it easier to purchase some closed-source games for those of us that don't find that idea offensive."

Wrong, first thing Valve isn't going to just sell games on Steam. They're going to be making it a general purpose App Store. Second, the point is you'll have the same issue with In-App ads no matter the OS and the Linux app ecosystem is going to change when you start introducing App market system like Valve will offer, which won't be the only change but just the first of many.

While what MS is doing isn't the first time paid apps have had ads. It's just not something usually done, but even Android has the occasional paid app with Ads. Video games have long had ads regardless of whether they were free or paid.

So it's more a question of whether MS intends this to be regular or whether it's just promotional to get advertising companies to sign up with them.

Let alone your soul.

I have no adds any any application I have installed that i own, people making out like they add ads everywhere are just plan dumb and over reacting. The adds are in free apps which is where they make their money from.

I'm using a UK version of Win8 on a Surface tablet and I see none of these ads - is this just a US phenomenon....?

geoffwhite:

I'm using a UK version of Win8 on a Surface tablet and I see none of these ads - is this just a US phenomenon....?

No idea on that specifically i have not seen any ads in any paid apps on my Win 8 pro system. But you can do some quick testing open the weather app and scroll a few screens to the right do you see a banner add anywhere? try the same with the sports app or news app. Sometimes I will ocassionally spot and ad here and there while looking deeply into a Metro/Win 8 style app.  

"Really, Android is Open Source too but you don't see any easy way to stop In-App ads there either!"

But it is easy. Just install adfree android. Works great.

Oops. Sorry, that's only for rooted phones.

Besides, we were talking about easy ways to do it with the OS... No advantage in using a 3rd party app as you can do that with Windows too and without rooting...

Thanks for sharing this nice post. Windows 8 is Microsoft's next generation operating system and Windows 8 features are easy to use for desktops, laptops and tablets users.

From a different perspective.... I'm a novice consumer. Usually OSX. Started using Windows only to see what the rest of the world is seeing. I came across the ads in the preinstalled Weather. After I realized that I can't get rid of the ads (why I am here), it made me nauseous. I can't wait to quit working and go off the Google/MS grid. Although I am sure that I am too late.