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I have never gotten over Microsoft putting ads on the Windows desktop. It felt like the Rubicon was crossed at that moment: no longer would my personal computer

I have never gotten over Microsoft putting ads on the Windows desktop. It felt like the Rubicon was crossed at that moment: no longer would my personal computer be mine. And that was from a software company doing it to software that I paid for. What should we expect from an advertising company?

lostgame 4y ago
I'll certainly never use Windows again; for any reason. The idea of built-in advertising within an OS is absolutely a line too far crossed. Doesn't matter that you can disable it; it's the existence of the advertising alone that tells me enough about the garbage philosophy of the company producing the software that I want nothing to do with it, and I could never rightfully recommend it to anyone.
- FearlessNebula 4y ago
  So you don’t use either iOS or Android? Those both have ads in the OS.
- wombat-man 4y ago
  Isn't it mainly plugs for stuff like their web browser or office products? I feel like the only way around that is using some kind of OSS or linux. Apple is always pushing their stuff on me. iCloud, The TV app, the music app, oh sign up for apple health. Plus if you use iOS, you basically need to use their web browser.
christophilus 4y ago
My journey is Windows -> Mac -> Linux. I hope to stick with Linux (or at least OSS operating systems) for the remainder of my career. My computer is mine, and it's never felt more like mine than it does now. It's not without its bumps and warts, but I highly recommend it. Also, gaming isn't perfect, but it's really quite good for the kinds of games I play (mostly indie games on Steam).
- hef19898 4y ago
  I went Windows 10 to Linux. Gaming is more than ok, thanks Steam, and for those games that don't run under Linux I have double boot. My whole Windows career I insisted in Pro liscences, the peivate always felt wierd. And aince Windows 11 simply unusable, Win 10 Pro is still accwptable, every time I see a Home version I feel like crying... The last Windows were I really felt like my computer was as mine as it does with Linux was NT and Windows 2000. With the same shenenigans for installong software from third parties like under modern Ubuntu, maybe that plays a role too.
- jcfrei 4y ago
  I went from Windows -> Linux -> Windows with a Linux VM. Honestly Linux is just too much of a hassle to get it working right directly on the hardware - I always had issues with either drivers, sound, multiple monitors, etc. And while I'm sure these could be resolved one way or another I just don't have the time (anymore) to troubleshoot my own system every other month. Windows is perfectly fine for web browsing, text editing, gaming etc. - while I can program in a familiar Linux environment. Added bonus: whenever I change computers I can just copy the VM image to the new one and continue instantly.
- PheonixPharts 4y ago
  I went Windows > Mac > Linux > Mac > Linux Just recently got a System 76 machine and they really nail the whole experience. Last time I tried to do 100% linux desktop was probably around 2016, and while it wasn't bad, gaming was impossible except for a hilariously small number of titles and I still had trouble with drivers for most everyday things, had wifi problems etc. It was not bad, but not really something I could use 100% of the time. Pop!_OS has been great so far, and most importantly, Linux gaming is now really, really incredible. I don't do much multiplayer gaming these days, but I've played a bunch of new titles including CyberPunk 2077 and Stray, plus nearly my entire back catalog, and they play perfectly without any fiddling to get them started. Most important: > My computer is mine, and it's never felt more like mine than it does now. I hadn't realized how slowly my Mac had become more and more Apple's machine over time. I felt like I was slowly losing control of more and more of the device and more things were also Apple's things (for example files stored on iCloud which is both convenient but also feels like I'm really using Apple's computer). Linux desktop, and getting back to using mostly OSS again really made me enjoy computing again and realize how much everything else feels like you're working on a big advertising box.
kart23 4y ago
Even Apple has ads in iOS now, and nobody complains about it.
- vineyardmike 4y ago
  No one? Let me be the first. I would like to note my formal complaint at apple put ads on my expensive iPhone. Maybe I’m a nobody, but I’m somebody.
- prange 4y ago
  They have ads in the store. Not on iOS in general.
  - nkskalyan 4y ago
    Not if you count the ads to activate Apple products like AppleTv/AppleMusic
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - prange 4y ago
      You mean the UI to enable the services? Those aren’t ads.
      - ragazzina 4y ago
        But they are? Under Settings, there is no "Apple Arcade" where I can decide whether to enable it or not. It's on top of all settings, and it pushes me to do it. It's an ad.
        prange 4y ago
        This doesn’t make sense. Of course you can decide whether to enable Apple Arcade or not. Obviously it’s a paid service, so you have to pay to enable it. Who is ‘pushing’ you to do anything?

lostgame 4y ago

I'll certainly never use Windows again; for any reason. The idea of built-in advertising within an OS is absolutely a line too far crossed. Doesn't matter that you can disable it; it's the existence of the advertising alone that tells me enough about the garbage philosophy of the company producing the software that I want nothing to do with it, and I could never rightfully recommend it to anyone.

FearlessNebula 4y ago
So you don’t use either iOS or Android? Those both have ads in the OS.
wombat-man 4y ago
Isn't it mainly plugs for stuff like their web browser or office products? I feel like the only way around that is using some kind of OSS or linux. Apple is always pushing their stuff on me. iCloud, The TV app, the music app, oh sign up for apple health. Plus if you use iOS, you basically need to use their web browser.

christophilus 4y ago

My journey is Windows -> Mac -> Linux. I hope to stick with Linux (or at least OSS operating systems) for the remainder of my career. My computer is mine, and it's never felt more like mine than it does now. It's not without its bumps and warts, but I highly recommend it. Also, gaming isn't perfect, but it's really quite good for the kinds of games I play (mostly indie games on Steam).

hef19898 4y ago
I went Windows 10 to Linux. Gaming is more than ok, thanks Steam, and for those games that don't run under Linux I have double boot. My whole Windows career I insisted in Pro liscences, the peivate always felt wierd. And aince Windows 11 simply unusable, Win 10 Pro is still accwptable, every time I see a Home version I feel like crying... The last Windows were I really felt like my computer was as mine as it does with Linux was NT and Windows 2000. With the same shenenigans for installong software from third parties like under modern Ubuntu, maybe that plays a role too.
jcfrei 4y ago
I went from Windows -> Linux -> Windows with a Linux VM. Honestly Linux is just too much of a hassle to get it working right directly on the hardware - I always had issues with either drivers, sound, multiple monitors, etc. And while I'm sure these could be resolved one way or another I just don't have the time (anymore) to troubleshoot my own system every other month. Windows is perfectly fine for web browsing, text editing, gaming etc. - while I can program in a familiar Linux environment. Added bonus: whenever I change computers I can just copy the VM image to the new one and continue instantly.
PheonixPharts 4y ago
I went Windows > Mac > Linux > Mac > Linux Just recently got a System 76 machine and they really nail the whole experience. Last time I tried to do 100% linux desktop was probably around 2016, and while it wasn't bad, gaming was impossible except for a hilariously small number of titles and I still had trouble with drivers for most everyday things, had wifi problems etc. It was not bad, but not really something I could use 100% of the time. Pop!_OS has been great so far, and most importantly, Linux gaming is now really, really incredible. I don't do much multiplayer gaming these days, but I've played a bunch of new titles including CyberPunk 2077 and Stray, plus nearly my entire back catalog, and they play perfectly without any fiddling to get them started. Most important: > My computer is mine, and it's never felt more like mine than it does now. I hadn't realized how slowly my Mac had become more and more Apple's machine over time. I felt like I was slowly losing control of more and more of the device and more things were also Apple's things (for example files stored on iCloud which is both convenient but also feels like I'm really using Apple's computer). Linux desktop, and getting back to using mostly OSS again really made me enjoy computing again and realize how much everything else feels like you're working on a big advertising box.

kart23 4y ago

Even Apple has ads in iOS now, and nobody complains about it.

vineyardmike 4y ago
No one? Let me be the first. I would like to note my formal complaint at apple put ads on my expensive iPhone. Maybe I’m a nobody, but I’m somebody.
prange 4y ago
They have ads in the store. Not on iOS in general.
- nkskalyan 4y ago
  Not if you count the ads to activate Apple products like AppleTv/AppleMusic
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - prange 4y ago
    You mean the UI to enable the services? Those aren’t ads.
    - ragazzina 4y ago
      But they are? Under Settings, there is no "Apple Arcade" where I can decide whether to enable it or not. It's on top of all settings, and it pushes me to do it. It's an ad.
      - prange 4y ago
        This doesn’t make sense. Of course you can decide whether to enable Apple Arcade or not. Obviously it’s a paid service, so you have to pay to enable it. Who is ‘pushing’ you to do anything?