Microsoft 'improves' Windows 11 by bringing ads to the Start menu in the US

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson for BetaNews, 13 April 2024
Link, Archive

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In a move which is likely to be greeted with a hostile reception, Microsoft is continuing its obsession with injecting advertising into Windows. The company is using Windows Insiders signed up for Beta Channel to test the controversial addition of ads in the Windows 11 Start menu.

For now, this is a trial which is limited to beta testers in the US, but even if the most negative feedback is forthcoming, it is hard to imagine that Microsoft will back down and not roll out Start menu ads to all Windows 11 users.

It is difficult to see the addition of advertising in the Start menu in anything other than a negative light, but if we are to draw a modicum of positivity from it, it at least shows that Microsoft is not only obsessed with pumping AI-powered components into Windows 11.

The company, predictably enough, does not refer to advertisements for apps being added to the Start menu as advertising. Rather, it prefers to refer to this "improvement" as a way of bringing app " recommendations" to users. But be under no illusion: this is advertising.

Microsoft writes about the arrival of Start menu ads in the release notes for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495

Building on top of recent improvements like grouping recently installed apps and showing your frequently used apps, we are now trying out recommendations to help you discover great apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu. This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the U.S. and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations). This can be turned off by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and turning off the toggle for "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more". As a reminder, we regularly try out new experiences and concepts that may never get released with Windows Insiders to get feedback. Should you see this experience on the Start menu, let us know what you think. We are beginning to roll this out to a small set of Insiders in the Beta Channel at first.

The move should not come as a complete surprise as Microsoft has history here, having done very much the same in Windows 10.

While it is possible to disable the display of app recommendations (by, as Microsoft points out in the release notes which are not read by many people, visiting Settings > Personalization > Start > Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more) this doesn't feel like something users should have to do.

 

[CharlesBarkley]

uhhh I get mad pussy because I run Kali Linux and I'm seriously not the most boring person alive for real, I swear.

 

[tehpope]

How is playing games on Ubuntu? I'm an old man now so I don't play many. My kids play Rokcet League from time to time, I might fuck around with some Blizzard games every now and then. Any reason not to switch?

Most offline games just work thanks to Valve's efforts with Proton. The only games that have issues are online games with anticheat. some work, but others won't work at all.

https://www.protondb.com/

You don't need steam to take advantage of Proton. Lutris is a frontend that has a lot of configurations that do the legwork for you. It also can connect to your libraries on other platforms like GOG and itch.io.

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

I have really been thinking about this latly.

How is playing games on Ubuntu? I'm an old man now so I don't play many. My kids play Rokcet League from time to time, I might fuck around with some Blizzard games every now and then. Any reason not to switch?

According to the Linux thread here and my own dabbling on Steam, pretty much every game runs on Linux. I've recently upgraded to Linux so please forgive my multi-thread sperging on how good it is, but I was genuinely surprised how many games run on Linux.

Some old games need a bit of fiddling but it's worth it because you only do it once and don't have to fuck around with windows.

As much as I hate Microsoft the people that post leftistmeme.jpg tier textwalls about how akshully taking an hour to do something on Linux that takes ten seconds on Windows is totally awesome and a positive feature are cringe.

There's a reason they have a monopoly and that reason is their competition if you can even call it that is incredibly autistic.

This may have been true a few years ago, but like I said above, i've recently moved to Linux and I'm a fucking tech spastic. It takes a bit to work out but then it's easy.

If i can do it, anyone else can.

 

[Miller]

Just install Ubuntu at this point. Windows hasn't been good since 7.

or better: Linux Mint.

Microshit literally requires DEI as part of employee performance reviews:

https://fortune.com/2023/11/08/microsoft-diversity-performance-reviews-inclusion-managers/

They have also said that they want more women than men in leadership positions.

 

[Haramburger]

Still on 10 here, can you replace the start menu with something like Classic Shell in 11?

There's many UI doodads to run around with. Macfags like to use Rocketdock to pin start icons to a tray at the top of the screen, so you'll always have ways to access your executables without fumbling through default menus. Shutting down pop-up reminders like "please use Onedrive! You haven't in awhile, and also re-consider paying a sub for Office!" are harder to stop.

 

[Miller]

Shutting down pop-up reminders like "please use Onedrive! You haven't in awhile, and also re-consider paying a sub for Office!" are harder to stop.

There's no option in 11 like in 10 where you can disable the suggestions in System > Notifications?

 

[pikachudidnothingwrong]

People just didn't get the concern when they announced only free private home editions. Nor did they put up a major fuss at online accounts and requirements. We warned you, we fucking warned you!

Just wait until some woke retard at MS or some ideologue political/media ghoul realizes that MS already reserved the right to scan your hardware for everything from malware, to media it thinks you 'accidentally' failed to register a proper license for, and even programs MS judges to be a "risk" or has potential to cause "problems" (i.e. whatever MS doesn't like) and remove a/o "update" (licenses) etc. Basically giving them rights to scan everything. How long will that take before it extends to things like wrong think, OS customization software, mod software, emulators and worse. And of course using all of it for info to sell to advertisers.

The real danger though comes if people are retarded enough to fall into the cloud/virtual OS trap. Then porn/sexuality/nudity is even under threat. (anything US corporate culture fears or doesn't like)

 

[WonderWino]

So.... how long before their ad system ends up advertising porn to elementary school kids on the start menu and getting microsoft into a shitshow over it when the parents find out

 

[Peaches the Wonder Cat]

So.... how long before their ad system ends up advertising porn to elementary school kids on the start menu and getting microsoft into a shitshow over it when the parents find out

Why stop with porn? Just tell the kids to transition:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/leaked-microsoft-documents-reveal-effort-to-gender-transition-young-children.180535/

 

[Haramburger]

There's no option in 11 like in 10 where you can disable the suggestions in System > Notifications?

I'm using 10 and still get them, I think updates flips the suggestions back on. I'm satisfied with 10 no longer taking a shit and restarting while I'm gaming at 4AM.

 

[Sithis]

What even is the point of having a PC anymore? I do all my gayming from a PS5 and I can play just about any new game worth talking about. I do all my communication from my phone. I have a tablet for browsing. Only thing I'd want a PC for is running AI models but I don't care enough to sink $3k into a machine that some fucking tranny working for Microsoft forces me to watch ads to use.

 

[FierceBrosnan]

There's no option in 11 like in 10 where you can disable the suggestions in System > Notifications?

There is, but it never seems to work as intended.

 

[Sugriva]

What even is the point of having a PC anymore? I do all my gayming from a PS5 and I can play just about any new game worth talking about. I do all my communication from my phone. I have a tablet for browsing. Only thing I'd want a PC for is running AI models but I don't care enough to sink $3k into a machine that some fucking tranny working for Microsoft forces me to watch ads to use.

A lot of indie games are only on PC, and those are the only ones worth playing nowadays. Plus, Steam is actually a really great storefront, and all the sales are really nice. Also, mods. Also, pirating things you don't want to pay for.

 

[azure hours]

Worst part, for me anyways, is that all new games require the latest Windows updates. This WILL eventually mean that you will have to update to Windows 11 or buy a brand new gaming PC where you do literally nothing else on.

This isn't actually all that true anymore. Valve has been making huge strides in making sure Linux is viable for games with investment and development in DirectX compatibility layers specifically to give people a way out of Microsoft's panopticon (and to make sure their income from Steam doesn't get fucked over if MS goes full robber baron with software).
It's not like 10 years ago where you have to daisy chain some wine bullshit and cross your fingers.

 

[Sithis]

A lot of indie games are only on PC, and those are the only ones worth playing nowadays. Plus, Steam is actually a really great storefront, and all the sales are really nice. Also, mods. Also, pirating things you don't want to pay for.

Really? Cause I've been having a blast on Helldivers 2 and can still play plenty of good games that are still fairly modern. An online storefront is not a valid reason to sink money into a PC where using steam requires using shitty windows OS software, nor does the ability to mod shitty textures. Free online play is the only real advantage I see but even that's silly to complain about for anyone who has a decent job.

 

[i440BX]

This will change once normies wake up and Linux becomes better. It will take years but it will happen if Microsoft doesn't fix their shit.

 

[Mordecai "3 Finger" Brown]

What even is the point of having a PC anymore? I do all my gayming from a PS5 and I can play just about any new game worth talking about.

Mods.

Console users are really at the mercy of corrupt and lazy developers to patch bugs. PC users often get mod patches days after a new bug is reported and lots of quality of life mods to extend a game's lifecycle after the devs have stopped support.

The Xbox has had ads on its homescreen for years, They are getting more pozzed as well. They keep cycling in no matter how many times you mash the "Don't show me this again" option.

 

[Dr. Geronimo]

This will finally be Linux's time to shine lmao.

 

[Grub]

As much as I hate Microsoft the people that post leftistmeme.jpg tier textwalls about how akshully taking an hour to do something on Linux that takes ten seconds on Windows is totally awesome and a positive feature are cringe.

I mean personally, whenever I have to use a computer with windows on it I get annoyed by how much longer everything takes to do and how more inefficient everything is compared to my Linux computer with kde. Using windows is like being crippled.

 

[XANA]

This will finally be Linux's time to shine lmao.

Probably not for a while longer, since most people are technologically illiterate and don't know what a distro is, much less want to devote a ton of time to troubleshoot if something goes wrong in their version. Microsoft is basically coasting on their success (with education contracts and all) and counting on people not having the time or patience to learn a new OS, since if people buy a pre-built computer, they're more likely to just use the default OS that came with it.