Microsoft Starts Showing Non-Removable Ads In Windows 10 Mail, Calendar Apps (mspoweruser.com) 176
As spotted by MSPoweruser, Microsoft has started showing non-removable banner ads in the Windows 10 Mail and Calendar apps. From the report: We last saw these ads in November last year, when Microsoft said they were an experiment. Then the ads only showed for those who were not Office 365 subscribers, but on this occasion, they are present for everyone and appear non-removable. The ads are not fixed -- when you read your Gmail if offers to let you read your Gmail on mobile, and for Outlook.com accounts it offers the Outlook app for mobile. Most annoyingly, the ads are still present, even if you use the Outlook app on mobile, and take up considerable vertical space in the menu. Microsoft said in a statement: "The ads within the app itself will be displayed regardless of which email address you use it with. It is not removable, but you can submit it as a suggestion within the Feedback Hub on Windows 10 here: https://msft.it/6012TVPXG."
Sigh (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Sigh (Score:5, Interesting)
Great news, Windows is now free and supported by ads? I mean, surely they wouldn't charge full price for their OS and then still show ads, right? That would certainly be moral justification for just pirating that POS OS.
Jeez, what OS should one pick?
- Pay MS and still be forced to watch ads
- Get a free OS on an (admittedly more expensive) Apple computer, and free updates (full new OS versions), but no ads.
- Get a free Linux OS. (where ads are off by default, but can be installed via a git repository and a few hours of tweaking config files if you really want them).
You can debate between 2 and 3, but it's getting harder and harder to justify the first option.
Re: Sigh (Score:2)
moral justification
This has as much "moral justification" as testing vaccines in rural India. How's that working out for you Bill?
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Testing vaccines in places they are actually needed isn't morally justified? Where the fuck should they be tested, places that don't need them and people aren't sick? What kind of mental midget are you?
Re:Sigh (Score:5, Informative)
Most of my Steam library will not run on Linux, much less OSX
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Looks like the chickens have come home (Score:5, Insightful)
to roost! That's why everyone has to update to windows 10, so they can monetize you at the OS level. Now you get to be pwnd by a popup in your email client. Smooth move, microsoft.
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Re:Looks like the chickens have come home (Score:4, Informative)
They've been putting onedrive ads in explorer for a few years. You can them off. For now.
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They're starting to have ads everywhere:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Windo... [reddit.com]
As many abuses as possible? (Score:3)
Microsoft managers don't seem to realize that abusing customers is bad for the company, and, over the years, will eventually be much worse. The managers seem to lack social ability.
Re:As many abuses as possible? (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft managers don't seem to realize that abusing customers is bad for the company....
I disagree. Microsoft managers long ago realized that their customers will take any amount of abuse, and then beg for more abuse. They are doing what is logical, as their customers have rarely shown any inclination to demand that the abuse be stopped. I recognized the abuse back in 1995, and dumped everything Microsoft when I reached my breaking point in 1999.
What Microsoft managers lack is a conscience.
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Re:Looks like the chickens have come home (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Looks like the chickens have come home (Score:4, Insightful)
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We're abandoning it for scheduling, and once that's done, exchange is next. I've been administering Exchange servers for two decades now and I'm finally getting out of they resource sucking monstrosity.
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Windows Mail = Outlook ? (Score:3)
Lets not to confuse the issue here, there are no ads in actual outlook. It's the built-in Windows app (as-in "free upgrade") , "Mail" that is now presenting ads.... right?
Not to be confused with the OS, which is guilty of all manner of "privacy-crimes"
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Grammar beers.
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They do? Oh, splendid.
Out of curiosity, which one will run the 957 games I have on Steam, my copy of Adobe Lightroom, the other eight photo processing software I have installed, my two favourite video editing suites, the configuration software for my mouse, my keyboard and my monitor, the software I use to program and update my watch and the various tools and programs I use less frequently?
You did say it'd work just fine.
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I know right, the guy said this android phone works just fine and I was like "Can I use all my purchased iphone apps on it?" He says no and I was like "Well then android phones don't work at all do they!" And everyone clapped.
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Do people often clap you in your imagination? It might be worth seeking professional medical care.
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People?
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I don't know which Steam games you have; gaming is really the only reason to keep Winders around.
As far as Lightroom, check out Darktable. I used Lightroom for years but I switched to darktable last year and am never going back. Its output looks better at a low level (AMaZE is a better demosaicing algorithm than whatever lightroom uses), plus the ability to define parametric masks with highly custom settings gives a level of editing flexibility that is far beyond what lightroom can do.
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What the hell makes you think Microsoft will restrict themselves to only show popups in Outlook? They own the entire OS, FFS!
Thunderbird, not chickens (Score:5, Interesting)
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everyone saw this coming.
that's why there was such an uproar about the forced upgrade to win10.
but look, if you're dumb enough to use mail app ON win10, well, you deserve ads.
I wonder if the corp version of win10 does this. corp versions are not cheap and I wonder if the corp users will put up with this..
I'm so happy we have linux as a choice.
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I don't get ads for Google Docs in gmail. I guess my ad blocker is working properly.
How do I configure it to block these ads too?
Time to migrate to different email and calender (Score:4, Insightful)
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Well said.
I want to say "Get a Mac" (Score:5, Insightful)
I want to say "Get a Mac" but there's no guarantee Apple might do the same thing someday.
It feels like going forward the only option where you're going to be guaranteed a lack of this bullshit on your system is open source operating systems like Linux. The problem is, though, that so much software these days requires commercial operating systems, and Linux users will always feel like they're missing out.
It sucks. We need to somehow let Microsoft know that this is unacceptable in an operating system you have to pay for. I could even forgive the ads if they were only in a "free" version of Windows; but last I checked, Windows still costs money!
Re:I want to say "Get a Mac" (Score:4, Interesting)
Absolutely never going to happen. Apple gives away their OS for free because it's part of what makes their harware sell so well. Remember, Apple actually used to sell their OS, for a small "token amount", then they went to free. (it was the same for their iOS too if you will recall)
Calling MS's ads inside the os that you already paid for a "money grab" doesn't seem to even do it justice. "Blatant unapologetic greed" perhaps?
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why never?
you think it costs microsoft anything extra to let me use mail with gmail? no it doesn't cost them anything by use. they got paid for the os license.
but why would you think apple would never do such a thing when apple will happily tell you that fixing your motherboard is impossible whilst they have diagnosis tools and software to tell just what resistor is broken and needs replaced?
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but why would you think apple would never do such a thing when apple will happily tell you that fixing your motherboard is impossible whilst they have diagnosis tools and software to tell just what resistor is broken and needs replaced?
Prove it.
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Microsoft is trying to copy Apple, they are just doing it poorly. Not in technology, but in business model. Computers are lasting a lot longer than they used to, and it's getting really difficult to force users to upgrade by releasing better software, so it's no longer lucrative to simply sell a software license every couple of years - the new favored business model is to turn the users into an ongoing revenue stream by using the OS as a product to promote other services. Apple does this by setting up a who
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I would say the ad thing is that they're trying to be Google, but overall I agree that much of what they've done over the past 8-10 years is a desperate try-hard version of imitating Apple.
The app store, the actual physical Microsoft store, the dumbing down and touch-ifying of the UI and so on.
I would guess that the future of Windows as a "desktop" OS is probably some weird bastardization of Chromebooks, OneDrive and Azure Desktop VMs. Roaming profiles on steroids.
Everything you do will be synchronized bet
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Revisionist history. Boxed OSX was sold in stores and cost was comparable to Windows at the time. Selling it for free, which is different then giving it away, has only been in the last decade.
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...but there's no guarantee Apple might do the same thing someday.
Someday.
For now, it does seem like Apple has a business case for doing it*. They make a metric crapton selling the computer, and they're sitting on a boatload of cash that they can't spend fast enough.
The real question though, is that considering Microsoft and Apple both have over $100B dollars in cash reserves, why does Microsoft feel like they need to monetize the OS?
* Okay, they could have a business case. "You" always want more. Companies have a legal requirement to maximize shareholder return
Just FYI (Score:3)
Just FYI, the legal requirement is for directors and officers to not *enrich themselves* at the expense of stockholders. It's called fudiciary duty. An example is a CEO isn't allowed to use company money to buy staplers from the CEO (or his brother) at $100/ stapler.
Officers run the corporation on behalf of the millions of shareholders, and are responsible for doing what the shareholders want done. As one example, at Ben & Jerry's (ice cream) that includes environmental efforts, supporting programs for
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"The real question though, is that considering Microsoft and Apple both have over $100B dollars in cash reserves, why does Microsoft feel like they need to monetize the OS?"
I'll quote you TV character Alan B'Stard rich, scumbag politician..."No of course I don't need the money, but I want it because I'm very, very greedy!"
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Apple has been doing the same thing for years. When you power up your new iPhone for the first time it pushes iCloud on you, and then again when your free 5gb is 50% full, and again and again after that.
I remember thinking that they were pioneering this stuff when they first merged their music/iPod management app (iTunes) with their online store so that the entire app is a giant ad.
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I want to say "Get a Mac" but there's no guarantee Apple might do the same thing someday.
For how many years have they been injecting, "Sent from my iPhone"?
Re: I want to say "Get a Mac" (Score:2)
You might have an argument at the $20 point but no they are no losing money at the $200 point. $200 software shouldnâ(TM)t magically decide to start showing ads especially when all the other major OSes are free.
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I paid $100 for the pro version of Windows 7, the system integrator's edition. I was building a new PC so it was even a legit use of such a license. I elected not to convert it to a Windows 10 license on the basis that Windows was going to hell in a handbasket. When all support is discontinued I will roll it up into a VM and put Linux on the bare metal. I've mostly enjoyed my time with Windows 7 pro, although it still has some pathetic limitations. For example, you can create a long path and it will work ri
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You paid $200 for the privilege of seeing ads???
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Indeed, just try to remove the Apple TV App from the latest version of MacOS.
Looks like you just have to hold Option (Alt) while Emptying the Trash (after dragging it there).
https://macuninstallguides.com... [macuninstallguides.com]
There is one way out of this (Score:3)
Switch to Linux.
Oh, wait. [microsoft.com]
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Mint isn't that good and I got a metric butt tonne of spam because www.linuxmint.com was attached in 2016.
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"...attached in 2016"
Oooh, sounds painful! Where was it "attached" to you?!
interesting hurdle. (Score:3)
I like* how there's a 'hub app' that's repulsive to anyone who isn't within microsoft's target audience that you have to use to submit feedback on this.
Sure is cool* how marketing and engineering have fundamentally different ways of approaching feedback.
The older I get, the more I hate ads (Score:5, Insightful)
In the case of Windows 10, this is a product that I actually paid for.
Not long ago Tivo introduced ads into the program guide. It clutters things up and I don't want to see their bullshit. Again, it's a product that I pay a fee to use.
I didn't use to mind them much 10 years ago. But they seem so much more intrusive now.
If companies want to put ads into free products, fine. That's an upfront compromise one can choose to make or not. I draw the line at charging me a (not minuscule) sum and then impacting the user experience on top of that with intrusive ads.
In the case of Windows 10, the intrusions are even more egregious as Microsoft uses its app store to push down programs, games, and other bullshit their "partners" have paid for.
It's been 10 years since I last ran Linux as a primary boot OS. Guess it's time to fire it up again. Hopefully all the ports and battery drivers work this time.
Re:The older I get, the more I hate ads (Score:5, Insightful)
The older I get, the more I hate a lot of stuff. :(
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"In the case of Windows 10, this is a product that I actually paid for."
Ahh sorry, no. What you paid for is to rent the software, you haven't paid for it. MS do not sell software, they rent it for use by customers. Unlike a fridge or toaster you never actually own it, just the right to host an MS cash-cow, ad-spewing crap-fest on the hardware you do actually own!
Re: The older I get, the more I hate ads (Score:2)
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My most recent (Acer) laptop came with Windows 10 and it was insufferable a year ago - intrusive "suggestions" in the menus, hopelessly inconsistent owing to the unfinished transition to "universal" apps and clearly aimed at turning the "owner" into a profitable revenue stream.
I've been running Linux Mint and it's generally fine for day-to-day use. The touchpad freezes from time to time (seemingly a driver problem noone really knows how to fix). LibreOffice mostly works fine for domestic purposes and the th
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If you want to print mailing labels on Linux then look no further than glabels. It is really knocks everything else I have ever used for printing labels for six.
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Leave everything to us (Score:2, Insightful)
The part about using feedback hub is cute given it requires you to have a Microsoft account.
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The part about using feedback hub is cute given it requires you to have a Microsoft account.
That's okay. The kind of people who use Windows 10 Mail are the same ones who were tricked into signing up for a Microsoft Account when they installed either Windows 8 or 10.
Ads (Score:5, Informative)
Not removable? Challenge accepted. (Score:2)
Re:Not removable? Challenge accepted. (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, Microsoft can disable the host file trick because they own Windows 10. If they can force ads in their apps, they can also ignore specific entries in the host file. When that happens, we will lose this convenient trick and then have to perform the ad block elsewhere, e.g., firewalls.
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And THAT'S why my household traffic goes via the pi-hole. Time to update the blocklist.
That's promising... (Score:5, Funny)
Wow and people were worried about Google (Score:2, Insightful)
Let's get this straight, I am not a fan of ads nor am I a fan of Google, but WTF ads in your offline mail app? That's as ugly as the monstrosities in that Leaf "gas powered everything" ad (for those of you who don't want to YT it, imagine a gas-powered dentist drill)
There is literally no defense or reason for this nonsense except "just 'cause they can do it".
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I knew it, and I predicted it (Score:3)
No lie, I knew this was coming and I've said so repeatedly over the last 5 years.
Microsoft's holy fucking grail is to turn Windows into a subscription service (done) and to further penalize their customers by forcing them to use an ad-spewing operating system (also done).
Guess who's trapped? Microsoft Windows users, that's who.
Between Linux Mint and Adblock and Noscript, I haven't seen an ad in years. I was genuinely surprised when someone told me that Youtube was showing pre-roll ads before the videos, but I've never seen them.
I installed Adblock on his PC about a year ago and he hasn't stopped thanking me since.
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Awesome (Score:3)
Behold, the superior user experience of a $200 operating system.
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Behold, the superior user experience of a $200 operating system.
Right. As opposed to, free operating systems with no non-removable ads. The whole industry is backwards.
Now be vigilant for forced UEFI, alt-OS lock moves (Score:5, Interesting)
This will be the other shoe to drop. Once WIn10 is widely-enough deployed, and ads are unavoidable within the OS, the next step will be to try (again) to sneak in hardware deals with vendors to lock UEFI to prevent bare-metal installs of any non-Win10 OS on consumer hardware.
They already tried it once with ARM, they'll try someday for x86, mark my words.
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It certainly can be installed on the 3B so I would be surprised if it can't be installed on the 4.
https://www.tomshardware.com/u... [tomshardware.com]
Fortunately... (Score:2)
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Dear Sir
AD
AD
AD
The purpose......
Just my 2 cents
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Why use Edge, Internet Explorer's in-bred son/nephew?
Jumped ship (Score:2)
Microsoft made me start using Macs.
DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. (Score:2)
Nonremovable? Pr0n admakers rejoice! NSFW indeed (Score:4, Funny)
The alternative film industry is keenly interested in featuring their allstar lineup once more in open office settings
The movie Idiocracy was soooo right (Score:2)
about almost everything!
Waiting for those free disposable clothes with printed ads on them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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It's not a movie. It's a documentary.
What domain is loading from? (Score:3)
Just want to know what I need to block :)
I doubt many here are surprised (Score:2)
Who believes this is as far as Microsoft's assault on privacy will go? I'm already considering my alternatives when support for Win 7 ends. Win 10 is not part of that consideration.
Although Win 7 has anti-privacy tendencies, it wasn't designed from the ground up to turn my computer into Microsoft's computer. I imagine whatever comes after Win 10 will be nothing but flat-out spyware/adware with a glitzy, moron-friendly operating system grafted onto it. Win 10 is almost there right now.
simple answer (Score:2)
No computer in our household has Widows 10 (Score:3)
Strangely enough, none of our computers even needs Windows 10 for shit. We get by using Windows 7 and Android. I even have a stash of ThinkPads that are configured with Windows 7, in case you were to tell me "Yeah but what will you do when you need a new laptop." I got that covered.
Evem better (Score:3)
Don't use M$ Mail or Calendar
These are the free apps (Score:2)
"Mail" and "Calendar" are built-in apps that come with Windows 10. I don't know about Calendar, but Mail is garbage. Use something else. Thunderbird is free.
Re: These are the free apps (Score:2)
Come on, they were having a lovely circle-jerk about privacy violations and malware and stuff, why would you ruin that by pointing out that you can literally just use a different program for your email/calendar
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Sending an invoice is just the start. You have to follow that up and eventually pass the debt onto a collection agency in order for them to take notice.
Are you gonna do that?