Make Windows 8 ad-free?

[MariosX]

Any possible way of making Metro UI apps ad-free?

Like blacklisting ads on hosts file like Android OS does?

[Eric Veteran]

The MVP Hosts file does this.

http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm

[Xenon]

I wonder why there are ads in the 1st place. It really does make Windows 8 seem terrible to me.

[Nashy]

I wonder why there are ads in the 1st place. It really does make Windows 8 seem terrible to me.

It's in app ads though isn't it? Which is no different to any other mobile device now days.

[MariosX]

Because free apps make money that way..

The MVP Hosts file does this.

http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm

Is it safe to use? I mean yeah, you just replace your Windows hosts file with theirs and make your PC completely ad-free.

But, have they blacklisted anything except from ads?

[Detection]

tbh, and this is not promoting ads in an OS, I have only noticed them in the weather app all the way past the end of the app

Tell a lie, I remember seeing a Bing ad on something but I forget what now, but in general I haven't really been hit in the face with them or I would have tried to block them too

[Xenon]

The music app is awful. Full of ads.

[Scorbing]

That is another thing I hate about Windows 8. That is why its no longer on my PC.

[Detection]

The music app is awful. Full of ads.

Ah, I never use it

[Max Norris]

That is another thing I hate about Windows 8. That is why its no longer on my PC.

You know there's ad-based software in other versions of Windows too yea? It's the apps, not the operating system itself... Don't like ad-based freebies, get something that doesn't use them. Easy fix.

[~Johnny]

That is another thing I hate about Windows 8. That is why its no longer on my PC.

I don't seem to notice many ads here in the UK, if at all. For once I'm glad we don't get everything the US does :p

[Colin McGregor]

Move to Canada. The ads only seem to affect Americans. My US friends have ads in their apps but I have yet to see one. They showed me screenshots and my apps don't have them.

The music app had one small ad but it was a link to sign up to xbox music. Once I sign in with my old zunepass account its gone and no ads.

[jakem1]

It's in app ads though isn't it? Which is no different to any other mobile device now days.

I've never seen ads in first party apps before and don't see why they should appear in a product I've paid for.

[LUTZIFER]

Best way to get rid of the ads: Install Windows 7.

lol!! Good one.

[Doli]

The music app is awful. Full of ads.

The music app has one small ad box. The free music streaming has ads just like Spotify Free but are shorter than Spotify's ads.

[xendrome]

I see no problems with Ads in the Modern UI apps.. EXCEPT the "Microsoft" branded apps, especially the ones that SHIP included with the OS...

[kaotic]

The music app is awful. Full of ads.

Yeah, there's so many. Look at all these ads. http://imgur.com/PT2Fn

Lol. One ad is "full of ads".

[Ryoken]

I like people saying the ad's are fine..

If they were in 3rd party apps, then ya, I'd agree, it's their call how they support their releases.. but they are in Microsoft Apps that are part of Windows 8.. It would be like a Banner ad at the top of Windows Explorer in 7, or in Notepad, Calc, etc.

Also, to the person who said the ad's aren't in Canada, that's flat out wrong. I see them on my Windows 8 Tablet, and VM all the time..

[tsupersonic]

I see no problems with Ads in the Modern UI apps.. EXCEPT the "Microsoft" branded apps, especially the ones that SHIP included with the OS...

How do you think they kept the cost of Windows fairly low compared to other versions? ;)

[Hum]

Best way to get rid of the ads: Install Windows 7.

Profound wisdom :happy:

[n_K]

How do you think they kept the cost of Windows fairly low compared to other versions? ;)

Erm probably by removing large chunks of code and replacing it with pretty basic/simple equivilents that makes not an incredly different from W7.

98/2000 -> XP was a BIG jump.

XP -> Vista was a big jump, it was done very poorly like tried to cram too much in instead of spacing it out

Vista -> 7 wasn't a huge jump, it added quite a bit and fixed all the vista problems

7 -> 8 not much in it, loads of code removed, some 'apps' added and a new start screen with slight update to WDDM. Which probably explains why a it's cheap upgrade.

[Crimson Rain]

Best way to get rid of the ads: Install Windows 7.

Oh look. this guy again. Still whining about Windows 8.

[Doli]

This thing about the music app is that it is more than just a music player, it is also a front end to their music store so having a very small ad informing people about upgrading to Music Pass is not that bad.

[RandPC]

How do you think they kept the cost of Windows fairly low compared to other versions? ;)

It's cheap to get people into using Metro, if they use Metro heavily then it's pure profit.

All Metro apps mean money to Microsoft since you can't buy any apps except from MS's store. Microsoft's pay-in services are also integrated into Win8 which is another means for extra revenue that wasn't there directly through the OS previously.

Even without advertising entirely there is WAY more potential profit for Microsoft through Win8 then ever before. As long as you use Metro to a large extent that Microsoft can easily make more profit here then ever before even with a heavily discounted up front purchase price. It's the whole reason why vendor lock-in and app stores work.

If you use the desktop then Microsoft isn't making much from you at all, but just getting you onto the platform and ensuring your aware of and see Metro is a major step forward for them. Once they have then then your a potential customer and more easily incentivized to using Metro.

Throwing all the advertising in the world into desktop apps isn't going to drive revenues like Metro can with dedicated Microsoft pay-in services accessible at launch on the start screen with movies, music, games etc from them. These existed before but weren't there out of the box, and all of your app purchases mean money to them before as well. Whereas previously software purchases never involved MS unless you were buying from MS directly. Everything you use and everything you view or listen to can mean money given to Microsoft.

Money from advertising is penny ante compared to everything else. It's nice, but not a major revenue driver. A giant banner advertisement in Explorer on the desktop doesn't offer nearly the same potential revenue gains.

Metro usage effectively subsidizes the up front cost of the OS. It's not much different then contracts subsidizing smartphone prices.

Once the majority of people already have/use an OS with Metro then they can worry about driving revenue directly through OS purchases again. But right now that's almost certainly a secondary concern.

[~Johnny]

Yeah, there's so many. Look at all these ads. http://imgur.com/PT2Fn

Lol. One ad is "full of ads".

And I'd be hard pressed to even call that advertising... it's telling you about a feature of the application you're actually using! :p