Advertisement in metro apps?!?

[Matthew_Thepc]

What do you mean by they gotta make money some way ?!!? Windows 8 is not free last time I checked, so I don't see why a rich corporation like Microsoft needs to metamorphose their OS into an advertisement platform.

After a couple of days messing around with Windows 8, I can only assume that Microsoft wants to switch from a business-oriented framework to a media & entertainment model.

All in all, I can't see one good reason for any business to upgrade. There's absolutely nothing in Windows 8 justifying the investment, mainly because all the "new features" seems to have been design for the purpose of remodeling their flagship product into the next xbox.

Anyways, only time will tell if this is successful or not for desktop users. My guess is that it won't...

I was being a little sarcastic with that last sentence ;)

but you never know, they could pull another Xbox 360 and sell it for less than it costs to make, and then make up the difference in app sales & ads

[remixedcat]

this is this prolly downloading em in the BG and wasting B/W like mad.

[n_K]

this is this prolly downloading em in the BG and wasting B/W like mad.

Yeah, even more LOL for a tablet OS.

Good luck seeing your monthly 1GB usage done in a matter of days!

[insanelyapple]

Indeed -- corporations think you are sheep -- you'll accept anything.

Im really shocked how many people easily take their marketing gibber-jabber without thinking.

And yes, i saw ads in Weather app in both release and consumer preview.

[djesteban]

The thinking that you're paying for the OS so the free apps that come with it shouldn't have ads is something I don't get. I suppose it's the internet effect and everyone is just used to getting whatever they want "free".

ok....

Now, please explain your point of view

[George P Global Moderator]

ok....

Now, please explain your point of view

Free apps, just because they come with an OS doesn't mean they have be ad free really. If they are that's just a bonus but thinking that because you're paying for Windows (the OS) that any free apps they decide to toss in or not should somehow be different because of that fact is, IMO, false. The bundled apps coming from MS are no different in this case than bundled apps coming from the hardware OEM we've been getting for years. Those are often trial versions or free versions with ads and so on.

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Defending putting adverts into built in applications in the OS? I've heard it all now.

[~Johnny]

Defending putting adverts into built in applications in the OS? I've heard it all now.

Well, they're not built in in the sense that Wordpad and Notepad are. They're included when you buy a Windows 8 license, but they're separate store applications, not made by the Windows team - by a different division of Microsoft entirely who have their own balance sheet to keep. They're not parts of Windows, they're just added extras - that can be extremely easily removed, replaced or updated. They're Windows Store applications, not built-in Windows applications.

[George P Global Moderator]

Defending putting adverts into built in applications in the OS? I've heard it all now.

Except the apps aren't built in, they're preinstalled from the Store. I'm pretty sure you can uninstall them and then reinstall them from the store anytime you want. They're not the same as Paint or Wordpad etc.

Think of it this way, though I doubt it'll matter. Say those apps weren't preinstalled for you on a clean install. Say you then had to go and manually download and install them through the store. Same free apps from MS, ads and all. Would manually getting them change your opinion on this subject? I doubt it, some would still feel the same way because they're from MS and MS shouldn't need ads in it's free apps period.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

Well, they're not built in in the sense that Wordpad and Notepad are. They're included when you buy a Windows 8 license, but they're separate store applications, not made by the Windows team - by a different division of Microsoft entirely who have their own balance sheet to keep. They're not parts of Windows, they're just added extras - that can be extremely easily removed, replaced or updated. They're Windows Store applications, not built-in Windows applications.

This makes a difference to me as a consumer how?

[Stoyan Dimitrov]

is it a US thing?? I just ran all my metro main apps (weather, music etc.) and not a single ad. I scrolled all the way over and still nothing

Maybe if you change the country in the Regional settings you wont see any ads. For example, I live in Bulgaria and I dont see ads in Weather, Music, Video and etc.

It's worth to try :)

[The_Decimator]

This if finally catching up with everyone:

[~Johnny]

This makes a difference to me as a consumer how?

It means you shouldn't be expecting them all to be advertisement free - they're not a part of Windows.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

It means you shouldn't be expecting them all to be advertisement free - they're not a part of Windows.

So not a single one of these apps (except for the Desktop?) is a part of Windows. Am I understanding you correctly? It's all just added extras (that might come with advertisement)?

[~Johnny]

So not a single one of these apps (except for the Desktop?) is a part of Windows. Am I understanding you correctly? It's all just added extras (that might come with advertisement)?

Yes - excluding the store and IE - none of these are made directly the Windows team - you have Bing, Windows Essentials and Xbox.

I'd expect any app that is delivered through the store - i.e. any WinRT based application baring the store itself - is not a part of Windows. So yes, everything you see there could conceivably come with adverts. Obviously that's not the case, although as things go anything made by the Bing team is more likely to have them vs. anything from the Windows Live Team (so Weather, Sports, Travel, Maps, Finance vs Photos, Message, People & Mail). And the Xbox Live Music & Video applications come with content adverts anyway.

It wouldn't surprise me if we see OEM's play around with which default Metro apps come preinstall with Windows 8 on their machines, you might see more / less advert inclusive applications by default on machines sold directly to end users. (And gathering how tight OEM's are, that'll probably be a yes to more advert supporting apps on prebuilt machines).

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Just one more reason I'll never use it. Wow, stooping low there, Microsoft? A bit much? Oh, much too much! (as ace ventura would say)

[max22]

Thank god for ad muncher!

[Nadja]

I found a solution:

[siah1214]

I love how all the haters in this thread are bashing ads in apps that they swore they'd never use anyway. Why can't you just go back to not using the apps and shut up?

[Kyang]

[...]haters[...]bashing ads in apps that they swore they'd never use anyway. Why can't you just go back to not using the apps and shut up?

This isn't a good way to go about this. Not everyone is in that category, and even those that do can't really be told to just "shut up"... :/ .

[max22]

No need Nadja that is what Ad Muncher is for. Works in the metro interface.

[n_K]

I didn't really think of it until that advertisers video just now, but its' pretty true.

You buy an xbox and there's a lot of advertising all over that, even if you're a sucker and pay for gold, you still get it.

[nub]

Well, they're not built in in the sense that Wordpad and Notepad are. They're included when you buy a Windows 8 license, but they're separate store applications, not made by the Windows team - by a different division of Microsoft entirely who have their own balance sheet to keep. They're not parts of Windows, they're just added extras - that can be extremely easily removed, replaced or updated. They're Windows Store applications, not built-in Windows applications.

How the hell are the MS Metro apps different than Wordpad/Notepad? Wordpad/Notepad is NOT part of the OS. It simply a program that comes bundles with the OS. The same as bundled metro apps. If Microsoft added ads to notepad people would be furious, but because its a metro apps it doesn't matter?

[djesteban]

So not a single one of these apps (except for the Desktop?) is a part of Windows. Am I understanding you correctly? It's all just added extras (that might come with advertisement)?

People try so hard to convince themselves it's incredible. Those apps, no matter if they come from the "store" or not, are from Microsoft and come pre-installed with the OS, so they shouldn't bare ads since they are part of the package you bought IMHO.

[Colin McGregor]

Ran my apps all day and not a single ad. It must be a US thing cause i asked a few friends that also live in canada and they have no ads either.