Microsoft should use the Kindle approach to Advertising

I wish it weren’t, but if generating advertising revenue is part of the Windows strategy going forward, Microsoft should at least do us the courtesy of letting us pay a little bit to remove them like Amazon does on their ad-supported Kindles. Show us ads on the Windows lock screen, start menu, and Edge, but then for $20 let us remove them from all of those places. Include ad-removal in M365 Personal and Family subscriptions to drive adoption. PC makers could load the ad-supported version on cheap PCs and put the ad-free version on premium PCs to further differentiate them.

Conversation 10 comments

  • Paul Thurrott

    Premium Member
    04 December, 2021 - 11:14 am

    <p>So, I agree with this. I blurted out something to the tune of me being willing to pay Microsoft $50 a year for ad/crap-free Windows. So basically a subscription, I guess. If that’s what it takes, I’m in.</p>

  • bats

    04 December, 2021 - 12:30 pm

    <p>Twenty dollars? No,…..that’s too cheap. Remember, what runs the Kindle is Android. I can imagine that the development of the Kindle "OS" isn’t at the same level as it would be with (full-blown) Windows. I would say, at least $75 depending on the version of Windows that is running the computer. </p>

    • jchampeau

      Premium Member
      04 December, 2021 - 1:57 pm

      <p>Kindles run Linux (kernels 2.6.10 to 3.0, according to a source code notice mentioned on the Kindle Wikipedia page). You’re thinking of Kindle Fire devices that run Fire OS, which is itself based on Android AOSP I believe. But I think comparing the OSs these devices run is sort of missing the point. Microsoft wants to make money by selling ads, and $20 was an arbitrary amount based on what I think might constitute a reasonable premium over what Microsoft could make if I didn’t pay and saw all the ads instead.</p>

      • lvthunder

        Premium Member
        07 December, 2021 - 3:00 pm

        <p>but I’m not sure that’s enough to cover the costs of Windows Update. I don’t imagine Windows Update is a cheap service to run.</p>

  • Greg Green

    05 December, 2021 - 10:07 am

    <p>Best option is to use the Win7 approach to advertising. None. Otherwise just charge us for the OS again, with some discounted options for upgrades. Anything subscriptionish will be hard to handle.</p>

  • F4IL

    05 December, 2021 - 11:39 am

    <p>The problem is that even if do you pay msft to remove their ads, it does little to remove the heaps of pre-installed 3rd party and OEM adware<em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">most off-the-shelf windows PCs ship with. So even though you are paying, it still isn’t ad free.</span></p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    05 December, 2021 - 12:50 pm

    <p>I’m alright with this. I’d go so far as to say that Microsoft should have to remove all of the ads from retail copies and say, the next subsequent new release.</p><p><br></p><p>Example: I purchase Windows 10 Pro at retail and it would be ad-free, as well as Windows 11. Should a Windows 12 arrive, I’d have to pay the fee to remove ads from there out.</p><p><br></p><p>Could also be nice if Pro and higher releases simply don’t have this nonsense, and garbo like the Edge features are disabled by default. </p>

  • shark47

    05 December, 2021 - 6:57 pm

    <p>I think this is a great idea. It’s stupid that Microsoft is so cagey about ads in Windows.</p>

  • justme

    Premium Member
    06 December, 2021 - 7:02 am

    <p>Please, not a subscription. Give me another SKU – Windows Pro with no ads, no telemetry, and configuration freedom like businesses have. If I have to pay retail prices for it – so be it. But I will not subscribe.</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      07 December, 2021 - 2:58 pm

      <p>It has to be a subscription. You are basically paying for Microsoft to keep the updates happening. Mostly the security updates. $200 for the development of Windows and 10 years of updates is not sustainable.</p>

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