Microsoft’s announcement: “We are introducing a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The Game Pass recommendation card on Settings Homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC. As a reminder – the Settings homepage will be shown only on the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 and if you’re signed into Windows with your Microsoft account.”

    • accideath@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      The funny thing is, there isn’t even really a free OS with ads. At least none that I know of. Linux is open source and thus usually non commercial. Worst case you get a “please donate” the first time you log in. macOS is technically free (although you kinda subsidize it through the hardware, I suppose) and it doesn’t have ads and even chrome OS is ad free afaik. It’s really only Windows and some Android flavours, usually those running on very cheap chinese devices. And Samsung of course.

    • lemmy_user_838586@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      This is what finally got me to switch to Linux years ago. Back when Virtual machines were relatively new I was messing around with them and hated having to scrounge for windows licenses to use in the VM’s. (Back then you had to enter the CD Key to begin installing the OS, they didn’t have trial periods, or ‘activate later’ options) started using Linux in VM’s to try it out, and boom 15 years later, I’m never going back.

      • kescusay@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Maybe they’re making more money now from ads shown in pirated copies of Windows than they do from actually selling Windows.