On: Why can an ad break the Windows 11 desktop and taskbar?

[AniseAbyss]

Isn't this normal for apps? Spotify has a free version that is ad supported.

Microsoft is giving away Windows. Remember that not that long ago you had to pay €$200+ for an OS.

[InfamousRece → AniseAbyss]

$139 for Windows Home and $199 for Windows Pro. Where I come from this would not be called giving away.

Official MS pricing: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/windows?activetab=pi...

[emn13 → InfamousRece]

Most people surely buy/bought their license with a new PC from an OEM; OEM's apparently always paid much less, e.g. 50$ (in 2009) https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2009/09/micro... - and less if it was a cheap/low-end device: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/microsoft-reducing-w...

I'm guessing they're not going to drop those fees, so whatever ad or product-placement revenue comes in is probably on top of that?

[phendrenad2 → InfamousRece]

Eh, it's the same. The price floor is just different.