Users who had decided to stick with Windows 10 on their computers in order to avoid the increasing amount of advertising that the next version of the system will have are going to be disappointed. The reason is as simple as it is compelling: Microsoft is also going to load ads on the classic edition of its platform.
Anyone would have thought that, given that its final end is approaching, Microsoft would leave Windows 10 alone to focus on its current version. It would be reasonable and, on the other hand, it would help make the third age of this operating system a little more bearable. But, as we have mentioned in other cases, the Redmond company is very interested in sneaking in as many announcements as possible and, in the end, it has been an issue that has fallen by its own weight.
Changes in the Start menu
For many users, the Windows 11 Start menu has become a “lawless territory,” a place where Microsoft experiments with different types of advertising. The company has usually shoehorned in practically everything. From the most obvious and understandable, such as ads for its own services, to other types of camouflaged promotions that lead to third-party applications and services. The latter is generally what the community likes the least, since the company’s interest in making money through commissions is too evident.
In any case, all the announcements generate negative impressions overall. Now those feelings, which had been limited to Windows 11, are also being transferred to Windows 10 with the availability of the beta version 19045.4842 of the platform. Users who have had access to it have already mentioned it on social networks and it will be something that, in due time, will also reach the final version of the operating system.
This is what we are going to find
As you can see in the screenshots posted by user Phantomofearth in X, adjustments have been made to the design of the Start menu to allow for additional space. That space, of course, is intended for advertising. The account management button has been moved and Microsoft has incorporated the Microsoft 365 ad as its first taste of advertising. The move is not far from what has been seen in Windows 11, so it is to be expected that everything that has also appeared in the current version of the operating system will be seen in Windows 10.
phantomofearth 🌳
@phantomofearth
New Start menu experiment in Windows 10 Beta/RP (19045.4842) – different positions for the account icon in the navigation pane, as well as some subtle visual changes to the pane. https://t.co/vcdJLyyzZt https://t.co/wbrJmevAjd
August 24, 2024 • 01:15
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According to reports, the Microsoft 365 ad appears when you click on the account management button, revealing to the user the status of their account. If you do not have a subscription to the service, Microsoft will emphasize the need to subscribe to it, thus encouraging you to end up getting this subscription in order to take advantage of some of its most popular tools.
At the moment, the amount of advertising that appears is limited to Microsoft 365-related content, but it remains to be seen whether the company will end up increasing the number of campaigns that appear in the Windows 10 Start menu. What some users and specialists are wondering is whether this move by the company is as necessary as it might be made out to be. Because, at this point, with the situation in the Windows 10 environment, it is difficult to imagine that Microsoft is compensated for the problems and criticism it is generating with it. After all, it is unlikely that they will get many subscriptions to Microsoft 365 no matter how much they make it available to all Windows 10 users. Most of them will either get annoyed or ignore it, but signing up for the service… does not seem very likely. Although, in reality, you never know.
