New Win-Win for Windows 8.1 Users: Ads!!!

"Last week, the software giant launched a preview of Window 8.1, a planned update of its latest computer operating system. It will offer a feature called Smart Search that allows users to conduct a search in Windows that will look for information on the Web, their device, apps, and a company cloud....Today, Microsoft said its advertisers will be able to target users not just on Web search results pages but directly inside Windows Smart Search....The goal, Pann says, is to give advertisers access to consumers across a broader variety of their daily activities, not just when they’re overtly conducting a search."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2013/07/02/microsoft-to-add-bing-ads-to-windows-8-1-search/

Isn't this exciting news? And there have been all those nay-sayers here who don't see good reasons to switch to Windows 8.1.

 

Between stuff like this and Microsoft killing off TechNet I think I am just gonna downgrade back to Windows 7 and dual boot with Ubuntu until I get familiar enough with Linux to just dump Windows altogether. I've been able to tolerate Windows 8 for the last 6 months but I see no reason to continue to do so.

 

Too early to be too judgmental, but I don't like the sound of that. It sounds like they're trying to make 8.1 adware. I know that sounds a little much, but hey, if advertisers are able to get into file/personal stuff search as well, the shoe fits. I might be reading the line " Microsoft said its advertisers will be able to target users not just on Web search results pages but directly inside Windows Smart Search." completely wrong, but that looks kind of messed up for MS to do.

I see MS, even without this "feature" soon becoming no different than Google in respect to the way they do advertising. Really at this point using either engine comes down to what looks "nicer" to you. I imagine this turning Bing into a software platform is more an attempt to keep it alive than anything else. I'm not going to drop Windows because of something I can easily avoid on my Windows 7 system. Windows 8 has been one big lab experiment for them, one that hasn't gone so swell. Maybe this ad thing is MS saying "You don't like what we did? Fine, we'll put your UI back, but for being mean..have some ads in your personal files search..Ha!" And yes, to all MS butt kissers, that was a joke, lol.

I don't know what to think yet, it's too early as I said. However, it is rather funny to watch them be so nice to the advertising industry after they flipped the bird at them with that whole default DNT scene they got burned at the stake for. My how ideals change when dollar signs get embedded into eyes.

 

Agree, this is just another nail in the W8 coffin. I easily reverted back to Win 7.

 

I'll wait until more information on this is available. But, if it's what it seems to be, I will switch to Linux Mint full time.

Edit: I think if Apple made macs a bit more affordable Microshafts market share is ripe for the taking.

 

The thing about that is at least twofold. One Apples margin on macs is at least 25%. 25% is a huge margin. I don't know if it's possible to find that sweet spot of selling less units (still making a killing) & maintaining a feeling of exclusivity/superiority that sells a lot of Apple ****.

 

Well, back when I first saw Metro and its jumble of tiles, my first impression was that it looks tailor-made to push ads.

We are only going to see more of this stuff as more and more people think moving their data to "the cloud" and using web services for everything are such great ideas.

 

Windows 8.1 to be invaded by ads within Bing search results

http://www.neowin.net/images/uploaded/1616_charm2.jpg


Microsoft uses its Bing engine to serve search results from inside Windows 8.1. Those results came from inside a person's PC, from their SkyDrive account or from the Internet. As it turns out, the Bing engine in Windows 8.1 will also serve up something that some people might not care for: ads.

In a post on the Bing Ads blog, Microsoft says that ads will be an "integral part" of the search features in Windows 8.1 when the final version of the OS update is released later this year. Microsoft says:

Now, with a single campaign setup, advertisers can connect with consumers across Bing, Yahoo! and the new Windows Search with highly relevant ads for their search queries. In addition, Bing Ads will include web previews of websites and the latest features like site links, location and call extensions, making it easier for consumers to complete tasks and for advertisers to drive qualified leads.

Microsoft already puts in banner ads inside many of its in-house Windows 8 apps and allows third party app developers to do the same. The blog states that with this new ad feature inside the search functions of Windows 8.1, it will offer benefits for companies who are looking for easier ways to present their products to the public. The blog also says that it will also provide "the best consumer experience with the most relevant results."

The blog does not mention anything about if Windows 8.1 users can choose to opt out of seeing ads when searching inside Windows 8.1.

Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft

article source: http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-81-to-be-invaded-by-ads-within-bing-search-results

 

Re: Windows 8.1 to be invaded by ads within Bing search results

Not in my machines they don't.

Everyone already knows that Bing is just another in a long list of generic search machines that don't even begin to cover nowhere near the same range and scope as Google does.

Microsoft is also typically sneaky in that respect. They're trying to force Bing onto the public thru their latest O/S and is currently engaged in a huge global marketing campaign on TV, Radio, Magazines, etc. in an attempt to win some audience away from the best.

But then don't they always. Nothing new there and they got plenty of windfall to throw at the idea anyway.

 

You could always just disable the Bing integration and/or use a web browser to search.

 

Yeah, but why should customers have to disable what could be a very nice little feature just to escape the effing ads? It's just a ploy to get some money back on their failures with Bing. They've been throwing money at it without any major results for so long now I guess they figure for the few who do use Bing, they can make a buck by forcing them to see ads. Maybe they're going to end up trying to go the Google route and become an advertising company who uses ad dollars to keep projects going. They went a long time keeping Outlook.com ad-less, then they change course. Now it's built in to Windows. It's still too early to really know what will go down, but if it turns out that way, it sucks. MS is starting to change drastically as a company.

 

Even if there were no ads you would be sending your search terms, and possibly location, to Microsoft where those can be logged, datamined, possibly added to your profile, etc. In some scenarios that would be OK, in other scenarios that would be very bad.

Has anyone read what the default settings will be? Will this only apply to the metro search box or desktop searches as well? I'm not sure how much local sensitive data users can access and might want to search from the metro search box (?) but in a professional desktop environment there may be large amounts of sensitive (client) filenames, data, whatever that will be searched.

Looking at a screen shot it appears to me that the metro interface is one box/button. I suspect that many would find it convenient to be able to perform broad searches via the box, and thus there would be motivation to enable the "search online" aspects. I suspect many would simply stick to that normal routine and thus end up sending search terms to Microsoft when they are trying to search just the local device. Separate boxes and/or buttons and/or prefix keywords could be used to help people direct their search depending on what they are trying to do. Are there any signs of that?

 

Poking around in other peoples comps for data such as proposed, & uploading it etc, has to be ILLEGAL ! And for ALL parties involved.

The only copout i can envisage for MS is, it will be included in the EULA "end-user license agreement" that you Automatically sign into when you agree to licence Windows by installing it, or buying a new comp with it on.

We don't buy/licence software to be spyed on

Dirty tricks by MS once again

I wonder if this is what MS's forthcoming free BLUE OS is for also ? So you get the free OS, but give up your privacy etc ? Well that "might" be ok for dumb sheeples who will "probably" lap it up But if they really are going to include such tactics in a paid product, then i'm glad i'm staying on XP

 

How is this going to effect business users who have not upgraded to W8? With the possibility of a yearly subscription applied to every PC and now a spy package that can mine the system, what business person would buy into this?

 

It is a shame but honestly I bet most people see a lot more ads when they surf the internet and they don't seem to mind.

 

@WindBringeth: Search engine rules are a bit different from what this seems to be about. The way I'm picturing this going down is ads ending up being relevant to not only web search terms, but personal files you have on your system and in whatever cloud (assuming SkyDrive here) you are storing things in. Google doing that to your email is bad enough, but they aren't serving up ads from inside your OS, and their email service is easily replaced and avoided. MS is building this into the OS from what I can tell, and a nice feature to easily find personal items is going to depend on you enabling the service and being forced into ads...that may or may not be relevant to your personal files...that's not okay.

@CloneRanger: You should be used to this by now. If you've bought software in the last 10 years or so, you've never owned it and buy it knowing the vendor will let you do things you want for the price of letting them do whatever the hell they please.

Also, as far as I know, "Blue" was the code name for 8.1. And, you can't stay on XP forever. Find yourself a cheap Windows 7 and you can avoid this entire this. Or, of course there is always Linux.

@Emmajay: It won't affect anyone not on Windows 8, it's avoidable because Bing is avoidable as a search engine. If they want a yearly subscription from me, they'll have to dump this 100-199 dollar crap and get rid of the Home/Ultimate thing too. I can easily afford it, but I'm not treating Windows like some kind of loan payment. I'm not "putting it into the budget".

 

These things are always blown out of proportion during betas so people can have a good rage fest about it, I haven't seen any solid evidence of ads other than the Bing app, whoop-de-do, same as online search.

I'll wait for release then judge.

 

You're right, 100%. But, it all depends on how this goes down, even if ads being seen from a feature on your own system and not just web search/pages leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. The more important question is will these be "relevant" ads or dumb/traditional ones? I can tell you right now that if they pull a Gmail-type situation with my own personal files that aren't uploaded to any of their services I have little control of, they've lost their mind if they think they'll lure me over to 8, 8.1 or 8.9 and a half.

But I have no idea how they're planning it out, and I'm betting they are half afraid to say. They haven't exactly been batting 1000 with their products lately.

 

Well, yeah, again I don't know what exactly they are planning. The way the original article was written out makes it look like I said it did. I know what my reaction will be if it ends up that way, but you're right, it's way too early to condemn it to the flames of Hades...even if I really don't want to deal with more ads

 

Don't many free mobile application have ads nowadays?

We will just have to wait and see. I don't think there's much point in speculating.

 

Rage fest seems to be the only thing that impresses MS and other big corps nowadays (see XBOX One case), so that's what we should give them. Being silent is no longer an option, unfortunately.

 

Adware crap on top of Metro? Instead of bringing back the beloved Aero desktop, Microsoft seems determined to p*ss its users off! And its doing a heckuva job of it! Keep up the good work, Steve Ballmer!

 

Keep Windows 7 or downgrade. I don't need or want to see adware crap on my computer - as if any sane person would do that along with touching Metro with a barge pole!

 

Agreed - its also an invasion of personal privacy! Steve Ballmer - that may be a concept lost on you and the folks under you who run Microsoft but I don't need to be shown what to buy! If I need/want something, I'm perfectly capable of looking it up on the Internet by myself!