Microsoft starts testing ads in the Windows 11 Start menu

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reaction to Start Menu ads

  • Many see Start Menu “recommended apps” as OS-level advertising and describe it as cheap, tacky, and part of long‑running “enshittification.”
  • Users resent seeing ads in an OS they already paid for, likening it to paying for Amazon Prime and still getting ads.
  • Some argue it’s “just promoted apps” and can be toggled off, but others say that doesn’t make it less of an ad if money is involved.

Security, quality, and legality concerns

  • Strong worries about malvertising moving from browsers into the OS; people expect a Black Hat talk on exploiting the ad channel.
  • Critics argue Microsoft should focus on stability and security instead.
  • One commenter questions whether unlabeled paid placements might violate US rules on distinguishing ads from content; others note Microsoft calls them “recommendations,” which might be a legal gray area.

Comparisons with Apple, Ubuntu, and others

  • Long subthread arguing Apple does very similar things: App Store search ads, service upsell banners in Settings, first‑party apps with sponsored content.
  • Others counter that Apple’s ads are largely confined to “store” or “content” contexts, not core system menus, and are more tastefully integrated.
  • Ubuntu’s MOTD “suggestions” and KDE launcher “Get X software” results are cited as Linux-side analogues that also annoy users.

Start menu replacements and lock‑in

  • Microsoft is starting to block some customization tools (e.g., Start menu replacers) in preview builds, officially for stability.
  • Critics suspect hostility to anything that hides ad surfaces; defenders say the targeted tools use fragile, undocumented APIs and do crash.

Alternatives and migrations

  • Many report fleeing to Linux (Mint, Debian, NixOS, Pop!_OS, Zorin, Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu) or macOS, sometimes keeping Windows only in a VM for gaming or specific software.
  • Gaming on Linux is described as “much improved but not perfect”; certain Windows‑only apps (Photoshop, Autodesk tools, full Office compatibility) remain hard blockers for some professions.
  • Some emphasize that despite strong dislike in this thread, Windows still dominates desktop share; critics reply that this is largely inertia and lack of awareness of alternatives.

Mitigations

  • A guide is shared for stripping telemetry, ads, and “recommendations” from Windows 11 without third‑party tools.
  • Enterprise editions are said to allow disabling most ads; consumers cannot practically buy these, so are stuck with ad‑heavy variants.