Latest Windows 11 build shares desktop real estate with, er, Spotify Microsoft's latest Windows 11 preview build has added a Spotify widget, more evidence of the software giant's increasing openness to third-party presences in its flagship OS. Widgets display dynamic content from apps and services on the tray on a user's Windows desktop. They can be manipulated in myriad ways – including pinned …
Cue the pop-up, "Spotify has updated their widget. We realize that you uninstalled the previous version, but we have re-installed the new version for your convenience since we really think that you should check out the new and improved features!"
With every new version, Windows keeps turning more and more into a giant billboard.
Oh god. You've triggered me with visions of that $%@#! stupid "SpamApp just got installed! Check it out!!!" popup that plagues any installation of Windows 10/11 if you're daft enough to hook it up to the internet before GPO'ing the hell out of it to remove all that slurry.
Must have a drink to forget it!
OR...
[insert application name here] comes up with a sufficiently large wad of folding green ones and MS will graciously allow the presence of your stuff front and centre.
Make said wad even bigger and they'll make it impossible to remove.
Consider me sceptcal... or not.
And this is the #1 desktop for BUSINESS users.
All social media tat is banned by any sane corporate policy, partly on the grounds of confidentiality but mostly because is not actually what you're paid to be doing.
And this is the #1 desktop for BUSINESS users
Which is why any business with a clue does their own customised builds that removes as much of this crap as possible..
(My wife bought a laptop that came with WIndows 10 Home. I spent the first 30 minutes removing the crap and telemetry - or at least as much as you can in Home)
Of course, but surely that's not the point? If the thing is supposedly for business, why isn't it actually business ready?
Yes, yes, we *know* the real reasons -- MS accepting payoffs and advertising and such like, as expressed elsewhere in this thread.
Just further pointing out the hypocrisy, I suppose.
Instead of installing these widgets with the OS itself, why not just announce a dedicated app store where dross like this can be obtained if folk actually want it? I guess that would mean the stuff would have to be desirable enough for people to want it on its own merti though.
I just hope to $deity this shit can be readily uninstalled, never to return.
Nah, they'll just make such a part of Windows that no one can do without it then change their Ts&Cs so ban apps that offer equivalent services to those provided by the OS while sneaking in the "Zune App" which will kill Spotify as they have been lured in to relying on Windows for their income stream :-)
Seems like I have to remove more and more crapware with each new versions of Window$.
All I want is a clean OS that allows me to run my work apps in peace and quiet.
The list of things I DON'T want in Window$ grows daily.
Thankfull I spend most of my time on Linux.
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