There’s been some talk this last week about Microsoft opening Windows to advertisers. In essence this is something that OEM system builders have been doing for years, but now it looks like we’ll have all types of advertising available to us.
It’s not only Microsoft doing this. Apple have in the last month filed a patent that will allow advertising to be embedded in their operating system. At least the good news here is that because Apple have patented it, Microsoft can’t use it 
In their patent application, Apple say…
Among other disclosures, an operating system presents one or more advertisements to a user and disables one or more functions while the advertisement is being presented. At the end of the advertisement, the operating system again enables the function(s). The advertisement can be visual or audible. The presentation of the advertisement(s) can be made as part of an approach where the user obtains a good or service, such as the operating system, for free or at reduced cost.
This raises an interesting question, and one that’s going to come to the fore when Google launch their Chrome OS, perhaps later this year. Would you want an ad-supported copy of Windows if it was cheap or free?
[poll id="15"]
We’re so used to advertising on website these days, and with many browser plug-ins able to block them completely, that they’ve become part of the landscape of the internet and most people are almost completely oblivious to them.
Advertising through your operating system would be a good way for companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Google to raise much-needed revenue to support the development of free OSes. It also looks like, with recent activity acting as a barometer, and with Google’s don’t charge for it ethos, that this is a road we’re heading down anyway.
It could be that Microsoft and Apple will try and sneak advertisements in through the back door while still charging customers for the privilege. They may only use them on pirated copies, though this would make the Apple patent, if you’ll excuse the pun, patently odd.
Clearly with these announcements, both Apple and Microsoft are gearing up for the launch of the new Google OS. It will be interesting what moves these companies make in the coming year on this and here at Windows 7 News and www.windows8news.com we’ll be watching for announcements carefully.
