A member of the Windows Insiders program shared a screenshot on his Twitter account showing his File Explorer on Windows 11
embellished, just under the search bar, with a small advertising banner for a Microsoft product.
A news that raises fears of new additions of advertisements on the Windows interface, an operating system that is already paying.
A small-scale test
The latest Windows 11 build 22572, aimed at Insiders, brought a number of new features and changes to the Redmond giant’s operating system. Note the arrival of Clipchamp, the new native video editing application that succeeds Windows Movie Maker, or a new version of Microsoft Defender. But a novelty has gone under the radar, probably due to very limited A/B Testing: the implementation of advertisements in File Explorer.
Florian B, a member of the Windows Insiders program, posted a screenshot on his Twitter account clearly showing this addition to his File Explorer. We see there, just under the search bar, a small banner suggesting to use Microsoft Editor, an internal Microsoft writing assistant and competitor to Grammarly. Other users have testified to seeing similar banners inviting them to view PowerPoint templates on Office.com.
Given the limited number of people reporting this addition, it is most likely a small-scale A/B Testing deployed with a few Insiders, which gives hope that Microsoft will not launch these banners on a large scale if the results are not conclusive.
Anger and disappointment
Microsoft is not at its first attempt concerning advertisements directly on Windows which try to lead users to the various products of the brand. We can cite the advertisements in the email application that try to redirect to the mobile app or even advertisements seen directly in the Start menu, not to mention the forced highlighting of Edge which has caused Microsoft some problems.
What also shocks Internet users, in addition to the fact that these advertisements are activated by default on a paid operating system, is the form that they can take. In the case of the File Explorer, the banner is constructed in such a way that it suggests being a help and advice window when it is nothing more or less than the promotion of a Microsoft tool which links to its documentation page.
We just have to wait and see how Microsoft manages the implementation of these advertisements in the future, or if this test had no other purpose than to verify functionality.
On the same subject :
Windows Insiders: a new version of Microsoft Defender is being tested on PC and smartphone
To download
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- Graphical redesign of the successful interface
- Improved Snap
- Effective anchor groups
To be completely honest, Windows 11 seems to us to be a good evolution of Windows 10. Beyond the very marketing aspect linked to the surprise effect (Windows 10 was presented as the last of the last, remember) and to the essentially graphical redesign of the interface, the update brings a bit of clarity and modernity that are welcome after six years spent with an OS designed to reconcile Microsoft and its audience. We also like the discreet details that make it more functional, such as the improved snap and anchor groups, or even the refined management of virtual desktops. Finally, we are really convinced by the redesign of the Microsoft Store. By agreeing to return to the exclusivity reserved for UWPs, Microsoft is effectively hitting where it is not expected and finally compels itself to catch up on Apple and Google.
To be completely honest, Windows 11 seems to us to be a good evolution of Windows 10. Beyond the very marketing aspect linked to the surprise effect (Windows 10 was presented as the last of the last, remember) and to the essentially graphical redesign of the interface, the update brings a bit of clarity and modernity that are welcome after six years spent with an OS designed to reconcile Microsoft and its audience. We also like the discreet details that make it more functional, such as the improved snap and anchor groups, or even the refined management of virtual desktops. Finally, we are really convinced by the redesign of the Microsoft Store. By agreeing to return to the exclusivity reserved for UWPs, Microsoft is effectively hitting where it is not expected and finally compels itself to catch up on Apple and Google.
Source: Windows Latest
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