[richard_chase]

I switched to Linux after Windows started showing me propaganda on the screen where you enter your password. To me, that's diabolical and forced me to make the switch. Sorry, I don't wish to "Learn more about Black-Owned Businesses" just to access my computer.

[badc0ffee]

We updated my MIL's computer to Windows 11 and now it's giving her ads about Xbox something or other on the login screen. She is in her 80s and has no idea what an Xbox even is.

[m_fayer]

This is awful in many ways. Among other things what really gets my goat is that Xbox something or other ads can have cartoony sexuality, violence, and so on. Those things don’t bother me, but there are plenty of elderly, conservative, religious, etc. people who would be taken aback by it.

There’s plenty of that content in our media, but those people don’t consume that media. A computer is a critical general purpose tool. Everyone needs it. This is like putting scantily clad elves on every refrigerator.

[Loughla]

Ads on the login screen, ads on my fucking start menu. No intuitive way to access all programs. . . Sorry. Apps from the start menu. Suggested apps instead of that. Hold screens to set a backup using one drive and to link my phone and set telemetry and whatever other bullshit once a week.

It's not great. Linux mint is what I install for older relatives now. It's close enough to windows feeling that they never even question it.

[nilamo]

I, too, am irrationally furious at microsoft for forcing me to look at nature scapes and offering a link to learn more if I wanted.

[Abekkus]

Those landscape photos are a crappy hypnotic effort meant to try and dissociate Microsoft from the feeling most people have when they have to login on a Monday Morning.

[qwerpy]

What got me to angrily turn it off was a gigantic closeup of a moose face. It’s kind of funny now that I think about it but I have two 32” monitors and I really did not need 64” of moose lips and wet nostrils.

[Aurornis]

Reading HN threads about Windows makes me wonder some times if I’m using a completely different version of Windows on my workstation. I guess I also haven’t seen any “propaganda” among my rotating selection of landscape scenery.

[epolanski]

What propaganda? I only get a new background with some info related to it (like what's the place of the picture).

[water-data-dude]

Regrettably, I have to use a windows machine for work. The other day I got one where the "fact" was an offer to help me pic out the right laptop or tablet to get the most out of copilot.

To stoke my rage into an incandescent fury, if you go to settings -> Lock Screen, there's no obvious way to disable it at first. You have to change the background image from "Microsoft Spotlight", the one where the image changes to a static background image, and THEN you get a checkbox. The checkbox you uncheck is "get tips, fun facts, and more". I guess trying to sell me shit is under "more".

It sucks because i agree that having the picture change is a nice feature. Microsoft has decided to hold that nice feature hostage to ads.

[0_____0]

I just reinstalled Windows, so I've had the joy of a bunch of stupid MS stuff (why did you make my /~ homedir the first five letters of my email? WHY?) but I have to admit, this, I have not encountered.

[eterm]

A few days ago I got the nature scapes but with a, "This would make an awesome prompt huh?" as the tagline and a link to more AI shoe-horned in.