[blackcatsec]

I think it's critically important that when arguing on the internet you bring data driven information and not emotions. Although I know for many people, particularly in tech, operating system choice is an extremely subjective, emotional-driven, and personal, almost religious decision-making process.

But I like data. And that's what I'm going to stick with. Your experience is not my experience.

That said, I distinctly remember back in the Windows 98 days (inarguably one of the most highly regarded versions of Windows ever released which had extreme staying power throughout the Windows XP era); they used to automatically include the Channel Bar to the right on the "Active Desktop". This bar included links to Disney, AOL, MSN, MSNBC, among other items. No doubt Disney paid good money to be default installed and opened on every Windows PC of the time.

So it's not like including some level of advertising hasn't been a precedent for 30 or so years.