I wonder if there are any Linux distros that include ads built into their core apps and menus. Windows does. But hey, we can disable them with some obscure combination of powershell commands and registry edits... temporarily. Should we really have to put up with that kind of crapware in software that we've paid for?

You're kidding yourself if you think Windows hasn't gotten worse in this regard. And Microsoft is carefully probing exactly how much their users will tolerate - because more ads mean more money. Annoying users is only an issue if the users actually leave. So this gentle gradual slide of enshitification is very deliberate and calibrated. People are pushed to the very edge of what they'll tolerate. If you continue to tolerate it, you'll likely be pushed a little bit further soon enough.