Kernel level anticheat for a few games is the only real speedbump I'm aware of, and it's only on a couple of game franchises like CoD I think. I would love it a ton of people made the switch and it hurt those games' companies revenue noticeably enough that they look for a way to moderate cheating without just lazily requiring Windows in order to play online.

Linux is finally convenient enough to realistically steal swaths of customers from Microsoft, and it's at the same time that Windows 11 is pissing a ton of people off. We're in for some strange times.

Generally People don't give a shit. Ive learned you gotta use the same tactics as windows and shove it in their face. My parents think they have been using windows for over a year now but I secretly installed Linux mint on their systems made it look like windows. They haven't even fucking noticed they only use a browser for emails and Facebook. When my friends ask me to help build their PC and bring a windows os I bring a Linux os and say its all I will install and troubleshoot

I have never, not once in my life, clicked on an internet or electronic ad. Even for things I'm ostensibly interested in. Jury's out on just how much manically SEO optimized retail web sites on Google count as "ads," I guess. But other than that: Zilch.

But someone somewhere must be clicking on them because billions of dollars are spent every year pushing the fucking things.

Go into app or play store and sort by most downloaded. They're pretty exclusively a list of games and apps that you find advertised.

I'm my circle, people are seeming to become more willing to admit they got something from an ad. I feel like there used to be shame behind it

The most frequent lately has been women buying their clothes from Instagram ads. The argument they have made is that they see SO MANY ads, the one they choose to spend money on was because they wanted it and that apparently is a solid vetting process. But this is people in my sphere, I dunno if it's a thing.

I used a Google TV stick and for sick of the bullshit ads and switched to a simple launcher. In reddit and lemmy threads, there are always highly up voted people who are happy to get "popular recommendations".

The generality, I feel like, is people are busy living their lives, don't want to research and learn about everything in their life, and just go with what they see.

Risk toying in the registry to kill it, of course 🏴‍☠️

I already basically get that half the time I boot into windows after an update. They say “let’s finish setting up your PC” and try to get you to pay for one drive, office, even game pass.

I’m so glad gaming on Linux has gotten to such a good state. I barely ever boot into windows now. (The “ad” on boot up is probably only once every few months, but that’s about as often as I boot into windows).

Or templeOS.

This actually touches on a major issue with digital content and software as a service compared to the old models, that people don't seem to quite grasp.

It used to be you'd walk into a store, buy a thing, and leave. Businesses could only sell to you while you're in the store. There was a clear delineation.

What we've seen over the last couple decades is the increasing invasion of the store into your home. These businesses don't want you to ever leave the store. You are meant to be living in it, at all times. There can never be any true escape unless you disconnect from the internet and disengage with modern technology.

This isn't an ad, it's a suggested result from one of our partners

With Windows 10, you had much more control over the start menu. Windows 11 is further eroding control. That's why they absolutely refuse to allow you to disable the Recommended section.

The ability to disable it is present in the OS, but it's restricted to Enterprise versions. Disabling an unneeded and annoying UI element is a Premium feature now. And as everyone said when they made that clear a few months ago, "that's where the ads will go".

They'll probably let you disable them, at least for now. But the fact you can't disable the place for the ads is telling. We'll see how they feel about letting you disable those ads in a few years.

And yet, I haven't seen it once on any of my computers 🤷

Granny doesn't need a PC anymore. That's what's hurting Microsoft more than anything and why they're desperate to generate more Windows revenue.

Smartphones and tablets have eliminated the need for 3 PCs per household. Linux is growing in market share, but that has more to do with the number of new Windows machines decreasing than a massive growth in Linux.