I see ads on Windows constantly, usually for Microsoft Edge and Bing, but every install always comes with a link to Candy Crush as far as I've seen.
Maybe Microsoft dialed back the ads on the Surface, but on other platforms Windows is full of dark patterns to advertise Microsoft's own software. Just recently I've had to give admin permission to my computer to dismiss a warning from Windows Defender that I'm not signed into OneDrive.
I can't say I see the same value in the strong points of the Surface you see, but I have to admit that it's a shame how little good competition there is to the Surface line in terms of convertibles. Apple could easily outcompete Microsoft by providing a professional version of the iPad Pro that runs normal applications, but their desire for simplifying and locking down general purpose computers seems to prevent them from doing so. Other manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo simply don't seem to put out the same quality of hardware.
Maybe Microsoft dialed back the ads on the Surface, but on other platforms Windows is full of dark patterns to advertise Microsoft's own software. Just recently I've had to give admin permission to my computer to dismiss a warning from Windows Defender that I'm not signed into OneDrive.
I can't say I see the same value in the strong points of the Surface you see, but I have to admit that it's a shame how little good competition there is to the Surface line in terms of convertibles. Apple could easily outcompete Microsoft by providing a professional version of the iPad Pro that runs normal applications, but their desire for simplifying and locking down general purpose computers seems to prevent them from doing so. Other manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo simply don't seem to put out the same quality of hardware.