Summary
- Microsoft shifts focus from AI-powered services like Copilot to adding more ads to its apps.
- Only 20 million Windows users engage with Copilot compared to 400 million using OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
- Microsoft sneaks ads for Microsoft 365 into its PC Manager app, disguising them as helpful tips.
While Microsoft was on a rampage of adding ads to its software and operating systems, it feels like its efforts have dwindled somewhat over time. If they truly have, it’s likely because the company was instead focusing on making Copilot happen. With its new Copilot Pro subscription plan and its Copilot+ devices, Microsoft was set to make bank off of its new AI-powered services.
Except that didn’t happen. Out of the estimated 1.5 billion Windows users in the world, a report claimed that only 20 million of them use Copilot every week, a great deal fewer than the 400 million that turn up to use OpenAI’s ChatGPT. And soon after that report came out, we’re seeing Microsoft back in the advertising game, as the company has added more ads to its apps.
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Microsoft adds ads for its services to the PC Manager for Windows 11 app
As spotted by Windows Latest, the Microsoft PC Manager app now has a sneaky ad placed within it. If you’ve never used it before, the Microsoft PC Manager app helps you sort out issues with your computer and free up space, and while there are plenty of things holding Microsoft PC Manager back from being a great app, it’s still worth a look if you think your device is due for a PC health check.
In a recent update, the Microsoft PC Manager will now give you a “handy” tip. It’ll pop up at the top of the panel and reads as such:
Take Microsoft 365 on the go
Download mobile apps to work seamlessly across your devices.
It then provides you with a link to “discover more tips,” but be cautious; it’s a tactic to encourage you to subscribe to Microsoft 365. Given how the PC Manager app is designed to guide individuals who need assistance with their computers, framing it as a “tip” allows it to blend in quite nicely among the other tools.
While we’re on the topic, if you’re on the hunt for a new office suite but you prefer your apps to be open-source, we have just the thing for you. We’ve covered several reasons this open-source tool is the future of productivity, and best of all, it doesn’t feature any ads or tricks to get you to download something as a “tip.”
