Apple has a patent for displaying ads in an operating system. Basically, ads would pop up and prevent you from doing work every once in awhile. The patent shows a mechanism where the ads could be delayed for 10 minutes or you could view one immediately so it won’t interrupt you for a bit longer. What do you think? Are people so accustomed to being interrupted during work that they would accept something like this?
I suppose we ought to be grateful that Apple has a patent on the idea. It means no other operating system manufacturer will attempt something that dumb.
I use computers to get things done. If I want to be interrupted every few minutes, I have another device for that: television.
I guess I could see something like this if they were giving the OS away for free to run on PCs that people are going to use at home to check email, fiddle with facebook, etc.
My fear is that people will further accept interruptions as a normal part of there day and we’ll get to a point where people are wishing they could get two uninterrupted minutes to get some work done!
Mark, I think you’re on the right track, but think instead about the iPad, given away free but with regular Apple controlled ads popping up while users consume content from elsewhere.
Good point. I guess there are some areas where I could see it being useful. However, the whole “pop up every X minutes no matter what I’m doing” thing would be a bit annoying.
I am a by fan of Linux OS, but I’ve try the macos some years ago when I bought me macbook. My first idea was to put Linux running on it, but I try the MacOS as they sell it as the most productivity OS and was still a Unix :) . Not they might loose all that work for with that kind of crap.
I read into this further and they think Apple will use this on devices in public places so you can get free access by suffering through some ads. It may also be a future way of making the Mac cheap for people who don’t mind the ads. They say it will most likely offer a way to turn off the ads for a fee.
That is a possibility although the Holy Grail of advertising is to be able to specifically target individuals based on their history. Maybe they will release a free version of OS X that uses ads and a paid version that doesn’t have it–kind of like Google Apps.
This is just one more reason why I refuse to use any Apple Products (inasmuch as I can). In fact, I don’t have Quicktime or iTunes installed on my computers (which makes sites like facebook really fun).
Their products may be touted as better, but something like this makes that claim a falacy (in my opinion). Although the Apple fan-boys/fan-girls will say that it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
I’m not sure if you understood that this is simply a patent–it isn’t an actual product. They have other patents for things like computers that can turn different colors that have never turned into actual products.
If not using iTunes and Quicktime is keeping you from enjoying Facebook, I think you’re doing something wrong. I’m not aware of any dependencies that exist between Facebook and those two products.
This patent is obviously designed to limit the monitization of competitive “free” operating systems in the future (A Google OS possibly)
Gosh, that sounds like a nightmare world to live in. If operating systems ever went that route there would be a huge worldwide backlash.
As for me, I’m presently choosing to either notify the Web-master or find another Web site with the same information when I find myself on a site where pop-up or highly obtrusive ads distract me to the point where I can’t watch a video or read an article on that site. It reminds me of TV and even more so Radio. It has gotten to the point where the focus is the ads – with the programming becoming secondary. However, unlike TV and Radio, where you can do something else until the program comes back on, you’re stuck with this stuff interweaving through the content. I don’t mind ads so that a Web site can stay free. What I mind is when they are So Obtrusive that the site is No Long User-Friendly. Rather it is actually Repulsive.
I suspect MC is right on the mark.