Ad Supported Windows?

Yes kids, its bandwagon time at Microsoft again! Yup, you gotta love those guys in Redmond. Google's gotten Mr. Softee's panties in such a wad that they are actually talking about ad supported versions of Windows as well as some of their applications.

I'm sorry, I just really can't imagine an ad supported version of Windows being anything but garish and obnoxious. I'm really curious to see how you insert advertisements into someone's desktop environment in a way that isn't garrish and obnoxious. Yes, Google does useful non-annoying ads with their text ads, but those are on webpages. Where is Microsoft going to put its adverts? Are they just going to randomly pop up when you're digging through your My Documents folder? Or maybe when you are watching a DVD they can target you for a popcorn ad. If anything, an ad supported Windows might encourage people to buy the full version.

Microsoft is responding to a bleak outlook in the consumer software market, I get that. They look out and see that more and more no one wants to buy software, they just want to use it. Microsoft needs to face up to the fact that they do not make software that fits with the idea of "Just use it!" Otherwise who is going to be willing to download, install, and endure the advertisements to use software that doesn't make life as easy as Google's (or some other web app developer) competing tool?