When is an ad an advertisement and not a recommendation? Microsoft clearly likes to use the term recommendation for what others may see as an advertisement.

There are recommendations in the Start menu, Settings app, Lock screen, File Explorer, Get Help app, and other areas of the operating system already. These are often not that useful. App recommendations in the Start menu are limited to Microsoft Store apps.

Now, Microsoft is testing recommendations in the Microsoft Store app. If you never use the app, you won’t be exposed to these. If you do, you may notice recommendations popping up when you try to use the built-in search.

First spotted by phantomofearth on X, two or three recommendations are shown whenever search is activated in the official Microsoft Store app.

  • @Trail
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    31 month ago

    Your argument sounds OK, but is probably stuck a bunch of years in the past. I observe the opposite lately.

    Like I want to do something trivial on windows, like move the fucking taskbar on the left side of the screen, I have spent time searching and it still does not work. At lest on Linux if something does not work you have a leg to work on and a community to help. Have you seen the windows forums when encountering an issue? It’s tragic.

    • @Katana314
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      31 month ago

      I just tried it out, not even knowing before your comment.

      Right click taskbar, uncheck Lock all Taskbars, click and drag it to the left side. Done.

      Meanwhile, when I was using my Steam Deck as a desktop, it refused to save the position of my taskbar on my main monitor. Plus, when I did move it across each time I booted up, it would leave behind half the buttons because they’re considered separate entities. Thank god for oh almighty user customization - making it incredibly hard to do something simple.

      • @Trail
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        11 month ago

        Are you on windows 11?

        • @Katana314
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          11 month ago

          No, this is on 10. Perhaps they’ve made it harder there.

          • @Trail
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            11 month ago

            Well, not harder. Impossible. That’s my gripe.