Microsoft [1]currently bathes in enthusiasm[2] and self-analysis[3]. In equal measure.
It's seen its business do astoundingly well during the pandemic. It's even seen off Amazon in managing to secure government contracts[4].
Redmond still, though, harbors old habits that it finds very hard to shake.
One of these is to nag Windows[5] users until they pick up their PCs and toss them from great heights. Or, even worse, buy a Mac.
The latest episode of Microsoft Is Poking Me Through The Windows involves a pop-up message that appears in Windows 10's purpose-built notification center.
It reads: "Microsoft recommends different browser settings. Want to change them?"
I fancy most people would sniff: "Oh, do please run along. I'm perfectly happy with my settings, whatever they are, and I have a lot to do today, thank you."
Redmond, though, is undeterred. The notification adds that you'll get "Search that gives you back time and money." And "fast and secure search results with Bing."
Oh, yes. Bing, the MySpace to Google's Facebook, is still being pushed.
I learned that this Bing-pushing is pushing Windows users' buttons. There's a little Reddit thread[6] where you'll see laments such as: "You're not the first to have this Microsoft Annoyance. Apparently, there are thousands in front of you."
The most poignant, perhaps, was this: "Miserably I get this despite using Edge AND having Bing set as my default search engine... (the latter of which for Microsoft Rewards). I think the 'problem' is that not ALL of my browsers had Bing as the default search engine? Which is ridiculous because I never use Chrome or Firefox anyway. But after clicking the popup, it ludicrously