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Comment by hecanjog | Hacker News Reader

MacOS does show advertisements for the iCloud services.

I think… in settings? Once below Apple ID, if you’re not signed in, and once by iCloud. There also are AppleID and iCloud direct integrations, which can be thought of as advertisements. And if you are using iCloud and there’s not enough space, you’ll see a banner on every app that uses iCloud (except Finder) that hey, there’s not enough space.

I think this is an advertisement, but it’s for a service people might actually want, that doesn’t necessarily cost money, and only asks for money when needed for functionality. It’s also a first-party ad.

> but it’s for a service people might actually want

copium

> I think this is an advertisement, but it’s for a service people might actually want

I don't think that's what makes Apple's in-OS ads acceptable. Whether somebody "actually wants" iCould or whatever, is dependent on that person. What makes Apple's in-OS ads acceptable are that they are for Apple services that are totally in-context to where you are in the OS: an "ad" for iCloud appears in the Settings dialog hierarchy where iCloud settings would normally be. Also, they are really subtle and hard to notice, tastefully integrated with the OS/color scheme.

Unlike Microsoft's ham-fisted ads that are in your face, thrown into the Start menu without any context, for services that have nothing to do with what you're doing, and design-wise garish and tacky: I'm in the middle of launching a text editor, and Microsoft shouts "BUY CANDY CRUSH LOLOLOLOL" with a blinding ad.

Big difference.

The problem is that difference is shrinking. Compare the ad creep between Windows 7 and 11. Now, compare Apple's first party ads between iPhone 5 vs the current iOS (not familiar enough w MacOS). Apple Music's full screen modal ads suck but I guess it's better than forcing a U2 album on us. And the iCloud ads to upgrade your space may be "subtle and integrated with the colors and less garish," but they're not just in the Settings. I'm getting iCloud reminder emails and Notifications multiple times a day, it's not much better. MS's are more ham-fisted and garish, sure, but the sad thing is watching the enshittification of iOS and society's expectations also.

>an "ad" for iCloud appears in the Settings dialog hierarchy where iCloud settings would normally be. Also, they are really subtle and hard to notice, tastefully integrated with the OS/color scheme.

Okay. But can they be permanently disabled?

Windows' OneDrive ads can be disabled, FWIW. There's a switch for almost everything in Windows (which doesn't excuse the shitty defaults, but still).

The "ads" on a mac are a drop in the ocean compared to the experience on Windows.

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