Forced iAds Coming To OS X?

mario_grgic writes "Apple insider brings a story about expansion and renewal of a current 'Advertisement in Operating System' patent that Apple's Steve Jobs and other contributors have. The patent describes in detail (with OS X screen shots) how the forced ads would work (they would disable some OS functionality until the ad is viewed), but apparently it also applies to any device with a UI, including phones, TVs, set top boxes, etc. With Apple's recent entry into the mobile ad business, and its ambition to own half of all the mobile ads served during the second half of this year, it certainly makes one wonder if Apple would dare and put something like this in its desktop OS. I wonder if this would push more people to open source alternatives?"

Comments

Oh. So they're in the malware business now.

[Chas]

"they would disable some OS functionality until the ad is viewed"

Were something like this to happen on my system, I wouldn't be mad.
I'd be livid! As in "get a gun, drive to Cupertino and kill everyone responsible for this".

MY machine.
My screen.

You don't simply turn off parts of my OS as a goad to make me do what you want me to.

Data plan price?

[tepples]

in 5 years most of the country will have a multicore computer with 4g wireless in their pocket

I disagree that this will become the case unless the price for a data plan starts dropping through the floor between now and then. I have a phone through Virgin Mobile USA on a $7 per month plan; I can wait for the Internet until I get home rather than paying $1,440 extra for two years of smartphone service.

should then, I would defect from Big Turtleneck

[swschrad]

ads must NOT interfere with what I am doing, or the source of the ads will disappear in my area.

period.