On Saturday, I pointed out how Microsoft restarting a Windows 10 computer to install unwanted web applications is the latest evidence that you do not own your own Windows PC. Today, the company says it was at least somewhat mistaken – and will thus stop the “migration” that brings web applications to your Start menu this way.
Basically, say micro .ft Edge, The idea was that any website you pinned on the Start menu would start in Micro .ft Edge. If the website of your choice has a PWA web application version, the same browser can also launch it automatically. But – although Microsoft seems to be calling Microsoft a bug, we’re still trying to figure out what part of the bug it was – because of the change it looked like the web shortcuts on its own Microsoft Office ft Office products that installed the web application. . Your PC too.
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Giving Microsoft the benefit of the doubt for a moment, I can see how that chain of events can unfold, and why it can have unintended consequences.
But it doesn’t really address any of my past concerns:
- Why was Microsoft using My Start menu as a free ad to get started with its Office fee products, web shortcuts or no?
- Instead of respecting my own default preferences for these PWA browsers, why bother with Microsoft Edge? For example, Chrome penalizes PWA.
- Why does Microsoft believe that my PC has the right to restart at all? What was so critical about this update to make it right?
Microsoft has clearly heard a bit of resentment, and is reacting to it today. But it is not clear whether anything will change as a result. I wouldn’t be surprised if the only difference is that PWA won’t appear in your list of programs from here.
