Microsoft and Free PCs

Barron’s writes about an Information Week story based on a Microsoft patent application, which reads: ” Computer executable modules and an associated method for delivering computer resources using an advertising based model may use a local database of advertisements and locally collected user profile data for selecting targeted advertisements for delivery to a user. A user may be allowed to select what or how much user profile information to share with an advertising provider. The local database of advertisements may then be downloaded corresponding to the amount of user profile data shared. For example, when less user profile data is shared a larger database of advertisements may be downloaded. The advertising database may also be attached to a software update. Presentation of targeted ads may be verified and reported to an advertising provider allowing revenue-sharing to compensate the computer resource provider.”