Apple's Plans for Ad-Based OS

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Arnold Kim, a blogger for Mac Rumors, discovered a patent application for an ad based operating system from Apple. Filed in 2008, the proposed operating system would display "one or more advertisements to a user and disables one or more functions while the advertisement is being presented. At the end of the advertisement, the operating system again enables the function(s)."

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Steve Jobs is listed as one of the inventors on the patent application, but hasn't commented on this idea or done anything to indicate that it will ever come to fruition. Microsoft recently announced their plans to integrate advertisements into their Office 2010 programs. iPhone owners have seen an increase in app advertisements lately, and it looks like Mac OS X users could be next. It could be a way to reduce the overall, oft-cited, higher than a PC price-tag. If Apple could give away some of its requisite software and cut Mac costs, the Cupertion (Calif.) company could be rid of the one advantage PC has over Mac: price.

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