Sometimes you see something and you really, really hope it's a hoax. Take this story on Slashdot, which confirms if true that Apple has applied for a patent to put advertising into its operating systems.

I really, really don't want adverts when I switch my computer on. Actually that's not strictly true; I tried it once, when ISPs were experimenting with how to go free in the 1990s and one of the ideas was that you could push ads out to people. It rolled over and died because people ignored the ads and didn't click on them.

It will happen again if any major OS manufacturer tries to do it. I hope, hope, hope, this is a hoax. I'm fond of my Apple kit (most Apple users are, we have to go beyond rational because of the price) and would hate to see them blow it completely.