You're dreaming if you think Microsoft is any different.
Yes, in this regard MS is a great deal different. They don't scan emails for keywords so that they can then target advertising to you. MS, for all of its faults, is a more open company than either Google or Apple. I'd probably rate Apple as the most secretive with Google a close second. Having said that I own both Apple and Windows computers and have multiple iOS devices. There was a day when MS tried their best to have a monopoly on the PC business, and they have engaged in a number of anticompetitive practices, including but not limited to developing IE to run Netscape out of business, putting in secret code in some earlier OS distributions that sabotaged dual boat linux systems, and planned obsolesce of their various OSs. So, I'm no shill for MS.
While it's true that they don't scan your emails for ad targeting, they'd be scanned by computers for spam filters to work, and virus scanning to work on attachments. Hardly much difference to me, if people aren't looking at them - and since email is sent unencrypted bouncing around the internet, the expectation should be that anything in it will be read by a man in the middle, and sucked up by the NSA and their UK and other counterparts.
Targeted ads, if you don't like them, can be dealt with via do not track, as borna mentions, but even then companies can build a profile, just not as complete of one, through various means.
If you don't want people reading your email, your only real option is public-key encryption like PGP. Use it on any email service, and automated scans will see nothing but gibberish. But, keep in mind that, like the NSA looking at who calls whom, how often and when, records of who you communicate with will still be kept.
Ha
I switched to this and put Do Not Track me on my Firefox and converted all the computers in the office the same way. . I like not leaving my tracks.
Still having problems with BA chat on Firefox and have to go back to IE for Chat and can not cut and paste or put links to pics in BA using Firefox. Strange stuff. I Firefox it Fills the box but my submit button stays grey and won't click. On Chat Firefox message bar shows up in a new tab seperate from the chat window.
Not to Hijack the thread but it would be nice to have a sticky somewhere for issues to be posted
If you're looking to keep your search queries private, this is a good option, and much better than Bing or Google. Even if you like one of their services better, the fact is they aren't encrypted, and thus any query you make can, like email, be logged in between, particularly by your ISP. If you really want to go nuts, check out TOR.
Also, borna - there is a forum for website issues, that Ryan seems to keep a pretty good eye on. Might be worth starting a thread over there.
Apologies for the diversion, all.