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Random thought: Windows is largely successful because of Piracy (lemmy.sdf.org)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by people_are_cute@lemmy.sdf.org to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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Windows as a software package would have never been affordable to individuals or local-level orgs in countries like India and Bangladesh (especially in the 2000's) that are now powerhouses of IT. Same for many SE Asian, Eastern European, African and LatinoAmerican countries as well.

Had the OS been too difficult to pirate, educators and local institutions in these countries would have certainly shifted to Linux and the like. The fact that Windows could be pirated easily is the main factor that led to its ubiquity and allowed it to become a household name. Its rapid popularity in the '00s and early '10s cemented its status as the PC operating system. It is probably the same for Microsoft Office as well (it is still a part of many schools' standard curricula).

The fact that Windows still remains pirateable to this day is perhaps intentional on Microsoft's part.

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[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It wasn’t harder than Windows

Windows was preinstalled

Now Windows also has the benefit of user base

[–] blkpws@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, Windows is easier because it don't have many distros and when you buy a new PC it already comes with it (no need to boot a Live ISO to install from 0) so that helps people to get started with their first OS, a Windows, so that's why most people know how to use Windows.

You might want to read this awesome blog: https://duncanlock.net/blog/2022/04/06/using-windows-after-15-years-on-linux/

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

None of that matters if a Linux distro was preinstalled

It’s not about difficulty

Also that article isn’t very good

For instance; installing software on windows involves going to the command line and telling it to install a package

But they frame it as going online and downloading from a website; you can do that on either OS even though it’s not something you should ever do. It’s just user error

[–] blkpws@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

But they frame it as going online and downloading from a website; you can do that on either OS even though it’s not something you should ever do. It’s just user error

I don't think those regular users uses the terminal to install their apps. winget is 3 years old... and is much easier and faster to just run sudo pacman -Syu or sudo apt update ; sudo apt upgrade (no via Windows updates that forces you to do stuff you don't want to). Many things changes... and the freedom that Linux gives to use what you like as you like is missing on Windows, starting with the Desktop Environment... KDE has many more features, faster and uses less RAM than any Windows.

Most regular users on Windows stills goes on "google.com" and search for their programs, and then things like this happens: https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/10/google-hosted-malvertising-leads-to-fake-keepass-site-that-looks-genuine/

😔

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And on Linux they would do the same

[–] blkpws@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Not the same amount of people will do that, if they learn that any app is installed via the same app, pamac or whatever Ubuntu has to install those packages. It's harder for them to look outside that app and if they do, probably, and I hope they will get into the community forums. Where they can get to know how that works with transparency, something missing on Windows.

But yeah, virus and scams exists everywhere, just that Linux users don't need to download a .exe or .msi to install anything by default, as far as I know on people around me, they don't know winget exist, even the most gamer.