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.

  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.caEnglish
    271·
    1 year ago

    I think Windows is successful because it was defacto preinstalled on all computers. Even people in third world countries are buying computers whole, not a basket of parts to assemble.

    Also software. You’re not going to assemble a computer install Linux, and then not be able to run anything on it. You want to run all the software that was built to run on Windows, which was built to run on Windows because it came installed on every computer. (Remember Linux back then really couldn’t run all that much. No office? No games? You’re toast.)

    • Tom_bishop@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      1 year ago

      Not true. People wouldn’t buy a pre-installed windows because its much way expensive. They just buy a preinstalled pirated windows instead.

        • blkpws@lemmy.mlEnglish
          310·
          1 year ago

          Hahaha, the problem is the things you don’t know, not only on servers, on more devices that you ignore and skip just to make fun of it right now.

            • blkpws@lemmy.mlEnglish
              11·
              1 year ago

              I don’t mind talking about Windows, Apple or Linux, but when someone says Linux is just for a “toast”… makes me think of how many devices runs Linux and not only toasters which I’m sure they also do if there is some screen display or Wi-Fi features.

              So I reply to them if they talk about it, yeah.

      • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.caEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        It wasn’t harder than Windows

        Windows was preinstalled

        Now Windows also has the benefit of user base

          • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.caEnglish
            21·
            1 year ago

            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.mlEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              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/

              😔

                • blkpws@lemmy.mlEnglish
                  1·
                  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.