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submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Gemini24601@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds have apparently never met in person before, despite their pseudo-rivalry.

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[-] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 38 points 1 month ago

Nah, I have worked in IT education and in helpdesk. Average user doesn't have a better time getting into Microsoft products, it's not easier for them than FOSS. The reason for Windows domination is Microsoft spending money and lobbying power to put it in front of every user.

[-] bobo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Maybe true today, but less true in earlier times (90s and early 2000s) when Microsoft was really gaining dominance.

[-] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 month ago

I don't think you remember how insanely terrible Windows was in the 90s.

[-] bobo@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Fair enough, but Linux was quite difficult for a normal user to install back in the 90's. And you could literally destroy your monitor if you didn't know what you were doing. I was responding to the notion that using FOSS was somehow easier to get into in the 90s than Microsoft products.

[-] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 weeks ago

I don't think you remember how difficult was to install anything back then.
I mean yeah, installing Linux was more complicated, and you couldn't just google shit. Still, I was making pretty good money back then on the side specifically because regular user wasn't able to do shit with their computer.
Linux was harder, both were difficult, both required separate set of skills you couldn't just get.

[-] bobo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

You keep saying I don't remember, which feels a bit dismissive. I do remember. We just have differing opinions on the barriers to entry for Microsoft vs. FOSS in the 90s.

[-] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 week ago

Sorry, wasn't my intention

[-] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Luckily they learned from it and redesigned the kernel from scratch -- hold on, my producer's telling me that no, it's still the NT kernel under there. Outstanding.

[-] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Most users neither know nor care what that is.

[-] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago
[-] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago

They might care when their os showing the same problems it did 30 years ago

[-] shroomato@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I'm not sure that the alternatives were any better, everything was terrible back then.

[-] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah, probably not. But the idea that Windows won because of how great it was just doesn't hold up

this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2025
774 points (100.0% liked)

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