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submitted 3 days ago by maam@feddit.uk to c/linux@programming.dev
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[-] gwl 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

There's an old thing "the thing that won the Video Format Wars was porn", because in the 80s, mail order and rental porn was very popular, and the easiest format (VHS) to buy and record onto won largely because of that.

Makes me wonder if we'll see the same for Operating Systems?

[-] psud@aussie.zone 2 points 1 day ago

It was probably sports that made VHS the winner. Porn was on both technologies (and available at local video rental places in Australia at least).

VHS could handle a full gridiron game (but not a cricket match) but Betamax couldn't.

[-] gwl 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The real truth is it's probably both, and also other factors, but over time people have simplified the explanation to be "it's just one of the factors that did it!"

this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2025
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