Comments on: Why Microsoft Windows’ Survival Depends on Piracy

By: business data backup

business data backup — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:41:44 +0000

This is an epic article, I will be adding you to my morning routine

By: The Pinged Hobbit

The Pinged Hobbit — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:58:54 +0000

Some interesting points raised in this post. It’s an interesting thought that piracy might well be one of the things contributing to the ‘popularity’ of Windows. In the past I think that this might have lead Mircosoft holding on to their strangle hold on the market. But the open source movement seems to be changing the game somewhat.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:18:52 +0000

Lots of good points in this article, and yes, it is true that MS Windows is where it is in the marketplace due to wide acceptance, not due to inhernet quality. It’s far inferior to OS X and the Unix-like operating systems, BSD and Linux. But…you say that, “When half the world starts using Linux, for example, then more developers will write software for Linux, and so even more people would buy it.”

While I don’t disagree, I believe this overstates the case. Two facts:

1. Linux has quite a few applications. The version I use comprises about 20K separate programs, total. There is not much I can’t do with Linux, and the biggest exception is pro graphics, which belongs (hands down) to Mac, not Windows.

2. There is no profit motive involved in writing software for Linux; it’s a matter of designing a better tool for your work, and then sharing that tool with other workers. The model is utterly different from the assumption you make in this article — namely, that people write software in order to make money. That is not at all true of everyone, and if MS died tomorrow, it is unlikely that the “make money writing software” concept would thrive. The economics of open source are a whole new ball game, an alien environment for most economists.

Here’s a third fact at no extra charge:

3. Sometimes you hear people say that viruses and all other malware exist almost exclusively for MS Windows because of the vast popularity of Windows. False. It is so much harder to crack into a Linux box that few try to do it. It is also easier to detect an intruder and wall him off so he can’t vandalize anything. MS Windows is an inferior product. No one should go on the internet with Windows, and if you don’t believe that, Google “botnet malware criminal” and “ddos botnet” and do your homework.

By: China Journal : Best of the China Blogs: October 7

China Journal : Best of the China Blogs: October 7 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:57:25 +0000

[...] and then we’ll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade,” he said. But a recent article on the “Amateur Economists” site asserts that the company now depends on piracy for its [...]

By: narzod

narzod — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:27:46 +0000

Cloud computing, well-engineered open-source replacements for productivity apps, as well as the low cost of Linux and PC hardware still make for a viable non-pirated competitor. As a software developer looking to make money, you want to write for the platform with the largest market share, but Windows as a desktop OS is becoming more of a generic interface.

Google, for example doesn’t fit into your model. They want to make your information and the applications that help create it, available on a number of devices and operating systems. I think there are other forces at play. Linux and/or Apple’s modest offerings may yet one day eclipse Windows, despite the help from piracy.

Piracy may help make Windows more popular. It may be an unstoppable side-effect of making a digitally reproducible products. Either way, piracy and “game theory” don’t necessarily mean that Microsoft will always have a stronghold on the market.

Remember: piracy is illegal, Linux is legally free. (Customer support and good documentation are another story.)

By: On sotfware piracy and the way windows depends on it « Linux Daily

On sotfware piracy and the way windows depends on it « Linux Daily — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:47:54 +0000

[...] I found this post on amateur economists. It sums up pretty well the issue, but I’d like to add the [...]

By: Boycott Novell » Links 04/10/2008: Large Migration to GNU/Linux, New KDE4 Release

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:29:11 +0000

[...] Why Microsoft Windows’ Survival Depends on Piracy [...]

By: Bhagwad

Bhagwad — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:57:30 +0000

@Zelrik:

Thanks for your comment!

I guess they need to sell it at those rates in India. $4 may be quite a lot in certain countries.

Currently when I last checked, a copy of Windows XP was selling for Rs. 14,000 or $350 in India!

By: Zelrik

Zelrik — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:53:11 +0000

I think it’s kinda true, but one comment :

“That means $5! You think Microsoft is ever going to sell Windows for $5? No way.”

They sell windows for 4$ in some countries.