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What Would The World Be Like Without Microsoft?

Posted by Cliff on from the how-would-life-be-different dept.

CanadianMikey asks: "The debate with the business side of computing rages on about the validity of Open Source. Is it good or bad? What is the future of computing? Could it have been different, and where will the 21st century take us? Is Microsoft just the big nail that always gets hammered first and will someone step in to take their place when they are finally taken down? If Microsoft were to close up shop, who do the readers of Slashdot think would be tomorrow's Microsoft? What about the forgotten windows?"

11 of 1,054 comments (clear)

  1. We'd all be using IBM OS/2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    And we'd be loving it!

  2. Without Microsoft... by bfg9000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... we'd have no idea how bloody good Linux and Mac OSX really are.

    --

    I'm not normally an irrational zealous dickhead, but I figure "When in Rome..."

  3. One thing's for sure by -kertrats- · · Score: 5, Funny

    A lot less /. comments. With no microsoft to complain about, half the comments wouldn't have anything to rant about.

    --
    The Braying and Neighing of Barnyard Animals Follows.
    1. Re:One thing's for sure by LGagnon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sure we would have things to rant about:
      - George Lucas messing up Star Wars
      - SCO
      - duplicate articles
      - the lack of an MS substitute to complain about

  4. mmm by gho · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'd all be running (and enjoying) AmigaOS 8.

  5. That's easy! by pergamon · · Score: 5, Funny

    There'd be no war, starvation, or crime, and every child would have a pony.

  6. Re:If Windows were to diappear by Daleks · · Score: 5, Funny

    If Windows were to disappear the world would be very, very dark inside.

  7. Re:Loss of microsoft now.... by RufusDark · · Score: 5, Funny

    Indeed. There would almost undoubtably be a widespread economic depression. People are stubborn. The masses would just stick with whatever the latest version of Windows was when Microsoft went down. Most people probably wouldn't buy a new computer until they had to, because like you mentioned, they don't want to have to learn how to use another one. Hell, most people barely know how to use Windows, as easy as it is. It would be years before people started buying personal computers again on a large scale. The PC gaming industry would likely never recover. But worst of all? I'd have to get a new email address.

    --
    Rufus Dark~~
  8. Re:Standards by slowbad · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft has actually show us the benefit of "standards".

    If not for Microsoft's corruption of SLIP and PPP in 1994...
    my very own TRIPLE Challenge Handshake Authentication
    (CHA CHA CHA) would have ruled the dialup world instead!

  9. Without Microsoft..... by vwjeff · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's see. A world without Microsoft. What would I be complaining about right now. Oh, yeah, I would be talking about the evil empire Apple and how they have a hold on the market.

  10. Re:Standards by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 5, Funny

    > You think buildings would be safer if every builder was allowed to "innovate" their own designs?

    Reminds me of that quote off my giant poster on Murphy's Law about Computers ...

    "If engineers built buildings the way programers write code,
    the first time a woodpecker came along, it would destroy civilization."

    And yes, I am a programmer. :)