On 2026-06-07 03:16, Akira Urushibata via libreplanet-discuss wrote:
In the first half of the 1980s software became more recognized.
Good times, that is when I could get a glance of Spectrum ZX, and in
second half I could already browse hex data on Commodore Plus/4.
Personal computers changed nature from a hobbyist's toy to an
office worker's tool. The IBM PC and Lotus 1-2-3 played important
roles in this transition.
At that time computer owners pretty much lacked specialized software.
Good thing that every IBM PC came with instruction on how to use the
operating system and how to program in GW Basic. And people followed the
pattern, programmed, and created specialized software for their
organizations.
"The Third Wave" is an important book. It predicted that the border
between producer and consumer would become less distinct giving rise
to what the author calls the "prosumer."
That must be by evil intention, for greed and rich to get richer. Not to
help the society.
Without Richard Stallman pushing all those years, civilization would not
survive, we would be all in proprietary software, not even knowing it.
More or less we have that situation now, yet free software pretty much
is immortal now. We must give huge credit to the GNU project for the
immortality of the idea of free software. It continues saving the
civilization of programmed control.
Microsoft's policy strictly distinguishes between producer and
consumer while free software allows users to participate in
programming. As such Microsoft adheres to the older model. Early
on, when few people understood the newer model it was very successful.
Bill Gates is anti social person. His organization today is friendlier
than before, but he continues doing his evil projects which subject
doesn't fall in this LibrePlanet domain.
Note also that Microsoft never put much effort in direct sales of
operating systems. The operating system came with the computer.
Not quite. That successful idiot forced and monopolized every computer
manufacturer, conditioning them not to get a license to sell DOS/Windows
unless they sold it with the computer and exclusively.
You can find the video of Bill Gates' deposition in the antitrust case
United States v. Microsoft Corporation from August 1998 on the Internet
Archive.
Bill Gates vs United States - Deposition : Free Download, Borrow, and
Streaming : Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/bill-gates-deposition
He (the idiot) was punished $1 per day, yet probably did not pay it.
That is corruption on high level.
The EU did what the U.S. wouldn't: €497 million fine (about $613
million) in March 2004.
https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2004/March/04_at_184.htm
€280.5 million additional fine in July 2006 for non-compliance
https://molawyersmedia.com/2006/08/14/how-level-is-the-playing-field/
Obviously the law does not apply same to rich idiots and common people.
Production and sales of computer hardware is a typical industrial age
activity: the biggest firms enjoy scale merit and succeed.
No, it was all about mafia-like deal. Either you will take Microsoft, or
we will punish you that you will never get Microsoft license.
It is not about biggest firms, and merit.
It is crime.
--
Jean Louis
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