If windows disapeared.

[Rightmantrigger]

What do you think would happen to the world if Windows and the whole Microsoft company dissapeared and there was nothing left of the windows O.S?

My theory is 70% of the computer user population would become clueless for at least a week and then try and find alternative routes like Ubuntu and Mac.

[Adamant1988]

What do you think would happen to the world if Windows and the whole Microsoft company dissapeared and there was nothing left of the windows O.S?

My theory is 70% of the computer user population would become clueless for at least a week and then try and find alternative routes like Ubuntu and Mac.

If, by some chance, Microsoft and Windows were to be wiped off the face of the earth. Clueless users wouldn't be half the problem that the complete and utter destructions of thousands, if not millions of jobs that have been built on top of Windows would be. I sincerely think that if Microsoft were to suddenly die, the world economy would be severely damaged for some time.

[DJ Wings]

The "Absolute Newbies" forum would be rather busy...

[durrell]

They'd try to find alternate routes, but most of them would likely end up switching to Mac..most are intimidated by Linux.

[Swab]

I'd become rich installing Ubuntu for the masses :)

[Rightmantrigger]

Oh for sure the economy would fall. The only reason Windows and some Mac Users are intimidated by Linux is because it is unknown and not commercially advertised. It would be sad that all those jobs would be lost but think of all the opportunities that would open up.

[DoctorMO]

If Microsoft and windows disappeared then the fear that surrounds HP, Dell and others will be gone and almost every hardware maker would ship ubuntu or SuSE (no microsoft, no microsoft-novell deal)

All the old machines would move over to ubuntu or other versions of linux within a few weeks and apple would see a 200% increase in sales of apple systems although the price of the systems and the ubuntu ready machines available from Dell / HP / Toshiba would quickly eat away at this increase giving Apple an increase in market share to about 15% and linux an increase to 85%

There isn't any chance that everyone will have the money to throw away all their x86 hardware and buy apple hardware just because windows doesn't exist. and unless apple turned round and re-licienced it's own software on the shelves and the OEMs there is really little doubt about the explosive growth that would happen in such a vacume.

although the costs of it all would be some what large and most economies would go into a recession of about 4% per year for 3 years.

[Swab]

unless apple turned round and re-licienced it's own software on the shelves and the OEMs there is really little doubt about the explosive growth that would happen in such a vacume.


I guess Apple would seize the opportunity and start selling OSX for regular PC hardware.

[entangled]

Are you suggesting that windows is vapourware?
I think there would be a much larger problem if the MSOffice file formats suddenly got 'infected' with a bug that couldn't be cleaned. Confidence would be shattered and there would be a mass migration to an alternative, hopefully Open, format.

[Adamant1988]

If Microsoft and windows disappeared then the fear that surrounds HP, Dell and others will be gone and almost every hardware maker would ship ubuntu or SuSE (no microsoft, no microsoft-novell deal)

All the old machines would move over to ubuntu or other versions of linux within a few weeks and apple would see a 200% increase in sales of apple systems although the price of the systems and the ubuntu ready machines available from Dell / HP / Toshiba would quickly eat away at this increase giving Apple an increase in market share to about 15% and linux an increase to 85%

There isn't any chance that everyone will have the money to throw away all their x86 hardware and buy apple hardware just because windows doesn't exist. and unless apple turned round and re-licienced it's own software on the shelves and the OEMs there is really little doubt about the explosive growth that would happen in such a vacume.

although the costs of it all would be some what large and most economies would go into a recession of about 4% per year for 3 years.

Please, that's extremely optimistic. Microsoft disappearing would be nothing short of catastrophic for the US economy, and no doubt damaging for others.

[cunawarit]

Well, the company I work for will probably go bust. No doubt we would try hard to install Linux on our servers and desktops, then we'd start to re-write all our software. But it would be a fruitless endeavour, you can't do two years worth of work in a hurry, and anyway, most of our clients and suppliers use Windows, so wouldn't be able to sell, or buy much. Not just us, most offices would be driven into chaos loosing most if not all of their computer systems.

My own websites would stop working, as would many others, my hosting company may or may not survive the shock of loosing revenue from Windows servers. As well as the lawsuits and payouts that would follow, when they can't fulfil their uptime warranties.

Many every day machines that run Windows (embedded in many cases) would stop working, things like ATMs, signage like train times tables, Internet pay phones, cellphones, point of sale, etc... Some TV, and radio transmissions would stop temporarily.

Finally many economies would collapse, and all those people without jobs would increase crime and lawlessness. Many government bodies would be severely restricted, and the lawlessness may be enough to bring down governments in those countries that are already politically unstable.

It would certainly suck for me, I would try and find a Java job... But I am rusty... It would suck for everyone...

[Swab]

Many every day machines that run Windows (embedded in many cases) would stop working, things like ATMs, signage like train times tables, Internet pay phones, cellphones, point of sale, etc... Some TV, and radio transmissions would stop temporarily.

Finally most economies would collapse, and all those people without jobs would increase crime and lawlessness. Many government bodies would be severely restricted, and the lawlessness may be enough to bring down governments in those countries that are already politically unstable.

It's a scary thought... I guess relying on one software vendor isn't a smart idea.



It would certainly suck for me, I would try and find a Java job... But I am rusty... It would suck for everyone...
Oh come on, anyone with the slightest Linux experience would be in high demand rebuilding the world's systems.

[Adamant1988]

It's a scary thought... I guess relying on one software vendor isn't a smart idea.


Oh come on, anyone with the slightest Linux experience would be in high demand rebuilding the world's systems.

Well, it's not so much about the vendor, it's about the software. This is where Linux is really strong, it can't just disappear over night like that. Even if the company dies, the code remains waiting to be continued.

[icechen1]

You will find lots of computers in the trash.

[jgrabham]

You will find lots of computers in the trash.

And see my legs sticking out of the top of the dustbin scavenging for hardware! :]

[goumples]

If Microsoft disappeared there would be dancing in the street and general revelry.

[cunawarit]

It's a scary thought... I guess relying on one software vendor isn't a smart idea.

But if Microsoft were to go bust, which is VERY unlikely, the software wouldn't just go away like in this hypothetical example... Companies would have years to come up with solutions.


Oh come on, anyone with the slightest Linux experience would be in high demand rebuilding the world's systems.

Probably, but I was trying to be as pessimistic and dramatic as possible for effect ;)

Most probably there would be a serious skill shortage, and general economic chaos... But some people would probably get loaded, including me. :) Still, not fair on every other poor sucker who would lose their job.

[BoyOfDestiny]

I'm assuming this means all backups, windows in virtual machines, all gone? No more activation for those working copies since MS servers are gone? I'd imagine a lot more hard disk space for dual booters ;)

Well. I'd say those dependant (or rather those that used to be) would grab the nearest linux user (the geekier the better) and ask for install cds . Every company, city, school, etc should have at least one.

Most of the net would be fine, especially google ;) My machines wouldn't be affected, so no issue, same for Linux and non-MS based servers and desktop throughout the globe. The internet should be less laggy, much less spam since those zombied windows machines aren't sending out millions of emails.

Proprietary software companies would either aggressively port their software or make wine patches galore. Using eclipse and emacs (or vi or vim ;) ) instead of visual studio (assuming that's gone) Mono would have to take over .net. Maybe time for java to make a comeback.

People who had their documents in MS formats should be slapping themselves, maybe throwing a few chairs and pies possibly. Why did we rely on one vendor. A single point of failure.

I guess those with cash on hand will get an Apple, those wanting to make use of their existing machine should jump on linux or bsd of one flavor or another.

Oh well a little silly I guess. MS's fall will be (and is?) something gradual. I doubt they'd disappear over night, and how knows, they might re-invent themselves like IBM and Sun.

They've lost quite a bit of their cash reserves.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/309852_software02.html

Anyway, even so, barring activation issues, older copies of windows could be run in VM's.

[DoctorMO]

I dunno humans are clever beasts; you tend not to have to re-write all your code if it's written in something like C or C++ and even Basic code would be recoverable on linux machines.

it certainly would be disruptive and it would last years too; but then I don't foresee the entire collapse of the entire economy.

[kamaboko]

Oh for sure the economy would fall. The only reason Windows and some Mac Users are intimidated by Linux is because it is unknown and not commercially advertised..

Or maybe they could care less and are happy w/their current system and don't identify themselves through their computer. They have a life. I know this might be difficult to believe, but some people only use their computers for surfing the net, email, and word docs. Beyond that, they could care less. Is this wrong? No, just the reality.

[Swab]

Some people only use their computers for surfing the net, email, and word docs.

Funny, that's the sort of user that would definitely be better off using Linux ;)

[tehkain]

I guess Apple would seize the opportunity and start selling OSX for regular PC hardware.
As bad as the driver situation on our end is - we still support far more low level components like chipsets, gpus, modems, and wifi within our kernel. Now Apple could do it but by the time they did linux would already have a massive market share. So then apple would do the smart thing and become more compatible with linux applications by default. Maybe they would release a mono type thing for gtk/carbon(or aqua i forget). So then we would have two unix-like OSes that only require a recompile to work on each. Thus we would have a far better world.

So if apple did decide to become an OS provider rather then a hardware/OS provider it would take alot of time and would end in them becoming very easy to develop for.

[Rightmantrigger]

Or maybe they could care less and are happy w/their current system and don't identify themselves through their computer. They have a life. I know this might be difficult to believe, but some people only use their computers for surfing the net, email, and word docs. Beyond that, they could care less. Is this wrong? No, just the reality.

Yes I know this, I have friends who do just that. They couldn't care less as long as they could upload pics, send emails, browse, and use AIM/MSN.

[Adamant1988]

Or maybe they could care less and are happy w/their current system and don't identify themselves through their computer. They have a life. I know this might be difficult to believe, but some people only use their computers for surfing the net, email, and word docs. Beyond that, they could care less. Is this wrong? No, just the reality.

You're quickly growing into my favorite forum member. It is just really entertaining to read your posts, I always get a good laugh.

Anyway, we're discussing more the economic collapse that would happen if Microsoft and Windows both went away over night, let alone the social problems that would cause. If you can't contribute to the conversation at hand, can you go be an e-thug on another thread please?

[Rightmantrigger]

Anyway, we're discussing more the economic collapse that would happen if Microsoft and Windows both went away over night, let alone the social problems that would cause. If you can't contribute to the conversation at hand, can you go be an e-thug on another thread please?

Actually when I made the topic I wanted to her about both. Just thought it would be interesting. Now maybe if he were talking about flying pigs it might be a different story. Although he is contributing to the thread.

[samjh]

I assume the OP is talking about magical disappearance of everything Microsoft and Microsoft-created (reminds me of Sauron's destruction in LOTR).

In that case, the world economy would almost come to a grinding halt. Around 80% of the world's desktop computers and around 30% of servers will cease to function. Businesses that depend on Microsoft infrastructure will take months, to recover the full functionality of their IS infrastructure, and much data stored in MS-powered databases will be lost and could take years to restore.

In short: not pretty. :o

[JAPrufrock]

My opinion: There would be no economic collapse. Software and software companies already exist that would rush in to fill the vacuum (and I mean rush). Open source OSs would have a chance, but Apple would have a better one. Competition for OS and office apps would be stimulated and prices for software would decline. Instead of vendors giving their money to a bloated company that sells overpriced products, there would be real competition in the marketplace and the quality of the products would go up while prices declined. Microsoft jobs that were lost would reappear in other companies. Bottom line: the world would be a better place.

[jms1989]

The world will be a happier place! I'd love to not have to fix to subborn Windows problems. I fix other computers, not mine. ^_^

[KaroSHiv0n]

I have to think the average person would just sit around waiting to be told what to us, not in the style of "man of the street" to investigate these things.