I disagree, in the same way that I consider Firefox to be the best browser: because it is freely modifiable. So, you can make it the best for you, which is invaluable.

The fact that some distros are great for most people out of the box is just an extra perk for me, it's not that important. I could never make Windows as good as I made my Debian, or Chrome as good as I made my Firefox.

I never said they were all the same. Given a specific need / situation, I'm sure one OS will be better fit than the others. Ie : serving web content, playing AAA games (although it might change soon), and so on.

Regarding your point on distros, I think it is, excuse me, a bit off : while you certainly are an advanced Linux user, you need to keep in mind most of the computer userbase will certainly not be as confident as you to install tricky packages in CLI .

The UI is there to ease your work, not to hinder you, especially when you are part of the 90% of users which consider a computer as nothing but a tool.

What's best for you has very little to do with a "globally superior OS."

"If Microsoft were Google"

You mean Samsung. Google has more or less failed on all of those fronts too.

What about black boxes that capture all traffic going through their servers and send it all to the NSA? Would that count as just one request?

And by that time, if you're right and people actually jump ship, they'll be using something else (either Windows 7 or Linux IMO) and will demand that at their company.

So, Microsoft is taking enormous risks in all the markets: mobile, desktop, consoles... Well, they still have Office going well I suppose. For now.

...and these are the most upvoted comments. HN is really a parody of itself.

You could come up with many examples of failed companies with devices based on Android. This may just mean that they did something wrong (bad devices, advertising, etc). However, the companies that were successful (e.g Samsung) prove him right.

So Microsoft has lost the PC to Apple because of the manufacturer fragmentation in Windows PCs? Yeah, that makes sense.

Most of these are essays, which together would make up perhaps one of two books. Together with the 4 books listed in the books section of that page, I'd say you have a decent short list.

Also, most people can;t afford to buy quality stuff in every domain. The lucky few who can buy good furniture or a good house will rarely have money remaining to buy good computing devices. A lot of us tech-savvy people but these before the rest because we have a passion for technology and/or make money out of it, but we're the exception in that regard.

And let's not forget how many people like their devices to be entirely controlled, because they're afraid of entering the wrong commands. This stuff requires not only money but also time, and most people have neither to sacrifice for technology.

Many people like their devices entirely preconfigured.

A lot of people are well aware that e.g. their cell phone is bound to a provider and that this is a significant drawback.

Let's not mingle that.

Not even the entire US, just its government, against everyone else, including its citizens. Too much power in too few hands.

I think if the citizens stays complacent of its government actions than they should be equally liable. I have always tried to distinguish difference between not liking or disagreeing with the government of USA and having the same attitude towards the citizens of USA. But you can only drag it for so long.

What will it take for you go to the street against your government? Governments of other countries have fallen for much less crime, yet the american government gets away with killing thousands of people and violating national and international laws under false pretence. And the USA citizens gets to wash their hands from any responsibility by simply arguing that the government did it.

Yes and German citizens are responsible for the US military bases there as well as intelligence sharing deals their gov made.

Having military base itself is nothing wrong, nor is sharing intelligence in itself.

But the german citizen would be responsible if their government is engaged in so called pre-emptive war, under the pretense of terrorism and engaged in multi-year war with thousands of deaths and the citizens didn't even lift a finger.

Similarly if the german government is engaged in country-wide surveillance program under the pretense of security to control and possibly suppress its citizen, then yes the citizen is absolutely responsible if they sit on their ass for years and do nothing about it.

If Darth Vader has bases in your country that he is fighting wars from you can't say you're with the rebels.