Tux Machines

Maharlika (aka Philippines) Gradually Exiting Microsoft and Windows

Posted by Roy Schestowitz on Dec 16, 2023

THE OEM stronghold (bundling and crapware, back room deal with secret contracts) is imposing on people the "purchase" (licensing) of Windows with almost every PC's sale. This is wrong, immoral, should definitely be illegal, but in countries like the Philippines it's impossible to find anything but "Windows PCs". To use GNU/Linux (or BSD) people have to install that all on their own in spite of intentional barriers put there by Microsoft and Matthew J Garrett, their faithful servant.

In spite all this, the country sees Windows down to 38% (it was 96% in 2010), based on statCounter, with 5% for GNU/Linux and ChromeOS on laptops/desktops. Microsoft's LinkedIn is not used there at all, Bing is below the international average, and it seems like the digital colonialism is reaching its last days. ChromeOS and Android are not freedom (far from it), but breaking the Windows monopoly opens up new routes. █