The concept is that Microsoft updates can be supplied to the community at rates that are higher than what Microsoft can supply. When you need an update from Microsoft, do you want to “wait in line” for their servers or be able to get the same data elsewhere without a wait?
Bit torrent has been doing this for years. Many of us use it to download GB of data at a time. A community supported collaborative download can be much faster for the client. Thus, there is potentially a benefit for everyone, not just for Microsoft.
“community supported collaborative download can be much faster for the client”
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From each according to their ability?
“Thus, there is potentially a benefit for everyone, not just for Microsoft.”
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A slowed down computer is something some people might not add under the “benefits” category.
Uh, people wait in line simply because Microsoft is too cheap to pay for adequate update capacity, and having their customers pay for the bandwidth and CPU capacity to do Microsoft’s updates for Microsoft benefits ONLY Microsoft, namely, Microsoft gets to save hundreds of millions in server capacity by putting THEIR responsibility on the financial backs of THEIR customers. Good thing Honda isn’t like Microsoft, expecting their customers to pay for oil changes for their other customers.
And yes, I know all about bit torrent: good luck in getting a large download to complete in under a day, if it ever completes at all. Bit torrent is the ultimate socialist data distribution solution: to each according to their need; from each according to their willingness. Too bad paying taxes doesn’t follow the bit torrent philosophy.