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by Anarch157a 269 days ago
It's much easier to smuggle a USB drive with Windows updates than it is a few tonnes of metal.

Then China will switch a billion desktops to Linux and the US will still need rare earths.

3 comments

I run desktop Linux. It's pretty hard to switch a billion desktops to Linux even if you do it one at a time. Not to mention a ton of problems with compatibility and corporate and government IT
The Chinese pirate Windows extensively, and the code has been leaked before. If IP law goes out the window, they will do whatever the hell they want.
> Then China will switch a billion desktops to Linux

Easier than smuggling a few tonnes of metal? Let me introduce you to my elderly parents...

old people in china don't have computers, they use smart phones
If all the US needs is a few tonnes the cartels can get it done no problem.