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Before Windows XP, desktop Windows users were accustomed to frequent system crashes. Viruses in the 1990s would take out offices around the world. Nothing collapsed, and nobody switched to Linux. Everyone was just used to it. I think most people will accept the tradeoffs, because it used to be much worse than it is now.

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I meant also in terms of space and time complexity with the slower, bloatier software at every level, things would also freeze and fill up.

What people can get away with on the upper crust with end-user apps would spell disaster for the inner parts.

> desktop Windows users were accustomed to frequent system crashes

Home users maybe. I've started with Windows NT 4.0 and don't remember it being crash-prone.

That’s why people used NT - it didn’t crash as often.

NT was not for home users. And it's USP was that it was way more stable. Then Win 2000 (NT variant) came and at XP they finally merged.

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