Precisely 20 years ago you might be right, but the year 2000 later turned out to be that one year where mp3 piracy crossed over from still somewhat niche to utt

Precisely 20 years ago you might be right, but the year 2000 later turned out to be that one year where mp3 piracy crossed over from still somewhat niche to utter mainstream. And before practical portable mp3 solutions, that was entirely a desktop PC experience. People who could barely type in January would have built their own PC from components by the end of that year. (Some regional shifts related to internet availability and pricing models might apply) Changes happened crazy fast in those days.