> MinGW is basically just the GCC compiler suite ported Windows.
That's where you get it wrong. MinGW is a compatibility layer that helps port unix apps to windows. Yeah, it comes with GCC, but it also comes with support for POSIX, including a unix shell and other standard components.
Claiming that MinGW was just GCC would imply that to run Git on windows would be just a matter of recompiling the source code. But it isn't.
That's where you get it wrong. MinGW is a compatibility layer that helps port unix apps to windows. Yeah, it comes with GCC, but it also comes with support for POSIX, including a unix shell and other standard components.
Claiming that MinGW was just GCC would imply that to run Git on windows would be just a matter of recompiling the source code. But it isn't.