__/ [ Freeride ] on Friday 20 April 2007 04:46 \__
>
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article1676934.ece
>
>>Microsoft promises cheap student software as charity set to ship five
>>million Linux-based laptops to developing world
>
>>Speaking in Beijing, Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder and chairman,
>>said the group would offer a software package designed for students for
>>$3 (£1.50) to governments who buy Windows-based computers and give them
>>to schoolchildren to use at home.
>
>>The move comes as the world?s largest software group battles rampant
>>piracy in emerging markets and faces an upturn in philanthropic schemes
>>that plan to offer basic computers, which do not rely on Microsoft
>>software, to schoolchildren in the developing world.
>
>>In July the non-profit One Laptop Per Child will begin shipping 5 million
>>laptops, priced at $100 each. Designed for developing countries, the
>>machine ? dubbed XO ? can be recharged by hand. Crucially, for Microsoft,
>>they run on the rival Linux operating system.
>
>>Nicholas Negroponte, who launched the project at the Massachusetts
>>Institute of Technology's Media Lab in 2004, has said he thinks it is
>>"criminal" that shoolchildren spend time learning how to use Microsoft
>>products - rather than "communicating, exploring, sharing".
The headlines said "Microsoft wants to add another 5 billion users" or
"Microsoft wants a billion more Windows users by 2012" or "Microsoft wants
to double its market share". Then, on the other hand, OLPC's mission
statement refers to the need to bridge the digital divide. Notice the
difference. Investors collide with humanitarian causes and volunteers.
Gates has demonstarted a cellphone for the developing world and even tried
fitting Windows onto the OLPC unit (gosh, just think about the security
issues in a wireless mesh). Apparently Gates failed, so he now admits that
his software hasn't value and he'll just give it away in order to have what
has always kept him going (other than fraud) -- inertia. It's very likely to
fail. Reasons:
* Many people already pirate the software.
* Governments prefer not to pirate, but they understand lockins and have a
responsibility for people's future. Home users, on the other hand, is where
piracy is happening the most. This offer means nothing to them.
* The software is very limited (Starter Edition, so there are man-made
barriers).
* The perceived value of the software is a real damaging point.
This is not about Microsoft being nice to poor people. At present, it's
unable to get /any/ money back, so it's trying to squeeze a few extra bucks.
Recall what Ballmer and Gates said about getting children "kind of
addicted". It's about lockin and control. Microsoft is not just a software
company (and neither is Google, which now boats profiles of many millions of
people).
When Microsoft added WMP support to Firefox, it tried to put it as though it
was reaching out the Open Source world (provided you are stuck to Windows).
In reality, it's more about getting more services to use WMP, which is
discriminatory (forget about Linux). It's also spyware.
The only solutions we have, be it concerned with formats, or protocols, or
even PCs for developing nations, should be organised by an independent
party/indutrial consortium (even MIT's media lab), not a single self-centred
company. Never. Otherwise you use people as marketing tools to enforce and
propagate abuse.
--
~~ With kind regards
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Ping this IP, see if it collapses" --Windows TCP
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
roy pts/0 Thu Apr 19 07:46 still logged in
http://iuron.com - proposing a non-profit search engine
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