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[News] [Rival] More Details on Microsoft's Scam in Nigeria (and Plan to 'Addict' Children)

  • Subject: [News] [Rival] More Details on Microsoft's Scam in Nigeria (and Plan to 'Addict' Children)
  • From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:16:59 +0000
  • Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
  • Organization: Netscape / schestowitz.com
  • User-agent: KNode/0.10.4
Mug-rosoft

,----[ Quote ]
| Even more maddening was the way Mandriva discovered something was amiss. It 
| turns out that Nigeria didn't bother to let them know directly. "I learned it 
| on Wednesday, after a journalist called the contact I gave them in Nigeria. 
| We checked the source, the news [was] confirmed on that same day." Which was 
| ridiculously embarrassing, given that Mandriva had issued its press release 
| announcing the finalization of the deal on Tuesday [October 30].     
| 
| To me, having covered the crime beat before, this has all the ear marks of a 
| classic mugging: a shadowy assailant, a rapid strike, and a stunned victim. 
| Because Mandriva is stunned by this. They knew Microsoft was in the running 
| for a similar deal, but had no idea they would be able to outright steal it.   
| 
| [...]
| 
| "The 17,000 [PCs] are a first phase with more machines [to be sold later]," 
| the CEO explained, "and this deal is representative of similar deals in many 
| parts of the world."  
| 
| In other words, Nigeria's actions, whatever their motivation, could sabotage 
| similar deals with other nations. 
| 
| It's the mugging that keeps on giving.
`----

http://blog.linuxtoday.com/blog/archives/071106-093949.html

Interview with Mandriva CEO, François Bancilhon

,----[ Quote ]
| Mr. Bancilhon explained that the “next billion computers will go to emerging 
| markets and will be low cost.” The true opportunity for Linux, he noted, will 
| be in emerging markets where the openness and customizability of the software 
| for local markets has the most value. He felt that the Nigerian deal was 
| particularly important because it could have been a model for other similar 
| situations, which are remarkably widespread in developing countries.     
`----

http://education.zdnet.com/?p=1322

Microsoft wants to 'addict' the children though, so it'll resort to any dirty
trick from the book.

The WIntel Empire Maker is hard at work.


Related:

Nigerian-Microsoft deal revealed

,----[ Quote ]
| Intel has just announced that it has donated the lappies to Nigeria for 
| nothing as part of a move to train 150,000 new teachers in the populous 
| African nation.  
| 
| [...]
| 
| It appeared that Microsoft offered to use its Partners in Learning programme, 
| which helps train teachers in computer skills, and the Nepad eSchools 
| project, which supplies schools across Africa with computers, software, 
| training, networking, connectivity, maintenance and support. This worked 
| jolly well with what Intel had in mind in giving the free PCs.    
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/02/trojan-knocks


[Mandriva CEO:] An open letter to Steve Ballmer

,----[ Quote ]
| Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their 
| mind like this? It’s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone. 
| How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my 
| place, they give it various names, I’m sure you know them.   
| 
| Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?
| 
| Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one. 
| You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics 
| you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win 
| too.   
`----

http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/


Gates refused entry to Nigeria

,----[ Quote ]
| Like many third world countries, such as the UK, whose reputation for being 
| hell on toast is accompanied by a weird belief by immigration officials that 
| people are desperate to live there, it seems that Gates had to jump through 
| many hoops before they let him in.   
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/08/gates-refused-entry-nigeria


Africa: 'Microsoft is Imperialistic' Says Open Source Advocates

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corporation's products have been locked out of the
| on-going World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi Kenya.
|
| With over 300 computers provided for participants and the press,
| organizers of the WSF have preferred to provide open source
| software products and blocked all Microsoft related products for
| the forum's usage and its related activities.
|
| [...]
|
| Activists at the forum also believe that since Microsoft is a
| corporate brand from the United States of America, a country
| they believe has intentions of maintaining the status quo of
| a unipolar world over which it is above international law and
| the UN, the brand should be locked out.
|
| [...]
|
| "The open source movement is providing Linux, a robust free
| software. Everybody owns it and it can be shared. And this
| is what WSF is all about - a free society, a movement
| fighting for ownership of free resources" he adds.
`----

http://allafrica.com/stories/200701230831.html


Governments Must Reject Gates' $3 Bid to Addict Next Billion PC Users 

,----[ Quote ]
| "Microsoft's strategy of getting developing nations hooked on its
| software was clearly outlined by Bill Gates almost a decade ago," said
| Con Zymaris, CEO of long-standing open source firm Cybersource. 
| 
| Specifically, Bill Gates, citing China as an example, said:
|  
|   "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but
|   people don't pay for the software," he said. "Someday they will, though.
|   As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.
|   They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to
|   collect sometime in the next decade."[1]
`----

http://www.cybersource.com.au/press/gates_set_to_addict_next_billion.html


Poor Kids' Laptop Cranks Up

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates earlier this year told the Microsoft
| Government Leaders Forum, "Geez, get a decent computer where you can
| actually read the text and you?re not sitting there cranking the thing
| while you're trying to type" (see Bill Gates Mocks $100 Laptop).
`----

http://www.redherring.com/article.aspx?a=17302 


One Laptop Per Child - Production Delays Caused By Microsoft, Intel?

,----[ Quote ]
| I sincerely hope that no matter what the people who are running the
| OLPC project decide, that their project will continue and not get
| bogged down in a play of corporate greed and ambitions.
`----

http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/2007/04/28/one-laptop-per-child-production-delays-caused-by-microsoft-intel/


Negroponte says Intel should be "ashamed of itself" 

,----[ Quote ]
| He is furious that Intel's CEO Craig Barrett called the One Laptop a
| gadget. The Negroponte initiative is caught in the middle of a vicious 
| fight between AMD and Intel, he said.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39733


,----[ Quote ]
| That software effort does not have the support of Mr. Otellini, who
| is concerned about incurring Microsoft's wrath, the executive said.
| The two companies have a long history of tension over who controls
| the hardware and software direction of the "Wintel standard." Intel
| has said it is supporting both operating systems.
`----

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/technology/16chip.html?ex=1177560000&en=2ef52cee6b1fb0e3&ei=5099&partner=TOPIXNEWS


Intel Inside the Third World

,----[ Quote ]
| Negroponte has repeatedly criticized Intel for what he considers its 
| hardball tactics. And yet the rivals may be ready to bury the hatchet:
| BusinessWeek has learned that Intel and OLPC executives are in talks 
| regarding how they can work together.
`----

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070628_140912.htm?campaign_id=yhoo



Q&A: Intel's Maloney discusses digital divide

,----[ Quote ]
| The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project also hopes its low-cost XO laptop 
| can close the "digital divide" that exists between the developed world 
| and emerging markets.
| 
| Much has been made of these two efforts, which are often painted as 
| rivals by the media and observers.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20070611/tc_infoworld/89252


Which laptop per child?

,----[ Quote ]
| The chipmaking giant Intel is accused of damaging the non-profit scheme to 
| provide cheap laptops for the developing world. It says it's helping.
|
| [...]
|
| It is not the first time that Intel has been accused of using its 
| near monopoly to overpower rivals - for example, it is being 
| investigated by the European Commission over allegations of 
| anti-competitive behaviour. AMD, Intel's only major rival and 
| the company which supplies the chips inside the XO-1, did not 
| waste an opportunity to go on the offensive.
| 
| "What we have here is an infinitely powerful monopoly 
| metaphorically threatening to break the kneecaps of a non-profit 
| if it doesn't 'get in line'," wrote AMD spokesman Michael 
| Silverman in a letter published on the Barron's website.
`----

http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2091248,00.html


Merrill: Intel's More Interested In Crushing AMD Than Improving Margins

,----[ Quote ]
| They think that Intel is a lot more interested in reducing AMD to
| its former status than in showing much gross margin improvementt
| his year.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070309/29149_id.html?.v=1


Negreponte says Intel spurned cheap laptop 

,----[ Quote ]
| Nicholas Negreponte at MIT said that Intel's Craig Barrett and
| Microsoft's Bill Gate had admitted remarks they'd made about the one
| notebook per child initiative were unfortunate.
| 
| Speaking to CNBC Europe, Negreponte said that from his point of view
| it was unfortunate too, because when he and his team talked to 
| leaders of small countries the remarks were thrown back in their
| face.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34924


,----[ Quote ]
| Though Pentium 4s can sell for up to $637, Intel's average
| cost for making a chip comes to $40, according to a report
| from analysts In-Stat.
| 
| The report doesn't consider expenses related to design
| or marketing...
`----

http://news.com.com/Intels+manufacturing+cost+40+per+chip/2100-1006_3-5862922.html


Intel: Only "Open" for Business

,----[ Quote ]
| These vendors often want a quiet private discussion,
| because in a quiet private discussion they can continue to
| dismiss the requests and in the end do absolutely nothing.
| They do not want a noisy public discussion, because then
| they look bad. But they DESERVE TO LOOK BAD, because they
| are being bad to those who bought their hardware!
`----

http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20060930232710&mode=expanded

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