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Why is Microsoft underpowering One Laptop Per Child?
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux is a natural fit for this emerging market. Microsoft, understandably,
| wants to cut Linux off at the knees. It's just unfortunate that Negroponte
| has capitulated: OLPC used to talk about freedom, then it tried to pretend it
| was simply about price...and now it's no longer even about price.
|
| [...]
|
| It's about giving kids the crappiest spec that Microsoft's market share can
| afford. That is shameful.
`----
http://www.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9942781-16.html
Related:
Why Microsoft Must Control One Laptop Per Child
,----[ Quote ]
| It's a threat Microsoft can't let stand: the entire third world learning
| Linux as children, and growing up to use it. And Microsoft is going to get
| its way.
|
| It comes after a sudden wave of SCO-like problems for the OLPC project. A
| specious patent lawsuit over keyboards. Board-member Intel thrown out of the
| project for attempting to convince national governments to drop OLPC
| purchases and go with its own (Windows) product. First, OLPC is shown what
| its problems will be if it doesn't cooperate with Microsoft. Then, Microsoft
| approaches with money and technical help - you just have to run Windows to
| get it.
|
| [...]
|
| Unfortunately, I don't believe that Microsoft's intent toward the OLPC
| project is at all benign. They will promote their OLPC software load for
| DRM-locked content with the help of proprietary publishers who are threatened
| enough by open content to throw some zero cost but DRM locked e-books to the
| third world. If they can get governments to commit to the DRM-locked content
| on your platform, a non-Microsoft OS is going to be out of the race.
|
| Also, nobody who wants an open platform for the third world is
| being "religious" about it, promoting sound public policy is not religion.
| I'm really tired of hearing that old saw brought up, please stop it.
`----
http://technocrat.net/d/2008/1/10/33518
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
Governments Must Reject Gates' $3 Bid to Addict Next Billion PC Users
,----[ Quote ]
| 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
Intel: doing the dirty on OLPC
,----[ Quote ]
| Intel’s agreement with the OLPC Foundation included a ‘non disparagement’
| clause, under which Intel and One Laptop promised not to criticize each
| other, according to Nicholas Negroponte in the latest article in the Wall
| Street Journal.
|
| Still Intel tactics have violated that repeatedly to kill OLPC efforts in
| Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, India, China and Intel is also still trying to pull
| those tactics in Mexico, Brazil.
| This is simply disgracefull of Intel, scandalous.
|
| But Negroponte has signed an agreement saying that he is not allowed to
| criticize Intel, so he is not allowed to talk about these shameless tactics
| even though Intel is the one violating the agreement.
|
| So only independant voices on the Internet can get those messages of truth
| out about Intels tactics.
|
| In Nigeria, Intel came and donated 3000 laptops to counter OLPC efforts, then
| sells 17 thousand Classmates to Nigeria at a loss.
|
| Then Microsoft corrupted Nigerian officials with 400 thousand dollars to
| install Windows XP on those instead of Mandriva Linux.
`----
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/14124
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/
Here it is from a better source
,----[ Quote ]
| About the meeting with Microsoft, he mentioned that he got a request from
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula, deputy prime minister. [Note: It seems
| likely that the early meeting with Microsoft was about going to see
| the operation of British e-government.) Dr.Sitthichai said he will
| use his own money and contact British government directly instead.
|
| For the OLPC project, he asserted that he does not oppose or intend
| cancel the project. This project was initiated during Thaksin's
| government with no financial support plan. Therefore, the government
| does not have budget to support the project. Kamthorn had a chance
| to clarify and talk about the project for a little while. The
| minister said he will bring that up for the next meeting with
| OLPC working group which Dr.Djitt Laowattana serves as a board
| director.
`----
http://www.iosn.net/asean-3/countries/thailand/news/thai-open-sourcers-meet-ict-minister
Microsoft U-turn to stop Linux dominating ultra low cost PCs
,----[ Quote ]
| By offering Windows XP Home Edition at bargain prices, Microsoft hopes to
| secure its place in the ULPC market and reduce the use of Linux, according to
| an official at one PC maker, who asked not to be identified because he was
| not authorised to discuss the programme.
`----
http://www.computerworlduk.com/technology/hardware/laptops/news/index.cfm?newsid=9006
Microsoft to limit capabilities of cheap laptops
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft plans to offer PC makers steep discounts on Windows XP Home Edition
| to encourage them to use that OS instead of Linux on ultra low-cost PCs
| (ULPCs). To be eligible, however, the PC vendors that make ULPCs must limit
| screen sizes to 10.2 inches and hard drives to 80G bytes, and they cannot
| offer touch-screen PCs.
|
| The program is outlined in confidential documents that Microsoft sent to PC
| makers last month, and which were obtained by IDG News Service. The goal
| apparently is to limit the hardware capabilities of ULPCs so that they don't
| eat into the market for mainstream PCs running Windows Vista, something both
| Microsoft and the PC vendors would want to avoid.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft notes that the OSes under consideration for the devices include
| Windows and Linux. Some PC makers have expressed a preference for Linux
| because it helps them keep down the cost of the devices.
|
| [...]
|
| By offering Windows XP Home Edition at bargain prices, Microsoft hopes to
| secure its place in the ULPC market and reduce the use of Linux, according to
| an official at one PC maker, who asked not to be identified because he was
| not authorized to discuss the program.
|
| "[Low-cost PC makers] have made some good inroads with open-source, and
| Microsoft wants to put a stop to it," the official said.
|
| The official did not seem opposed to the program. It should stimulate more
| competition between Windows and Linux in the ULPC market, and it could
| invigorate sales because consumers who want an easy-to-use PC are likely to
| prefer Windows, the official said.
`----
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=D04AB1F8-17A4-0F78-310F5F4479DEEE86
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