well what a suprise....microsofts tactics as always...

[joeorc]

ever wonder you heard about that $3.00 ver. of windows xp basic that bill gates is going to release..."but he's doing it for the children"...
well if you have not heard about this project it started back in 2005 an the cost was sup. to be $100.00 until microsoft got a hand in it.....pathetic..THIS TRUELY SHOW'S MICROSOFT FEARS LINUX not just because its free..but because it teach's kid's they do not need WINDOWS....in order for you to have a PC...
just read on...., kids could have had a $100.00 laptop....



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’$100 laptop’ to cost $175
By Associated Press
Friday, April 27, 2007 - Updated: 05:02 AM EST

CAMBRIDGE - The founder of the ambitious "$100 laptop" project, which plans to give inexpensive computers to schoolchildren in developing countries, revealed Thursday that the machine for now costs $175, and it will be able to run Windows in addition to its homegrown, open-source interface.

Even at $175, the computers upend the standard economics in the PC industry. A huge reason has been XO’s use of the free, open-source Linux operating system, tweaked for this project with the help of one of its sponsors, Red Hat Inc.
The result is that XO’s software is highly original, in hopes of making the computer useful as a collaborative tool and intuitive for children who have never before encountered a computer. There are no windows or folders, but rather an interface heavily reliant on pictographic icons.



Word of Microsoft’s involvement was somewhat striking given that the software company and its closest corporate partner, Intel Corp., have questioned whether the One Laptop Per Child’s computers will do much to stimulate educational gains. Bill Gates once denigrated the machine as not being a "decent computer." And Intel is pushing its own inexpensive computer for developing countries, the $400 Classmate PC.
The ever-optimistic Negroponte turned those criticisms around on Thursday, arguing that Microsoft wouldn’t have bothered with its $3 international software package and Intel wouldn’t be pushing Classmate unless they had something to fear from One Laptop Per Child’s innovations.

A Microsoft spokesperson could not be reached for comment. An Intel spokesman said the company has been selling in emerging markets for over 20 years and that both Intel’s and One Laptop Per Child’s projects on the new class of devices began around the same time in 2005.
Whether the XO machines might someday land in U.S. schools has been an open question. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced at one point that he wanted to buy the machines for students in his state. Some time later, Negroponte said Thursday, One Laptop Per Child decided not to work with American schools because "we’ve designed something for a totally different situation" - meaning kids in poor countries.
Now, he added, that might change, since 19 state governors have shown interest. One of them was then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. When Bush first e-mailed and casually signed "Jeb," Negroponte needed to ask his brother, former national intelligence director John Negroponte, whether the query was legitimate.

http://business.bostonherald.com/tec...format=&page=2

this say's it all
" The ever-optimistic Negroponte turned those criticisms around on Thursday, arguing that Microsoft wouldn’t have bothered with its $3 international software package and Intel wouldn’t be pushing Classmate unless they had something to fear from One Laptop Per Child’s innovations.[/COLOR][/B]"

it's about Linux adoption pure and simple

[joeorc]

Will Corporate Greed Kill OLPC?
Envisioned as the saviour of developing nations the OLPC XO computer could turn out to be little more than the delivery system for western corporate greed.

http://www.mobilised.com.au/content/view/947/1/1/0/

[phranctoast]

if MS makes does make a 100 laptop, it should only have 640kb of Ram. that would be hilarious.