Nigeria opts for Linux on Classmate PCs after all

We're not sure if Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon's recent rant on the matter had anything to do with it or not, but it seems that Nigeria will be using the company's Linux distribution on the 17,000 Classmate PCs it purchased after all, despite earlier reports that it had switched to Windows. According to IDG News, an unnamed government official said that "we are sticking with that platform," although the official added that they reserve right to switch to another platform in the future. It appears that the situation might not be entirely settled just yet, however, as Microsoft is reportedly claiming that Nigeria is "still demanding Windows," and that it's still negotiating a deal that would give TSC (the company handling the laptops) $400,000 for "marketing activities around the Classmate PCs" once they've switched to Windows.

[brad @ Nov 9th 2007 3:47PM]

*waits for massive influx of nigerian email scams*

[waiownsyou @ Nov 9th 2007 3:57PM]

Quick, to the lottery-mobile!

[Gonzie @ Nov 9th 2007 3:57PM]

if linux gets this it'll be proof that there is justice in the IT industry after all

[Ddot @ Nov 9th 2007 4:06PM]

We need to put a Ban on everything out of Nigeria. Ive lost over $500 to those motherf***ers. Instead of giving them computers, we should take them away and donate them to people that will probably make a difference. Shit, i rather donate a laptop to a fu**ing dog than donate a free sample to Nigeria.

[insertAlias @ Nov 9th 2007 4:14PM]

How did you loose $500? Were you dumb enough to believe that you won the Nigerian lottery multiple times? Or even one time?

[3rdsun @ Nov 9th 2007 6:01PM]

Nigeria should prbably donate an OLPC to you, dumbass

[Reader @ Nov 9th 2007 6:56PM]

Yeah, fuck those 8 year old kids that have no idea what you're talking about. Some guy did something to you (uhm, I guess?) so screw all the innocent kids in Nigeria. Yeah...


Go home douche bag.

[John @ Nov 9th 2007 4:16PM]

In response, Microsoft issued an ominous press release stating that it will no longer recognize Nigeria as a sovereign state and will be sending in men to stabilize the situation and claim the territory for Microsoft.

[Rik @ Nov 9th 2007 4:17PM]

Hehe, I was ammused a while ago when I read the first thing a group of healthy 12 year boys did was off course check out some porn... the reporter was 'shocked' :-P

[Ddot @ Nov 9th 2007 4:17PM]

I got payed by Paypal for a Sidekick III i sold on ebay. I waited it to clear, then shipped to F***ing Nigeria. Once shipped, after a week, paypal automatically took money out of my account for a refund for an item never shipped.

I hate those fuckers. Why are they getting PC's again?

[insertAlias @ Nov 9th 2007 4:28PM]

Ok, thats a lot better than what I had originally thought. But, why are you down on the whole country? Shouldn't it be Pay-Pal you're mad at? Or maybe the individuals who shafted you? There are scamming assholes in every country, not just Nigeria.

[timatl @ Nov 9th 2007 4:56PM]

that is why you only ship to the US.

[simon @ Nov 9th 2007 4:20PM]

Great, lets give scammers even more opportunities to rip off the world... Don't get me wrong, I am all for anything that will benefit children... Im a smoker and Im for the tobacco tax that would raise a pack of smokes by at least $1 so kids could get access to health insurance... But anyone who's ever sold anything of value on E-Bay knows about Nigerian scammers... Unfortunatly I can see these being stolen from the kids or sold by their parents and ultimately ending up in the hands of people who have no business near a computer. And before we jump to high tech crap like Michigan has tried to do time and time again, why dont we start by actually getting scholastic books and things like pencils and paper. I know of schools in Flint that can afford toilet paper as well as students tearing blank pages from books so they can turn in their homework. This well intended not-so-well thought out stuff really pisses me off.

[rzlmlchm009 @ Nov 9th 2007 4:26PM]

Those PC's remind me of advanced Speak & Reads. :)

[Dan Z @ Nov 9th 2007 5:44PM]

Is the Intel sticker really necessary? I know it probaly costs like 2 cents, but still....

[Duscrom @ Nov 9th 2007 5:47PM]

Naah, the kids in Nigeria will never figure out how to boot into Linux. they still gotta compile their new drivers and kernel

[Mike Cornett @ Nov 9th 2007 5:57PM]

FWIW,

The scammers run operations out of Benin, not Nigeria.

[simon @ Nov 9th 2007 6:10PM]

But they are still shipped to Nigeria and any instance I've dealt with usually the IP originated from an internet cafe in Nigeria.

[Shawn Miller @ Nov 9th 2007 9:48PM]

surprised nobody has mentioned the irony of this story with the fact that the president of Nigeria's son works for Microsoft...

[Gaxby @ Nov 9th 2007 10:09PM]

FYI:
To all of you scammed by some individuals from Nigeria or probably another national based in Nigeria, I say you deserved to be scammed if you are dumb enough to be. A sucker is born every second so is a criminal all over the world including Nigeria. I am Nigerian and have gotten email scams from a fellow Nigerian, a chinese and a russian but I have a choice to use my "head" and decide if its legit or not. If it looks to good to be true, then it stinks. To those of you that got scammed through Paypal, I think if you follow Paypal rules, you have less chance and Paypal should reimburse you if in fact you did the right thing. So next time you got scammed, smarten up of SHUT the f**k up.

[Jide Osan @ Nov 9th 2007 10:18PM]

you took the words right out of my mouth

[Gaxby @ Nov 9th 2007 10:41PM]

Right on bro!

[William @ Nov 10th 2007 1:59PM]

yeah, now we will have more Nigerians running scams on the net

[iKrolm @ Nov 15th 2007 12:54AM]

well, i hope Microsoft's ego isn't hurt after this... lol

[danny @ Mar 16th 2008 9:40PM]

About the 'scams':
Firstly, the use of foul language, even by the aggrieved ('scammed'), is uncivilised (deliberately spelled thus): and you people out there are supposed 'to civilize' us (Nigerians).
Secondly, your greed, folly, or both, enable you to fall for 'scam' solicitation, for in most cases, you aim to reap where you did not sow.
Lastly, only an insignificant few, out of the over-140 million Nigerians, engage in such criminal activity, and we hunt for them daily here for prosecution, under the relevant laws.

[Demola @ Mar 31st 2008 4:34AM]

Sometimes when you are offered the inheritance of a crooked offical by the manager of a bank who has access to the funds but just decides to give you to (someone he has never met), you have to put your GREED aside and be logical.

I do not support Advance Fee Fraud (or 419, as we know it locally), but a lot of times we blame the victim, simply because most of them were greedy.