Microsoft to test out Windows XP on OLPC XO

Don't fret, that feeling you've just been overcome with is nothing more than a harmless dose of déjà vu. Nearly a year ago to the day, we were hearing these same types of talks, and while the whole "XP on XO" conversation has been one of on-again / off-again nature, the switch has apparently been flipped to "go" once more. According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is slated to test out Windows XP on OLPC XO laptops starting next month in the US, India and possibly Romania. James Utzschneider, general manager of Microsoft's Unlimited Potential Group, noted that it "wanted Windows to run on the XO and [that it was] investing significant energy and talent" to make sure it happened. Granted, Microsoft will have to be mighty pleased with the results before any of this goes commercial, as Mr. Utzschneider concluded by stating that the company "wants to [ensure] a quality experience before [making a] commitment to governments."

[Via PCWorld]

[Cameron Campbell @ Dec 6th 2007 8:20AM]

"wants to [ensure] a quality experience" ?

There is so very much one could do with this sort of statement.

[Todd @ Dec 6th 2007 8:21AM]

( Letter on official Microsoft stationary )"...Dear poor kid in Africa, We here at Microsoft understand that you don't have anything to eat, and there isn't even a school in your village, but we must insist that you activate your copy of Windows. The Windows Genuine Advantage program helps ensure the best possible computing experience. To get started right away, use a different computer, other than your XO and go to microsoft.com - there you can enter your credit card and pay just $146.85 to activate your copy of Windows. Thank you, The Windows XO Team."

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 6th 2007 9:05AM]

Sad, but true.

[DeeKupe @ Dec 6th 2007 8:24AM]

Oh boy! The $100 PC, increased to $180 by release date, will get to have a $60 licensing fee tacked onto it. The isolated, dirt-poor children in Africa will be much better off!

[Jon Doe @ Dec 6th 2007 10:03AM]

Licenses of XP run in the $40 range in bulk, but hey. Why let facts ruin a perfectly good troll post.

[Greg @ Dec 6th 2007 10:19AM]

Yeah, a lot more than a Linux license ;)

[KC @ Dec 6th 2007 12:55PM]

@greg, but Linux has no "support", while MS has. You can actually call and get support with MS. Who do you call for Linux? ...Not that some kid in Africa would be able to find a phone to call support...

[Z @ Dec 6th 2007 1:19PM]

Support? What about Canonical? It would even be local for many of those kids. What about the open source communities that many times are more responsive than Microsoft? Besides there's not a lot of support that can be given for the BSOD.

[TD @ Dec 6th 2007 1:45PM]

I'm not a big Microsoft fan, however, are you so sure there would be a licensing fee? Remember, Bill and Melinda Gates' foundation is a large charitable trust -- it wouldn't be their first "selfless" deed.

[Mark @ Dec 6th 2007 8:40AM]

XP you say? With troublemakers like that at Microsoft, XP will never be End Of Life'd.

I say that if Microsoft really is so hot for Vista, they should put their money where their mouth is, do all their development with it and stop horsing around with XP.

Either that or admit that Vista is a bloated waste of a lot of people's time, continue on parallel development and give me XP SP3.

[JS @ Dec 6th 2007 8:43AM]

One Blue Screen Per Child?

[islander619 @ Dec 6th 2007 9:16AM]

Better than the Mac trash going around. At least Microsoft won't tease the kids with an apple logo on their computer.

[ben @ Dec 6th 2007 9:49AM]

classic

[Jon Doe @ Dec 6th 2007 5:45PM]

Troll. I haven't had a BSOD in fucking years. Alternatively my MBP and Leopard are freeze inducing piles of shit. Sorry but when turning off WIFI, plugging in your wired, and changing the location profile freezes one's computer outright there is a damn problem. OS X is no better then Windows and Linux is a fucking joke.

[David S. @ Dec 6th 2007 9:15AM]

Why not X on XO?

[Greg @ Dec 6th 2007 10:21AM]

I like this idea a lot more.

[kevin @ Dec 6th 2007 9:20AM]

They're not using Vista because there's no Vista Embedded yet. This is probably XP Embedded, which can be stripped down to just the essential components for a compact install. We use it here at work for a small data acquisition package and it fits in well under 2GB.

[ToniCipriani @ Dec 6th 2007 10:27AM]

Or more like Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Fundamentals_for_Legacy_PCs

[boomstik @ Dec 6th 2007 2:19PM]

under 2 Gb? oh boy, isn't that just grreat! umm, except that the OLPC comes with 1 Gb of storage. Bummer.

[Rob @ Dec 6th 2007 9:28AM]

I think I'm going to be sick.
Microsoft just doesn't know when to stop sticking it to the world. Disgusting.

[fred @ Dec 6th 2007 9:48AM]

Oh grow up, jackass.

Some of the people around here just love to be critical of Microsoft for no other reason than they think it makes them look uber geek.

[sjdurfey @ Dec 6th 2007 11:54AM]

i agree, this just sickens me. anything that is ever going to be a good charitable effort, such as this, has to be ruined by corporate greed. M$ wont be happy until the run the digital world, and ruin all things that are good in the process.

[Rob @ Dec 6th 2007 12:32PM]

@ Fred;
I understand MS's maneuver to position itself in everything that involves the digital transfer of data; be it pc, online, cellphones, home entertainment, and anything else they can get their paws on. However, considering the humanitarian effort behind these systems, and MS's attempt to control everything, I have an issue with it. These countries can't afford to use Windows. So, why is MS coming into the equation now shoving their OS down their throats. I'd tell you why. Because MS's biggest fear is not Apple or OS-X. MS's biggest fear is the constant growth of open-source and free software. MS doesn't want to loose its grip on the OS market, be it consumer or corporate. We don't need Office anymore, OpenOffice offers a fully functional application that any individual or company can use. MySQL, Thunderbird, Firefox ... the list goes on and on.

Microsoft's biggest fear is that these developing countries ordering the OLPC XO pc's will discover that they can achieve everything they want by using totally free software. That's why MS is jumping in and saying "look you can run our OS on this pc too. Let me show you. Oh, and take a look at our Office Suite. How many orders do you want to place?" We have to keep in mind that these kids are not going to be using Avid or Final Cut Pro or CAD on these systems. So, their Linux OS is more than capable of handling all the open-source applications included.

[Brian @ Dec 10th 2007 5:31PM]

Hey boomstik, it doesnt have to be Windows XP. It can be something that would fit on a 1GB drive like Windows 2000 or NT 4.0 or even Windows 95 or 98! Just because its older doesnt mean it doesnt work (except for Windows ME)These kids in Africe wouldnt know any computer OS so they wouldnt know what is new and great! They would just be greatful to have a computer, even with Windows 3.1 on it!

[Paul Barwick @ Dec 6th 2007 9:32AM]

Dear Microsoft, if you want to help the poor of the world, here's a challenge. Release a version of Windows for the XO that will cost the same as the version of Linux that they are now using.

[Magallanes @ Dec 6th 2007 10:50AM]

Done!.

It's called XP Devilsown version ;-)

[Gravemind @ Dec 6th 2007 9:44AM]

Hey give XP a break. Its a good product.

[Blake Bowen @ Dec 6th 2007 9:59AM]

You know, Microsoft could very well package XP on it for next to nothing, considering OS sales are 99% profit anyway.

[huh @ Dec 6th 2007 10:47AM]

Let's not forget it's more than just the price. For years Microsoft refused to customize versions of Windows for some regions of Africa (and other places around the world, like Spain). Time passed and those people eventually just did it themselves, on Linux.

The XO PC is incredibly open in design. You can view the source code of any running app. It's not a black box, it's a serious education device that respects the person using it.

[w00fy @ Dec 6th 2007 11:04AM]

I bet it will be XP Embedded Edition like the version used on ATMs and self checkout kiosks at the supermarket. Every so often you see someone rebooting one of those devices and can catch a glimpse of the hardware. Things seem to run comfortably on a P3-733 w/ 256MB RAM based on the system at my local supermarket.

MS will probably charge licensing fees inline with "Starter Editions" for developing countries. The cost is around $5 I believe.

[zebcarlson2007 @ Dec 6th 2007 11:35AM]

I love how Microsoft just *assumes* that everyone would want their operating system on their computers. If I remember correctly, M$ offerd to put Xp on the XO and OLPC turned them down! The OS that is on the XO is what it was designed for and it does what it needs to do!

Microsoft just sees all the money that OLPC is making and cant stand not having their thumb in that pie! You know Ballmer is just going nuts knowing that linux is on it, considering his previous statements on Linux.

[kevin @ Dec 6th 2007 12:17PM]

Actually, not having a MS OS has been a deal breaker in some countries - the end customer is the driving force here.

[zebcarlson2007 @ Dec 6th 2007 12:34PM]

The first computer I ever used was a mac with Mac OS, and I never once asked why windows wasnt on it because I didnt know what windows was, nor did I care. Are the users, people who have likely never used a pc before, really going to care whether it has windows or linux? I dont think its worth the trouble of dealing with Ballmer and making the cost higher just so the children can get blue-screened' on a regular basis.

Dont get me wrong, I like windows and Im a windows user, but in this case I think using windows would be a bad thing.

[brian @ Dec 6th 2007 1:16PM]

Sorry, but if I were buying laptops for the future leaders of my country, I think I'd want them to gain some experience on the de facto standard. Of course, maybe that's just me...

[ecobore @ Dec 6th 2007 11:36AM]

'Microsoft' …櫬˚∆øπ“‘∆´ø† a 'Kwality' experience'!!! Doh!

[RC @ Dec 6th 2007 11:58AM]

I am fascinated by the comments of these visitors from another realm. In your land waving hello is considered a grave insult? Amazing!

*waves hello*

[NH @ Dec 6th 2007 12:23PM]

Free OS with "steep fee" support...

[Z @ Dec 6th 2007 1:28PM]

I think it's kind of funny that as soon as Microsoft sees their market share being threatened, they start thinking about the less fortunate kids in 3rd world countries. Makes me think of the drug dealer that always gives away the samples so they can get you hooked. "Just say no!"

[roach @ Dec 6th 2007 2:13PM]

Why people are ragging on MS. Some of the countries are the one who are requesting XP, so XO is giving to them. XO knows they won't be able to sell the numbers they want with linux.

XO decides what goes in their machine, not MS.

[Matt Zh @ Dec 6th 2007 5:43PM]

I thought the whole idea of OLPC was to use open hardware and software. It is hard to imagine how any MS OS fits the bill.

[Blacklisted @ Dec 6th 2007 6:52PM]

If they get it to work, it'll probably be free. Microsoft already does a lot of charity for anyone who cares enough to investigate.

[strangelove9 @ Dec 7th 2007 9:23AM]

Dear God, Microsoft is really scared of Linux... First, the Eee pc from Asus, then the OLPC... they know that once the alternative, free OS takes hold, their dominion is over.

BTW, why is Romania on that list of countries slated to receive the OLPC? I thought these were machines for the Third World, not member countries of the EU...?!