One Laptop Per Child will ship a special version of Windows on their low cost laptops for poor children, the two companies announced this afternoon. Previously the laptops, which to date have been tested in a number of countries, ran only Linux. Trials of the Windows version of the machines will begin in June in “key emerging markets.” OLPC is also working with third parties to port its user interface, called Sugar, to Windows, and is hoping to have a machine with dual boot options to allow “users” to choose between operating systems.
There are no financial terms being disclosed, although it wouldn’t be dumb to assume that not only is the software being supplied for free, but Microsoft made a healthy donation to the organization as well. The last thing Microsoft wants is for anyone who’s computer literate to think that a world without Microsoft Windows is possible.
On the upside, though, the pain of having to deal with Windows crashes may make some of these kids excellent technical support people over time. They’d just get lazy with Linux being so stable all the time.
If it isn’t obvious from what I’ve written above, I’m not impressed. OLPC is in danger of becoming a celebrity cause rather than a real attempt to bridge the digital divide. My guess is Linux worked just fine as an operating system for these machines.
Next up: Google Tools and AOL Dial Up service pre-installed on OLPCs?
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Great post, Mike. Very well put (as always these days it seems). Hey, I’ll pay you a visit one of these days, I’m thinking of hitting SV in the summer.
Windows VMware is best way to load Linux.
Is it really so terrible to give free access to the world’s dominant OS? Really?
I agree with “momoy” entirely. Sure, Linux may work fine, but it just is not nearly as practical for these kids and their teachers. Common sense, Michael.
Great comment Mike: “The last thing Microsoft wants is for anyone who’s computer literate to think that a world without Microsoft Windows is possible”
Microsoft’s has always behaved as a greedy monopoly, trying to perpetuate that position that enables them to charge huge licenses fees.
This is one more monopolistic action, trying to keep Linux even out of these low cost laptops. Who knows, in a few years MS might still charge to the kids for MS Office licenses or for the “upgrade” to Vista…
“On the upside, though, the pain of having to deal with Windows crashes may make some of these kids excellent technical support people over time. They’d just get lazy with Linux being so stable all the time.”
So Mike, what OS do you use? I hope you are not using Windows based laptops/desktops as your primary machines.
The way “open source software” works is companies don’t make money by selling software, but they make money by selling support. How many companies really use open source software as part of their primary development (If they do then they definately also need a team of developers to fix issues in open source software, or have to sign-up for support contracts from so called non-profit open source communities).
Open-source and non-open source softwares are two different business models.
I don’t believe that in any near future, MAC will allow users to just buy its OS while allowing other hardware manufacturers to make money by selling machines. Infact MAC have been very tightly controlled by Apple, because they know that they can’t make money of OS. I don’t believe that SJ will even consider giving away few MACs at a discount so that it will benefit children/people with limited resource.
It is all business decision.
-Sejal
Note that not everyone in the OLPC community is upset!!! Those who have been devoted to the OLPC mission, even before OLPC was established, know that it is not about the OS. It is about something very different that is much harder to achieve.
My team and I truly care about the EDUCATIONAL mission and vision of OLPC: to eliminate poverty and create world peace through education — as a human right — by providing creative learning opportunities to the poorest children worldwide, at no cost to them, helping them be active learners, collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial, become leaders in the communities and the world at large.
Therefore, we believe that constructionist learning software projects, programs and processes that are made possible with ANY LAPTOP, with ANY OS, should be made available to the bottom billion kids sooner rather than later — to all of them — whatever it takes to make it available for free to the kids themselves is blessed. And Nicholas Negroponte remains brave and true to his original noble mission and big vision. What’s so bad about that?!
OLPC is already pretty much dead, with some of their top talent leaving; they’re best ignored from this point on.
Comparing Windows and Linux in this way does not make sense — either compare the Windows kernel and Linux, or Windows and Sugar. But comparing a platform against a core OS is quite pointless.
The long text lives at http://www.hogyros.de/?q=node/390 , but I felt it was too long to post here.
Why should anybody even use Windows? With Open Office 2.4 I do not see any reason (other than lame-a$$ gaming purpose) why anyone would be interested to pay for an OS to begin with!
“On the upside, though, the pain of having to deal with Windows crashes may make some of these kids excellent technical support people over time.”
Sad as it may be, there is a valid point here.
Does anyone find it ironic that back in March of 2006 Gates was making fun of the OLPC project, and now they’re putting money into it? Myfavorite coverage was Ze Frank’s (about 1:55 into the video): http://www.zefrank.com/theshow.....31706.html
i feel so sorry for them