OLPC to Run Windows, Come to the US

An anonymous reader writes "'Yesterday Nicholas Negroponte, former director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab and current head of the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child project, gave analysts and journalists an update on the OLPC project. Two big changes were announced — the $100 OLPC is now the $175 OLPC, and it will be able to run Windows. Even in a market where there are alternatives to using Windows and Office, there's a huge demand for Microsoft software. The OLPC was seen as a way for open source Linux distributions to achieve massive exposure in developing countries, but now Negroponte says that the OLPC machine will be able to run Windows as well as Linux. Details are sketchy but Negroponte did confirm that the XO's developers have been working with Microsoft to get the OLPC up to spec for Windows.' We also find out that the OLPC gets a price hike and will officially come to the US. Could this be tied into Microsoft's new $3 Windows XP Starter and Office 2007 bundle? Now that the OLPC and Intel's Classmate PC can both run Windows, is Linux in the developing world in trouble?"

An offer he couldn't refuse

[BillGatesLoveChild]

> but now Negroponte says that the OLPC machine will be able to run Windows as well as Linux.

Not surprising that Negroponte changed his mind. Waking up and finding that chair in his bed must have really rattled him.

Re:Vista ready?

[Varun Soundararajan]

with puny 256MB Ram I m sure it wont. Vista requires atleast 1 GB of RAM for a "non-sluggish" preformance. Someone joked that you need Google's Infrastructure to run Vista to its full speed.

Obligatory Disclosure: that someone is me :)

Re:Vista ready?

[suv4x4]

Anyone know if it will be "Vista Ready"? :)

Right, but your battery power expires while still booting.

Re:Vista ready?

[Timesprout]

No,you develop a right arm like Arnold Schwarzenegger cranking the generator while its booting.

Re:Microsoft Tax

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes. approximately $75.

Re:Bill Gates' criticism

[mrbluze]

guess this would increase piracy for windows?

Yep, and now they can sue owners of laptops $3 each for the piracy. Ha!

Wait a second...

[hhcv]

I though Bill Gates wanted to stop the spread of viruses in the third world?

is Linux in the developing world in trouble?

[McGiraf]

no, developers prefer Linux.

hum ...

I'm cynical

[Mateo_LeFou]

I think Negroponte is just making this move to coax a better deal out of Linux Corp. -- the same way govt. agencies threaten to use Linux in order to get MS to offer them cheaper windows.

I suspect if Linux lowers its price from $0 to -$50, you'll hear no more about OLPC running Windows.

Re:Vista ready?

[Anonymous Coward]

I always wondered what he was doing pushing that thing round and round at the start of Conan...

Re:Why 256Mb?

[rho]

Wow. Your personal anecdotal evidence is compelling. I'm convinced. Truly.