OLPC, Microsoft Working Toward Dual-Boot XO Laptops

Ian Lamont writes "The OLPC Project and Microsoft are developing a dual-boot system to put both Linux and Windows on the laptops, according to an interview with Nicholas Negroponte. The article is thin on details, as the OLPC/Microsoft talks are apparently at an early stage. Could this be the end of the OS wars in Nigeria and other developing countries?" While Microsoft has been working on an OLPC-capable version of Windows for some time now, the interesting thing here is the dual-booting provision, rather than forcing users into an either-or choice.

XO is the look on my face

[Anonymous Coward]

when Bill Gates rams my butthole!!

So how could MS lose with this scenario?

[Kazoo the Clown]

Microsoft may figure that if the OLPC can boot to either OS that users may end up preferring Windows over Linux. And for most users they may very well be correct. In addition, they will be able to more easily show off areas where Windows excels in comparison with Linux.

Dual-boot beta.

[fahrbot-bot]

Currently, the dual-boot beta system is an OLPC with a Dell XPS duct-taped to the back of it. To Boot Windows, you turn the thing over... A Microsoft spokes-droid stated that the beta solution only raises the cost "slightly", but won't give an exact figure.

Re:Delusional

[sm62704]

I think I can decrypt that for you:

Microsoft has embraced the open-source community over the past few years in a very different way than before

My daughter's cats have embraced mice over the past few years in a very different way than before. Previously they would lay the dead mouse by my dining room chair, now they just eat the mouse.

Don't forget Microsoft's mantra: Embrace, extend, extinguish. Much like my daughter's cats; mantra about mice.

Re:Delusional

[Anonymous Coward]

Much like my daughter's cats; mantra about mice.

That's a nice analogy. Now I'm going to go home and swallow some heart worm eggs and sit outside Steve Ballmer's office. Does anybody have any butter?

At least my death will not be in vain ...

Re:So how could MS lose with this scenario?

[edwardpickman]

Don't worry Negroponte is no fool he's insisting they dual boot to a full copy of Vista.

I wonder what

[aegl]

the "SHOW SOURCE" key on the OLPC will do when Windows is running?

Re:Eww

[jiushao]

Yes, we should do everything we can to let people take their own direction. Except give them the option of running Microsoft software. Because we certainly can't have people going around making choices we don't like now can we?

Re:XO is the look on my face

[professional_troll]

Really? You shouldn't be able to feel anything, after all do you know how the name Micro-soft came from right?

Simple.

[Narcocide]

<sarcasm>... and later, should a service pack "accidentally" sabotage the boot process for the open source operating systems on the machine leaving clueless young users assuming that its a "Linux problem" and turning to the "more reliable" Windows for basic communication... no I don't see any way they could profit from this at all.</sarcasm>

Re:XO is the look on my face

[jordg]

-- Microsoft has embraced the open-source community over the past few years in a very different way than before

Get your hand off my ass!