Thursday, April 19th 2007

Microsoft to offer $3 Windows and Office

Microsoft today announced that it plans to expand its global reach (and presumably reduce piracy) by offing stripped down bundles of software including as Windows and Office for a mere $3 to people living in developing countries. Although in essence this is a non/low-profit project, Microsoft may be planning ahead by enabling poorer nations to grow using Windows instead of free alternatives such as Linux, a move which could expand its potential market for the future. The project, named Microsoft Unlimited Potential, would see the $3 software package (including Windows XP Starter Edition and Office 2007) being supplied to governments who could then distribute machines costing no more than $300, with students being Microsoft's main aim. This news comes after figures show that just 244 copies of Windows Vista have been sold in China, and should, alongside the One Laptop Per Child project, help poorer countries developed improved IT infrastructures.
Source: The New York Times
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22 Comments on Microsoft to offer $3 Windows and Office

#1
jydie
Wow, this is a very positive move for Microsoft. I take my hat off to them.
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#2
ghost101
jydieWow, this is a very positive move for Microsoft. I take my hat off to them.
Lol, this isnt a charitable move. They have ulterior motives which have been highlighted by the original post.
Posted on Reply
#3
Thermopylae_480
They don't have ulterior motives. Buisness isn't a charatible organization. They want to make money, that's the whole point, that is the principle motivation and purpose. The only reason you want to have good customer service, and do things like this is to make more profit in the end. I don't understand why people think buisness shouldn't be profitable or that it is is somehow evil. Don't you like making money?
Posted on Reply
#4
jocksteeluk
ghost101Lol, this isnt a charitable move. They have ulterior motives which have been highlighted by the original post.
id agree, Microsoft's Heart left when Bill Bates stepped down but the effort should be applauded rather than scrutinised. An even cheaper option for the developing countries would be to go open source and spend that $3 on food drugs and clean water.
Posted on Reply
#5
WarEagleAU
Bird of Prey
Ulterior motives. Though, I wonder what a $3 version of Windows OS would look like.
Posted on Reply
#6
Jimmy 2004
WarEagleAUUlterior motives. Though, I wonder what a $3 version of Windows OS would look like.
It should be the same as the current Windows XP starter, try searching for that on Google and see what you can find.

As for businesses making money - well, let's put it this way:

Capitalism = companies making money so they can spend more on investing in better products and services
Communism = free stuff means very little incentive to improve and become more efficient

Those are very vague descriptions I know, but you get the idea. Which is better?
M$ needs money to improve and develop, just like any other business - I'm pretty sure there is a motive behind this to make money in the future, but IMO there is nothing wrong with that. They aren't exploiting people in poorer countries, in fact they are helping them develop by providing quality software for such a low price. And anyone who comes back and says XP and Office 2007 aren't quality products... well that'll just make me laugh - everything has flaws, and there is no other OS that is as good as XP overall as things stand (I guess you could argue Windows Server 2003 and Vista, but I still prefer XP myself).
Posted on Reply
#7
ghost101
Thermopylae_480I don't understand why people think buisness shouldn't be profitable or that it is is somehow evil. Don't you like making money?
Im not saying that they are being evil. But lets just say that Microsoft want people to think of this as a move to help the 3rd world rather than that of increasing market share. So therefore, i think "ulterior" was the right word to use.
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#8
overcast
ghost101Im not saying that they are being evil. But lets just say that Microsoft want people to think of this as a move to help the 3rd world rather than that of increasing market share. So therefore, i think "ulterior" was the right word to use.
Yeh because Gates isn't involved in ANY type of humanitarian projects right?
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#9
ktr
WarEagleAUUlterior motives. Though, I wonder what a $3 version of Windows OS would look like.
Posted on Reply
#10
Jimmy 2004
The good old program manager... I can't remember how to use it - I had Windows 3.1 for a short while, not sure what the other early versions were like.
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#13
ghost101
overcastYeh because Gates isn't involved in ANY type of humanitarian projects right?
Thats besides the point. We are talking about Microsoft here.
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#14
hat
Enthusiast
If they can sell it to them for a mere $3 why can't they sell it to us for a reasonable price like $50?
Posted on Reply
#15
Jimmy 2004
hatIf they can sell it to them for a mere $3 why can't they sell it to us for a reasonable price like $50?
They could - but they set the price at which they think they'll get most profit, selling for a low price would lead to excess demand which isn't what a business wants.
Posted on Reply
#17
mullered07
windows xp starter, will this just be a "lite" version ie: without all the extras? if so that would be sweet for having on a seperate hdd, or partiton just for gaming :toast: i got $3 for ya bill. :nutkick:
Posted on Reply
#18
zekrahminator
McLovin
...If this was from any source other than the New York Times, I'd say that this was a press release from a pirating firm :p (the very same ones that would sell me Photoshop CS2 for $166).
Posted on Reply
#20
mullered07
zekrahminator...If this was from any source other than the New York Times, I'd say that this was a press release from a pirating firm :p (the very same ones that would sell me Photoshop CS2 for $166).
shit zek ill sell you photoshop cs2 inc shipping from the uk for $50 all in brother lol. just pm me and all takers, leave your zipcode and make the paypal "donation" payable to mullered07 ;) fuck ill even print you the cd covers inclusive :p and autograph it :D hehehe
Posted on Reply
#21
zekrahminator
McLovin
:roll: If I was going to get a pirated version of Photoshop CS2, I'd be doing the pirating myself :p.
Posted on Reply
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