Microsoft to offer $3 Windows and Office

[Jimmy 2004]

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.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[jydie]

Wow, this is a very positive move for Microsoft. I take my hat off to them.

 

[ghost101]

Wow, 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.

 

[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?

 

[jocksteeluk]

Lol, 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.

 

[WarEagleAU]

Ulterior motives. Though, I wonder what a $3 version of Windows OS would look like.

 

[Jimmy 2004]

Ulterior 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).

 

[ghost101]

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?

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.

 

[overcast]

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.

Yeh because Gates isn't involved in ANY type of humanitarian projects right?

 

[ktr]

Ulterior motives. Though, I wonder what a $3 version of Windows OS would look like.

 

[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.

 

[Polaris573]

Yeh because Gates isn't involved in ANY type of humanitarian projects right?

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

 

[overcast]

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

That was sarcasm.

 

[ghost101]

Yeh because Gates isn't involved in ANY type of humanitarian projects right?

Thats besides the point. We are talking about Microsoft here.

 

[hat]

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?

 

[Jimmy 2004]

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?

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.

 

[russianboy]

SS of the Starter edition

 

[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 i got $3 for ya bill.

 

[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 (the very same ones that would sell me Photoshop CS2 for $166).

 

[jocksteeluk]

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

did you notice there is not a single mention of Microsoft on that website? like i said Microsoft's heart left when Gates did.

 

[mullered07]

...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 (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 and autograph it hehehe

 

[zekrahminator]

If I was going to get a pirated version of Photoshop CS2, I'd be doing the pirating myself .

 

[russianboy]

Need links?