[Olpc-philippines] Short response to question about Windows on XO

[Sandeep C.]

Hi James,

OLPC did realize that it needed the support of Microsoft's influence to keep
the project alive -- hence the decision to support Windows. That's a given.

We do have to realize that Microsoft is a for-profit entity which exists to
protect it's franchise. A defensive stance to "support" OLPC prevents kids
from getting exposed to better technology -- software developed through the
open source development model. Low-cost (or zero-cost), high-value software
that keeps the world's top tech companies such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook,
Craigslist, Red Hat, Amazon running with extreme efficiency. Software that
allows Smart Communications (and other Philippine providers) to deliver
close to a billion text messages per day* at the lowest possible cost.
Software that is being embraced by the world's top CIO's, IT managers,
decision makers. I could go on and on...but you get the picture.

It is not just about having the operating system in the XO. It is about
giving the children a part of their future -- today.

Cheers,
Sandeep

*According to the latest data, Filipinos send an average of 15 text messages
per cell phone per day.






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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:01:54 +0800
From: "James Shields" <james at marasbaras.com>
Subject: Re: [Olpc-philippines] Fwd: OLPC PH Get together of 27 Apr
       2007    andOLPC AUS
To: "OLPC Philipppines" <olpc-philippines at lists.laptop.org>
Message-ID: <MPEIKKIHAEKFDBMDPGJBIECMDFAC.james at marasbaras.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"

Why is bringing Windows to the XO bad?  Many countries were refusing to
consider the XO without Windows.

I thought this was a project about trying to get affordable laptops into the
hands of children who need them.  Not some religious thing about Linux and
Windows.

James Shields
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