Published: May 16, 2008
After a years-long dispute, Microsoft
and the computing and education project One Laptop Per Child said
Thursday that they had reached an agreement to offer Windows on the
organization’s computers.
Microsoft long resisted
joining the ambitious project because its laptops used the Linux
operating system, a freely distributed alternative to Windows.
The
group’s small, sturdy laptops, designed for use by children in
developing nations, have been hailed for their innovative design. But
they are sold mainly to governments and education ministries, and
initial sales were slow, partly because countries were reluctant to buy
machines that did not run Windows, the dominant operating system.
Education
ministries want low-cost computers to help further education, but many
see familiarity with Windows-based computing as a marketable skill that
can improve job prospects.
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