New Operating System For Developing Countries?

Rohan Amin asks: "What are people's thoughts on new operating systems such as NewDeal that claim to run on older machines such as 286's? Is this a powerful solution to help bring technology to those who can't afford it, especially in developing countries? NewDeal, for example, claims to have developed an operating system and office suite that will allow organizations to resurrect a large supply of unused 286/386 machines and to deploy them in international locations. Is this a sound approach? Many complain about the complexities of Linux and are turning to solutions such as this."