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MS Plans Low-Cost Windows for Brazil

Posted by timothy on from the cut-rate-low-budget dept.

Atryn writes "According to this C|NET article, Microsoft is planning to release its XP Starter Edition in Brazil. Could the pressure of Brazil's overtures toward Linux be forcing Microsoft Brasil to compete?"

4 of 440 comments (clear)

  1. No. by LiNKz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is far too limited to be useful to anyone. Users who need to use the computer will pirate. Government will not be stuck with a stripped down almost unusable copy of Windows, when they could build their own hack of linux and use that on their boxen. The only people I would expect this could be useful for are Computer Manufactures.. who will just throw a copy of Starter on the computer for a bit less money.

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  2. Re:reminds me a dealer by A+beautiful+mind · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Except that this is a stupid deal.

    Who would want to buy a crippled operating system? The capabilities of an operating system should be dependant on two things only: software producing capabilities (you need to write the software after all and it's not an easy job to do) and hardware. Marketing reasons aren't on the list, so that MS could sell it's "normal" operating system on an artificially inflated high price.

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    Be yourself no matter what they say
  3. In South America by kaos.geo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Here in South America (I'm from Argentina) Linux is getting more and more attractive, specially after sucesive devaluations(1 U$s = 3 Pesos) Most of the budget PCs here come with diffrent flavors o'linux preloaded, but unfortunately ppl get a friend or pay a tech to install copies of Windows, due to the fact that it is the system the know how to use, either because they work in it or they are just plain used to it. I think Microsoft will eventually release these "crippled" versions everywhere, bundled or otherwise and finally, after ppls complaints will release a "less-crippled" version or reduced priced versions of the originals. It would be nice to introduce Linux in the corporate scene.It would make a lot of things easier.

  4. Re:Uhhh by bogado · · Score: 5, Interesting

    MS is trying to introduce this "starter edition" in Brasil because the goverment is planing in creating a cheap computer to connect the lower classes to the internet. This sheap computer is planed to be shipped with linux, but MS is trying to convince the goverment that this "crippled edition" is better.

    The best quote I heard from a goverment official is that the Brasilian goverment will not help to stablish the MS monopoly.

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    []'s Victor Bogado da Silva Lins

    ^[:wq