Microsoft OS Smart Phone for Developing Nations

YesSir writes "The New York Times is reporting that Microsoft CTO Craig J. Mundie and Bill Gates are talking about the idea of a specially designed cellphone that could be converted into a full-fledged computer through a connection to a TV and keyboard. They hope to use this product to bring computing to the masses in developing nations and be a Windows powerd alternative to Nicholas Negroponte's $100 free open-source powerd laptop."

Comments

Re:Too Certain!

[arivanov]

Seconded.

Cellular protocol stacks are expensive. The intellectual property rights for the essential bits of a phone which make it a phone are around 30$.

This leaves less then 70$ for the rest. While it may be possible in a few years this is highly unlikely with today's technology. The 100$ laptop which IMO is also too far fetched is much more likely to be successful.