Microsoft to Sell PCs, Starting in India

kripkenstein writes "According to an Ars Technica report Microsoft will begin selling complete PCs, for the first time in the company's history. The program is aimed at customers in India. 'Dubbed the IQ PC, the machines will cost RS21,000 (about $525), are manufactured in partnership with Zenith, and will sport AMD Athlon CPUs. ... In some ways, the move to sell hardware is a natural extension of Microsoft's low-cost Windows initiative ... It may also be a response to projects like Intel's Classmate PC and the OLPC XO.' The Ars Technica summary is careful to state that they seriously doubt this will lead to Microsoft selling PCs in the US, yet the question must be asked: After Microsoft mice and keyboards, then the XBOX and Zune, Microsoft is increasingly becoming a hardware vendor. Is it only a question of time before Microsoft starts to compete directly with the likes of Dell and HP?"

Comments

zut alors!

[rodentia]

Is it only a question of time before Microsoft starts to [become Apple]?

An old Apple technique

[athloi]

Get the equipment into schools, then sell the software, and watch kids graduate expecting Apple gear. If I were Microsoft, I'd put ISOs of all their hardware and OSs on the main site for this reason.

Re:India's currency: the Rupee

[immerrath]

I'm American, therefore I know about the Euro and and the peso... I know what the peso is just 'cause I live in Arizona :-) I just thought it was funny... picturing a little Link holding a computer over his head

you're really going all out to fit the stupid american stereotype, aren't you?