No Dual-Boot XO Laptop, According to Microsoft

Yesterday, we discussed reports of Microsoft and the OLPC project working towards a dual-boot version of the XO laptop. Now, BetaNews tells us that Microsoft has issued statements denying such plans. The software giant has also reaffirmed their intention to develop a Windows-only version of the laptop. Microsoft's statement to BetaNews had this to say: "While we have investigated the possibility in the past, Microsoft is not developing dual-boot Windows XP support for the One Laptop Per Child's XO laptop. As we announced in December, Microsoft plans to publish formal design guidelines early this year that will assist flash-based device manufacturers in designing machines that enable a high-quality Windows experience. Our current goal remains to provide a high-quality Windows experience on the XO device."

Comments

Not dual-boot, but a roll-back to Linux feature

[whoever57]

According to the "Director of security architecture at One Laptop per Child" (Ivan Krsti), MS is not developing a dual-boot system, but the OLPC folks are requiring a roll-back feature, allowing an OLPC to be returned to Linux

For those who can't click the link:

To set the dual-boot issue straight: Microsoft has not been working on an actual, side-by-side dual-boot system. We're jointly making it possible to install XP on an arbitrary XO -- subject to the constraints of the Bitfrost theft deterrence system -- and then convert the machine back to Linux easily. I have made it clear that the XP port will not receive my security signoff without this Linux rollback feature, and have no reason to believe it won't be implemented.

Re:Non-sequitur warning

[Anonymous Coward]

"Non-sequitur"

Hello. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Re:Actualluy

[Zantetsuken]

Sure, its already out even - Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PC's. The catch is you actually can't have it, since its meant for "system builders" only. While it claims the bare minimum memory is 64MB of RAM and a Pentium 2, you'd have the same experience as using a Vista machine on under-spec hardware.

Re:I just threw up my dinner.....

[wertigon]

Taken from Wikipedia (emphasis mine):

The users can modify the laptop's operating system, a special version of Red Hat Linux running the new Sugar graphical user interface and operating on top of LinuxBIOS and Open Firmware. The original system remains available in the background and can be restored.

So, it would appear MS do not have a choice in the matter, since the BIOS cannot be altered without substantial effort (requires a developer key) and that is what controls the fallback mechanism.

Re:Non-sequitur warning

[ScrewMaster]

It means "that does not follow". So far as I'm concerned, a high quality experience does not follow installation of Microsoft Windows.

Re:Actualluy

[trawg]

He might mean nlite, which I think is the same thing as vlite but for XP.

Re:Actualluy

[Anonymous Coward]

Um, you can, just not officially. Google for XPlite, microXP, nLite, or vLite, (for Vista). It's amazing how smoothly vista home premium can run on obsolete hardware with 5.5 gigs stripped out of the base install, and you'd be surprised at how slickly a 42mb XP install can run.

Just because you haven't bothered asking Google, doesn't mean it can't be done. The Linux community isn't the only one that like to fuck around with their OS.

Most Windows components from IE/Explorer or WMP to something trivial such as the clipbook or remote registry can be stripped out or swapped in fairly painlessly. Hell, the above mentioned applications even give you a GUI to do just that (with the exception of microXP, which is an illegal, third party XP distribution crammed into a 75mb ISO, which was mentioned as a case-in-point).

Re:I just threw up my dinner.....

[petermgreen]

My understanding is a developer key will only help you for the particular machine that it is tied to. More general support would require a different and much harder to obtain type of key.