OLPC: following in the steps of Microsoft
Submitted by srlinuxx on Wed, 05/21/2008 - 16:54.
When Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the One Laptop Per Child project, said two months ago that the project needed to be managed "more like Microsoft" he was speaking nothing but the truth.
The OLPC was set up, initially, to provide laptops as educational tools to children in developing countries. But the shine has all gone from the project now, due to poor take-up, an unseemly row with Intel and infighting that has led to top people quitting. There is also a patent infringement lawsuit over the keyboard.
Add to that the deviation from running free software to becoming a repository for Windows XP (and all the scumware, spyware and malware that live on that venerable operating system) and Negroponte's halo has all but gone.
When Microsoft's new operating system Vista turned out to be a spectacular failure, the company tried to turn people's attention to its next operating system, Windows 7. It's still spinning that tale.
OLPC project gains 4 Microsoft data centers ? Cloud computing ?
There is no question XO laptop gained time before obsolescence and replacement takes over, if XP is supported by Microsoft data centers.
Its the wisest move Nicholas did to made governments of poor countries appreciate cloud computing for their children for many years to come. Microsoft surely will keep their data centers upto date and with the best library of information.
When its our children's benefit; NegroPonte can not turn his back on better resources to back up XO laptop? Its foolishness to harp on Linux open source community with meager resources to offer?