Microsoft squashes talk of dual-boot XO laptop

Lesson learned: Just because something can run two operating systems doesn't mean it's a "dual-boot" system.

Microsoft put the kibosh on talk of a dual-boot XO laptop after OLPC chairman and founder Nick Negroponte told IDG News Service Wednesday that the two organizations are working on such a project. "While we have investigated the possibility in the past, Microsoft is not developing dual-boot Windows XP support for One Laptop Per Child's XO laptop," a Microsoft representative said in a statement Thursday.

While that might appear to be a flat-out denial, in a way, it depends on what your definition of "dual-boot" is, to paraphrase Slick Willie.

The OLPC and Microsoft are working on an XO laptop that would ship with the Linux operating environment designed by the OLPC, but that could "securely reflash" over to a Windows environment stored on an SD card and back, according to Walter Bender of the OLPC. If Negroponte wasn't misquoted calling it a "dual-boot system," then he misspoke, Bender said, also noting he wasn't there during the interview in question.

So what does that mean? That plan wouldn't seem to result in a dual-boot system in the strictest sense, using Apple's Boot Camp technology as the example. But Microsoft's plan for the XO was always to have Windows boot off a 2GB flash memory card, since it needs more than the 1GB of flash memory that ships with the XO in order to run even a stripped-down version of Windows and Office.

While that's a little different from a "dual-boot system," it is a method that will allow Linux and Windows to run the same laptop, which is perhaps where Negroponte's confusion began.

However, Microsoft hinted that in the future, Negroponte might not be the best spokesman for anything about the XO related to the software giant. When it comes to the progress of the Windows-based XO, "Microsoft recommends contacting the company directly for any further updates," it said in a statement.

[Commander_Spock]

"Microsoft squashes talk of dual-boot XO laptop"!

When are some people in this world in which we now live understand understand the nature of the "beast": it is like been there in the "trenches of great expectations" and realizing after all the "promises" you are an "abandoned child" by both your father and your mother.<br /><br />Long Live The "King" and "OS/2" (With Boot Manager Intact). They say - "Experience Is A Great Teacher". ;-) !

[sanenazok]

abort, retry, fail?

is there any way for you to restate what you wrote using sense and fewer misguided "quotes" It's fun to put things in a way that OTHERS understand as well ;)<br /><br />Oh I think you're the OS/2 guy. I wonder where's the Linux guy? Heeeelloooo we have a story about MSFT waiting for your bashing. Where are youuuuuuu?? Can't wait to be told that some meaningless technology is superior to another meaningless technology...

[jackhidary]

fess up time

thank goodness msft owned up to its lack of cooperation with olpc. let olpc be free of the strictures that bind the developed world. <br /><br />XO is a feral beast - ready to serve the 5 billion people who have no access to a wintel monstrosity.

[hdubya]

Reboot please

Can someone reboot Spock?

[inachu]

I have 2 legit boxes Of OS/2 warp

Neither of them can install correctly.<br />Spoke to some ex OS2 geek and he told me I had to download an OS update to make it work.<br /><br />Selling retail OS/2 Warp that did not work out of the box kinda was really sad.

[inachu]

Microsoft kills multiboot ability.

Another reason to stick with Windows XP and Linux or Windows 98.<br />Rubbish to think only Ultimate Edition can be used as a virtual machine. <br /><br />MS squeezing the cash cow yet again.

[tfosorcim]

Now they are starting to show their real intentions...

'...Microsoft hinted that in the future, Negroponte might not be the best spokesman for anything about the XO related to the software giant [Micr$oft]. When it comes to the progress of the Windows-based XO, "Microsoft recommends contacting the company directly for any further updates," it said in a statement.'<br /><br />Microsoft has no intentions of letting OLPC operate without M$'s "guidance".<br /><br />One serious technical tidbit M$ would rather not talk about, or have you know: ALL Windows versions have always been the classic, textbook example of the Virtual-Memory operating system. This means that it's (the OS) so huge that the operating system can't be held in memory, and that Windows thrashes the hell out of the--required--hard drive, CONTINUALLY. This has only gotten much worse with each new Windows 'innovation'.<br /><br />There's only one problem with using large Flash (SSD) drives for Windows: Flash drives have a certain 'lifetime', i.e., only a limited number of writes may be performed (even though this number may be in the millions, it won't take long for a SSD to be rendered useless by running Windows).<br /><br />Prof. Negroponte:<br />Get away from Microsoft as fast as you can. It has no honorable intentions, and the hardware won't work.

[inachu]

I agree 100%

Microsoft needs to get rid of the swap file asap!

[sanenazok]

Virtual Memory / Swap File

Is there an OS that doesn't use a swap file and virtual memory? I remember having a swap file was THE REASON I upgraded to Windows 3.1 back in the day. Also swap files can be turned off completely in almost all versions of Windows (I think the exception is Windows 2000 which requires a 2MB swap file).<br /><br />It's unrealistic to have a dual boot system with a small hard drive, it doesn't matter what type of technology is involved. Also to limit the effect of write cycle problems on SSD drives these devices have wear spreading features. Given that the linux OS on the OLPC systems HAS a swap file (prove me wrong) this is a total non issue and looks like FUD really.

[wataylorcnet]

Microsoft is not the only OLPC opponent

Microsoft opposes OLPC because they don't want millions of kids learning a PLC that doesn't use Windows. What's worse, the rulers of the countries where most of these kids live are tyrants. This article<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.scragged.com/articles/disrupting-tyrants-with-web-3-0.aspx" target="_newWindow">http://www.scragged.com/articles/disrupting-tyrants-with-web-3-0.aspx</a><br />why the LAST thing a tyrant would want is a bunch of OLPCs in kids' hands.