Microsoft: XP coming soon to OLPC

Microsoft said Wednesday that it is working to develop a version of XP that can run on computers without a hard drive, including the XO computer from One Laptop Per Child.

In a statement, Microsoft said that it will start "limited field trials" of XP running on the OLPC computer in January. If all goes well, Microsoft said it could have XP running on the XO by the second half of next year. However, it cautioned folks in North America, particularly those taking part in the Give One, Get One program, that it has no plans to offer that version of XP to folks in the U.S. or Canada.

"As part of Microsoft Corp.'s Unlimited Potential effort to bring the benefits of technology to the next 5 billion people by transforming education, fostering local innovation, and enabling jobs and opportunity, Microsoft today announced plans to further expand flash-based Windows XP support for low-cost hardware computing devices," the company said in the statement. Microsoft said it will "publish formal design guidelines early next year that will assist flash-based device manufacturers in designing machines that enable a high-quality Windows experience."

Microsoft said that governments that are considering buying the XO laptops should give the software maker a call to learn more about when the new version of XP might be ready, how much it will cost, etc.

I'm talking with someone from Microsoft in a few minutes and hope to have more details.

[Seaspray0]

wish list

A version of OS that can be loaded onto a thumb drive. If the computer is a generic one, like the one being developed for the classrooms, you could have each student with a thumb drive and enough computers to fill the classroom. If you have six classes a day, and 30 students per class, that's 30 computers and 180 thumb drives. That seems to make more economical sense than 180 computers. Each student would retain their own OS, settings, etc. Hey, just a thought.

[The_happy_switcher]

Coming soon to OLPC too...

Antivirus, antispyware and endless reboots.

[RaggieSoft]

Yep

Don't forget the rootkits and other junk. I'm surprised M$ is using XP instead of Vista. Oh, right. Areo is to graphics intensive.

[Commander_Spock]

Go For It...

... OS/2's one time developer (Microsoft) this is very innovative as "Microsoft said Wednesday that it is working to develop a version of XP that can run on computers without a hard drive..."<br /><br />"WorkSpace On-Demand"<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.sundialsystems.com/articles/workspaceondemand.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.sundialsystems.com/articles/workspaceondemand.html</a><br /><br />"Remote Boot of Win95 from OS/2 Warp Server"<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.edm2.com/index.php/Remote_Boot_of_Win95_from_OS/2_Warp_Server" target="_newWindow">http://www.edm2.com/index.php/Remote_Boot_of_Win95_from_OS/2_Warp_Server</a><br /><br />So, what else is new from Redmond!

[felixderkater]

So it goes...

Whether you like it or not, the world runs on Windows, and will continue to for the foreseeable future, so it only makes sense that people new to computing would get a worthwhile education in the way the majority of the world's computers operate, as opposed to using some crippled OS common only to communist-leaning idealists and the under-socialized.

[Commander_Spock]

Hugo (you go) dude...

... "using some crippled OS (on a crippled International Space Station) common only to communist-leaning idealists and the under-socialized..." you are so right. No - wrong!<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://en.ecomstation.ru/solutions/?action=solutions" target="_newWindow">http://en.ecomstation.ru/solutions/?action=solutions</a>

[Dalkorian]

wow

You are so backwards on this, you must have been paid by M$. <br />What does prostitution feel like anyway?

[Wayan - OLPC News]

Not so fast - XP will not be on XO till late 08

Before you get everyone all riled up, Microsoft says that XP on the XO isn't happening anytime soon. In fact, they're looking at mid-2008 at the earliest

[Vonmaxx]

Blue screen of death

It is not going to have enough power to run Windows XP. So the <br />kids will cry and learn how to restart their computer.<br /> Now if they put OS 10 on it they would have a hit.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Leoptard is the new BSOD.....

I have run Windows for three years straight without a crash and the Leoptard is being reported to crash often as well as having many security holes (firewall doesn`t work) OOPS !...boy have things changed!

[Mproject]

Microsoft is doomed

This is the end of Microsoft.