Microsoft Windows is now available on the OLPC XO laptop, with trials to begin in key emerging markets in June.
Microsoft and One Laptop per Child (OLPC) today announced an agreement that will make the Microsoft Windows operating system available on the low-cost OLPC XO laptop for the world's poorest children. Through this agreement, trials of the XO running Windows are planned to begin as soon as June in key emerging markets.
Recognizing that the challenge of providing high-quality education for children in the developing world is too large to be solved by any single organization, Microsoft and OLPC are committed to working with governments and nongovernmental organizations to ensure the success of these pilot programs.
The availability of Windows, in addition to Linux, on the OLPC XO laptop will allow customers to have an expanded choice of operating environments that best fit their requirements. The intention is to create a version of the XO laptop that provides the ability to host both Windows and Linux operating systems, giving users the ability to run either on the OLPC XO laptop.
Customers and partners worldwide have requested Windows support for the OLPC XO laptop, because it opens the door for students and educators to access the benefits of existing Windows-based educational software and tools, as well as a broad ecosystem that provides extensive relevant and local educational content.
Microsoft has spent more than a year working with a variety of partners to develop customized drivers that enable Windows to run on the XO laptop. Windows now supports the laptop's e-book reading mode, standard Wi-Fi networking, camera, writing pad and custom keys, as well as the power-saving and other features of the OLPC XO hardware.
The adaptation of standard Windows for the OLPC XO laptop means that hundreds of thousands of third-party applications and devices available for Windows will now be compatible with the XO laptop.
Microsoft, through its Unlimited Potential vision, is committed to making technology more affordable, relevant and accessible for the 5 billion people around the world who do not yet enjoy its benefits. The company aims to do so by helping to transform education and foster a culture of innovation, and through these means enable better jobs and opportunities. By working with governments, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations and industry partners, Microsoft hopes to reach its first major milestone — to reach the next 1 billion people who are not yet realizing the benefits of technology — by 2015.
One Laptop per Child is a non-profit organization created by Nicholas Negroponte and others from the MIT Media Lab to design, manufacture and distribute laptop computers that are sufficiently inexpensive to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education. These OLPC XO laptops are rugged and so energy efficient that they can be powered by a child manually. The pricing goal for the OLPC XO laptop is $100.
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