Topic: Microsoft's $100 dollar PC challenge achieved.

[Nemesis]

Link to full story

Linux meets Ballmer's call for $100 PC
 
Microsoft Corp CEO Steve Ballmer's recent call for the creation of a $100 PC to help emerging markets has been met with a response by a company called SolarPC with a new Linux-based personal computer.

23 Nov 2004, 11:15 GMT -
Ballmer laid down the challenge for the computer industry to create a $100 PC in October, arguing that it would encourage emerging nations and help to thwart software piracy by reducing total systems costs.

Not quite  what he meant I think.   

Link to Solar PC

[Sirgod]

LOL, That is Pretty cool though. I've bookmarked the site for Future Referance.

Stephen

[Clark Kent]

ROFLMAO
I'm proud of those linux guys.   

[Nemesis]

ROFLMAO
I'm proud of those linux guys.   

When you consider the price Microsoft wants for Windows any PC sold for $100 including the OS  is going to have to be using a free OS.  The only free OS's that I can think of offhand are : Linux (many variants from PDA OS to Supercomputer OS), BSD Unix (several variants), GNU Hurd, FreeDOS, Minix.  The only ones that I think could do the job are Linux and BSD Unix. 

I can only assume that Ballmer meant $100 before the OS price was inlcuded.  Silly him for not making that clear.

Linux is based on the principle of enlightened self interest.  The authors each want more than they can individually create.  By putting what they have created out freely available they each get to use the work of all the others.  Thus each by giving gains more than they give.  This includes corporations.  With Linux corporations your competitor is also your ally.

Microsoft is based on money, power and control.  You only get what they decide  you paid for.  If you use it in any way that they disagree with then you are called a criminal.  Afterall you don't  own that software you are merely licensed to use it.  When Microsoft ceases support for Windows XP you will no longer be able to do (legal) reinstalls or major hardware upgrades as the MS operated online validation system will not be available.  At that time you will have to buy a new OS whether or not XP still serves your purposes.  This may of course entail buying a new computer as the next generation Windows may not run on your current machine.

[Clark Kent]

Microsoft is based on money, power and control.  You only get what they decide  you paid for.  If you use it in any way that they disagree with then you are called a criminal.  Afterall you don't  own that software you are merely licensed to use it.  When Microsoft ceases support for Windows XP you will no longer be able to do (legal) reinstalls or major hardware upgrades as the MS operated online validation system will not be available.  At that time you will have to buy a new OS whether or not XP still serves your purposes.  This may of course entail buying a new computer as the next generation Windows may not run on your current machine.

Yet another reason to hate windows/M$
This is why I went Mac.  No viruses, no malware, no problems.  Only problem is that SFC wasn't made for the Mac.

[Commander Maxillius]

I think if you got a high-end mac with a Windows emulator you could get the single-player version to work?

[Clark Kent]

No, the problem lies with M$ (who bought up Virtual PC).  M$ uses a very generic video card driver, even though it wouldn't be difficult to include drivers that would utilize the standard graphics cards that ship with macs.  In any event, the graphics card emulator in VPC is not designed to take advantage of any type of 3D graphics whatsoever.  In fact, it seems hell bent on stopping any 3D graphics utilization.  Thank you once again M$ for buying up yet another software vendor that might possibly make a decent program for us to work with.