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Most of the world's PCs use Windows(
BBC) |
Microsoft is to launch a low-cost version of its Windows XP
operating system in an effort to halt the rise of low-cost Linux software.
The software giant said the new system, named Windows XP Starter
Edition, would go on sale in Asia in October.
The company said the cut-price software was designed for "first-time
desktop PC users in developing countries".
The move is seen as a response to Linux, a free-to-use system with a
strong following in poor
countries.
Analysts say Linux poses a growing threat to Microsoft's dominant
Windows operating system, used on more than 90% of the world's computers.
A so-called 'open source' system which PC users can install on their
machines and modify without paying a licence fee, Linux has made
significant inroads into the
software market in Latin America and Asia.
Earlier this year, computer giant HP began shipping computers equipped
with Linux to China and India.
Linux is also championed by Microsoft critics who say the firm's
dominance of the global software market makes computer systems more
vulnerable to potentially disabling viruses.
Microsoft's new software - dubbed "XP Lite" - will feature lower
resolution graphics and fewer networking options than the full-price
version.
It will be available initially in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and two
other as yet unspecified Asian countries.
Microsoft said it hoped the new software would also help deter
consumers from buying pirated
versions of its XP system, widely available in many Asian countries.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-08-11 10:36