OLPC joins forces with XP; goodbye Linux?

Microsoft have announced in a press release today that they begin supporting all OLPC laptops as an optional OS to the current Linux model.

Microsoft are looking to score some goodwill points by utilising the OLPC partnership as part of the ‘Microsoft Unlimited Potential’ initiative, which aims to “bring sustained social and economic opportunity to people who currently don’t enjoy the benefits of technology,” said Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft.

An interesting rumour according to Stephen Lawson, writing for PC World, is that trials will begin for a dual-boot (Linux and XP) version of the OLPC this June, with a larger scale roll-out later in 2008.

Brian Bergstein at the Associated press has a different spin on the Microsoft model and says that the optional Microsoft OS will cost an extra "$18 to $20 more; $3 of that is for Windows, and the rest covers hardware adjustments, like an additional memory-card slot, needed to make Windows run", he says.

The addition of XP as an option on the $100 laptops will probably be met with open arms, regardless of open source critics denouncing it. Children in third world countries are hardly going to be picky at what OS is being built into their first and probably, only computer.

While Linux fans may decry the Microsoft connection, and the possibility of no future support of Linux being carried in the OLPC range, one can hardly argue with the greater application support benefits that the introduction of XP as an option will bring to children.

We have to admit that we're relieved that at least it’s not Vista.