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I work at Microsoft... none of the people I work with are scumbags or money-grubbers. Also, as a corporation Microsoft is one of the most generous American companies in giving money and time. Most employees do the same, giving on average a few percent of their salaries to charities with company-matched donations. It's hard to defend raver31's accusations, given the philanthropy of the company and the people in it.

Microsoft seemingly did not have something specific to give in the OLPC case and Bill Gates thought it was not a great showing. People formerly within the project also seem to have publically stated that the project was in some cases driven more by ideology than practicality. The author of the article makes it seem like Microsoft and Intel used mind tricks to shoot down an excellent product. Maybe Microsoft and Intel were not fully supportive of the project, but the project itself had delivery and quality problems that reduced its appeal.

I personally think that computing has a limited role in primary education. It's enough that kids learn the basics of how to type somewhat competently and how to do basic tasks like producing and printing text, but elementary education should be far more focussed on more basic development of the student's reasoning abilities. This generally does not require a computer at all.

If I understand correctly, the XO was never intended to be a computer for a computer sake: it is intended to help children access information. The sort of access many of us take for granted.

Which is really what makes the lack of support from Intel & Microsoft so sad. They saw the XO as a computer which didn't use their own technology and products, rather than a simple information access device. Microsoft were only concerned with the lack of Windows on the XO, when it really shouldn't matter one bit what OS it's running. The XO as a concept is so simple you shouldn't even be able to notice.

I used to be one of the microsoft haters, and it was only after I started developing for the platform and going to conferences and whatnot that I came around. The worst thing I have to say about the company and the dev culture around it is this whole "All good things come from redmond" thing they have going on. While that can be irritating, it is far from evil.

I seriously doubt any of these people who do the "OMG BLACK HELICOPTERS!!" thing about microsoft have any real contact with the movers and shakers in the company.

Yay! You've finally come out! If only you would admit to yourself that you are not actually "PlatformAgnostic" at all then you wouldn't be liable to accusations of astroturfing whenever you forget to put a disclaimer on.

Sigh. You are missing the forest for the trees, mate. Even the most rabid Linux or Mac fanboi would be a fool if they denied that the individuals within MS are among the smartest and most upstanding folk you could encounter. However, the corporate culture of the aggregate is shocking - not only ruthless (as would be expected for hard competition), but underhanded, and slightly evil (prepared to unfairly harm others for its own ends. People are ruined by Microsoft's unfair (and found to be illegal) practices).

Here's a political analogy (and politics is always dangerous so please be a little tolerant). The current Russian invasion of Georgia (since Ossetia is currently recognised by the international community as within Georgia) is comprised of individuals that are probably very good people that are looking after their comrades and fellow Russians within Ossetia. They see it as defence of Rodina, the Motherland. Yet, as an aggregate army they are definitely committing evil. Invading a sovereign state and killing civilians - all to keep the Russian populace under control in nationalistic fervour. The population lap it up - which is what you are doing by not critically analysing the actions of your own company (despite many good people working there). Before everyone starts Russian bashing, no country or organisation is immune to this (so let's not start on Iraq ok?). The point is, good people can work for bad organisations, even if the bad organisations sometime do good things (dare I invoke a certain Nationalist Socialist providing full employment and reviving of his countries depressed economy as another example).

Wake up!

Also, as a corporation Microsoft is one of the most generous American companies in giving money and time.


It's amazing the number of people who fail to grasp the simple concept that trying to buy a clean rep with blood money makes you MORE evil, not less.

I can agree with that. The project was badly run, didn't have enough clear aims and didn't deal with the BS and mudslinging well.

Nevertheless, a very, very cheap computer that can be distributed on a very large scale without Windows pre-installed was, and still is, an exceptionally large threat to Microsoft's Windows installed base and their basic business model. It was also a threat to Intel if their chips weren't at the centre of it.

It still is a problem, particularly for Microsoft, as many more of these devices will be initiated and produced over the next few years. Even worse, many of the manufacturers will not be traditional OEMs and won't have the slightest clue as to why they should run Windows on their devices or what benefits it brings.

I find it very interesting that the OLPC project started hemorrhaging developers and engineers soon after the decision was made to go with Windows on the machines. Their reasons were generally the same: Negroponte's goals with the OLPC went from being about education to being about putting as many laptops out in the world as possible. At that point, it might as well have been any old netbook.

I honestly don't think Microsoft and Intel wanted to kill the project; I do think they were both affronted that there would be children out there not learning their company names from the cradle to adulthood. The fact that the project was designed from the ground up to be as open and free as possible should have been a clue to Microsoft to find less intrusive ways to get involved. But no, they had to take over as they always do (embrace, extend, extinguish) and try to shoehorn their mainstream OS onto a niche device. Sadly, Intel just cried and went home when Negroponte (rudely, in my opinion) demanded that they not try to market the Cloudbook in the same areas.

I think the whole project was mismanaged from the beginning. An ultra-low-cost, open source (hardware and software) rugged device is a great idea. I personally don't think Windows should be in the picture at all; it would have been far more philanthropic for Microsoft to have developed open-source educational software for the device but they just don't really have experience with that sort of thing. All they know is how to take over and even if their intentions were good, the result was sour.

As an aside, you said you work for Microsoft but your username here is "PlatformAgnostic". Very intriguing.

So if you are not rabidly anti MS, you are automatically a fanboy and any opinion you have is null and void? If your strongest rhetorical tool is claiming "all who disagree with me must be crazy and can thus be ignored" then you should probably look over your arguments.

Not what I said.. I said the fanbois will immediately jump to Microsofts defence. It never matters what the topic is about, these same people jump in there and shill about Microsoft. Same people, same story.

Change of subject... People from the US, if you think Microsoft is inherently the most evil company, come over here to the UK for a few weeks and have a look at BT.

BT are without doubt the most evil company in the world, they try and screw every penny out of their customers, and steal customers without consent. They know OFCOM fines are very small, so they take the risk and are always found to be guilt, but so what ? Miniscule fines, but some more customers.