OLPC gets Windows XP

Light-weight version runs off 2GB flash memory card

27 October 2008 14:58 GMT / By Katie Scott

It has been working on it since December 2007, but Microsoft has finally come up with a version of Windows XP suitable for the One Laptop Per Child XO machine.

The OS has had to be "slimmed down" to run off a 2GB flash memory card, but the computing giant insists that, despite this, the new version has all of the features of the package used for more powerful machines.

So OLPC users will still get, for example, an ebook reading mode, custom keys and power-saving modes.

Online reports suggest, however, that some of the educational software that comes with the OLPC is not compatible with XP, but the Scratch programming language tool is one of the features that is.

The XO machine is now available in both Linux and XP versions, but you have to be living in the US of A to be eligible to get one.

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Comments

Maybe Microsoft has finally learnt how to write a streamlined OS which can benefit everyone else in the future. There should also be a version for the netbooks. Posted by Mark B, UK
there didnt need to be anything but a linux version, linux teaches about computers and programming whereas windows teaches kids how to choose from options on pre-chosen menus. Do we think our kids are to dumb too use linux?? maybe or maybe there is a shortage of teachers as well, who think they know computers when they only know M$. Posted by Dialup Tones, UK/USA