Microsoft has launched a software package for a Portuguese ultra-cheap laptop for school children that the government hopes will boost the country’s technological edge in education…
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the software package called “Suite Magellan” to go with the laptops, which will include Windows XP and Office in addition to development applications, free email and instant messaging.
Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates has made boosting poor education standards and technology at schools a priority of his government…
The government hopes the Magellan project, named after the 16th century Portuguese explorer, will raise computer access at schools to two students per computer by 2010, up from five now…
While the computer will be assembled in Portugal by a company called JP Sa Couto, it is based on Intel’s Classmate PC, a cheap computer that has been adopted in various formats in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed an agreement to buy 1 million Magellan laptops for Venezuelan schools. The computers also went on public sale in Portugal last week for 285 euros ($394).
Meanwhile, Microsoft keeps running down this blather about XP being an end-of-life product. At the same time, they treat it as a useful, portable package they can distribute worldwide. Cripes!
but who will support this this discontinued product?!
…But are Hugo’s computers EVIL computers?
October 3: Negroponte announces new initiative: The € 100 computer.
April 1: Negroponte announces new initiative: The £ 100 computer.
April 2: Negroponte searches for more expensive single denomination for upcoming initiative.
First sample is free……
XP is still alive.
“The computers also went on public sale in Portugal last week for 285 euros ($394).”
Right now for $399 (with free shipping) you can buy a Dell Vostro 1000 Laptop with the following specs:
AMD Mobile Sempron Processor 3600+, Vista Basic, 15.4″ Wide Screen XGA LCD, 1GB SDRAM, 160GB Hard Drive, 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive, ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 256MB Video and 802.11g Wi-Fi.
Dell also sells its Inspiron Mini 9 laptop starting at $349. This is closer in specifications to the Intel Classmate computer.
XP is good but I still use Vista and starting to like it, still far away from loving it but i am surely getting there.
Well, M$ wouldn’t want the Portuguese or other countries bringing out School Laptops ***without WinBloz and Orifice***, otherwise WHOLE GENERATIONS OF KIDS MIGHT HAVE TO GROW UP LEARNING GNU/Linux and OpenOffice, and M$ and the other GREEDY MICRO$OFTIES can’t make a but off of that !!! So M$ will GIVE IT AWAY, JUST TO BLOCK GNU/Linux and OpenOffice !!! The EU should look into this ANTI-COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND ***SOCK M$ WITH ANOTHER HEAFTY FINE*** !!!
Great, they didn’t want to turn them into Vistards.
I want to see MacOSX running on that little sucker.
WoW. Portugal is in the news? …again?
This Magellan Project has been a boon for this government. They’re already campaigning and this has gotten a lot of eyeballs (apparently internationally also.). Still kids (like my 8yr old) will get it subsidized, either for free, or paying 20 or 50 Euros. Older (6th grader upwards) have the choice of buying full 15″ laptops with 3G dongles for only 150Euros (of course, with 36 months mandatory subscription to data services. in fact the phone carriers are subsidizing it).
All in all, this is making a sea change in PC penetration, and is IMHO a good thing.
I think its great that Microsoft made this deal. Your right John, it does send a mixed message about XP. “What, just because they are a bunch of kids in Portugal, they won’t mind just the stump of an operating system? Where’s the top?”
Brian
Outside of getting to put out a “we’re not evil” press release, what is the value in these stories?
The mainstream public can’t buy these devices, and the devices themselves do nothing to lower costs across the board.
Realistically, the most important tech story today is the Jobs heart attack nonsense.
This is a non issue, really.
Or would you expect to run Vista on a 900mhz celeron and intel embedded graphics? And this is an Education PC, not a games machine nor a productivity system. XP is dandy for this.
Jobs heart attack? how would you fit that in tech? Why not finance, or marketing? Jobs is not a tech person.
#10 – No kidding.. Porkchops are better with apple sauce.
#14 – And yet, he runs the most powerful tech company in the world. Get a clue: It’s a tech story.
I want one of those…at least I know it’ll work.
# 7 JimD said, in part:
“Well, M$ wouldn’t want the Portuguese or other countries bringing out School Laptops ***without WinBloz and Orifice***, otherwise WHOLE GENERATIONS OF KIDS MIGHT HAVE TO GROW UP LEARNING GNU/Linux and OpenOffice, and M$ and the other GREEDY MICRO$OFTIES can’t make a but off of that !!! So M$ will GIVE IT AWAY, JUST TO BLOCK GNU/Linux and OpenOffice !!!”
Ooh! I want in on that! Hey Microsoft! I may have to load this computer with Ubuntu! You can stop me — just send me a (free) copy of XP!
#16
Tech… yeah!
Let’s see: they invented the Mouse…NO. The x86 architecture…NO. USB…NO. The GUI…NO. Mobile phones…NO. The Smartphone…NO. ATA standard…NO. SATA standard…NO. Object Oriented Programing…NO. The Kernel… NO. Multitouch…NO. Magsafe…YES (ok give’m that).Firewire…NO (well partially). The online store…NO. Podcasts…NO. Portable media players…NO. PDA…NO (but came close to…).
And many more NOs. But they package it really well. And sell it even better.
Get a clue: They’re a marketing company.
#16
And, hey, the most powerful tech company in the world is GOOgle.
Think!
I agree that this system appears to be quite overpriced. If the price came down to $200 with at least a 12 inch screen then I would say great.
I’m of two thoughts about the OS. Since the vast majority of people already use Windows, using the same interface will cause less confusion and compatibility issues between PCs and these little laptops.
On the other hand, they won’t be exposed to other ways of doing things which will only perpetuate MS’s monopoly.
Well this system come with a 30 gb drive partitioned three way: a windows XP, a linux (caixa mágica, a portuguese distro.) and a data partition (where they put all the text books and exercises, so it can be shared..), so it’s not a XP only device (dual boots).
As for price, it’s a bit steep, but i suspect it’s becaus or ruggedization. It’s for kids, you know.It’s shock proof and water resistant.
#23, Joao,
30gb is nothing today. I’m about to upgrade my kid’s computer. She has a 20 and 10 gb HDs and both are full. Luck I have an 80 gb sitting here.
She is 9 yrs old. Most of it is just but that OS and the various programs take up quite a bit of space.
#24 Yep. I know. I just bought a 160Gb WD Passport to act as CHEAP removable media…like a big disquette…it’s unbeliavable the size and price of storage these days…