Microsoft said on Thursday it will begin shipping a low-cost version of its Windows XP operating system to three Asian countries and Russia by early-2005, tapping developing markets as growth slows elsewhere.
Windows XP Starter Edition will launch in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia by early next year, Kenneth Lundin, Asia Pacific head of Microsoft's desktop operating system business, told Reuters in an interview. It is already available in Thailand, where Microsoft kicked off a one-year pilot program for the stripped-down software last month.
Starter Edition combines basic features of the full XP software with a help system designed for first-time users and local language options. "The key thing is providing access to technology for more people, and the real target is not people buying PCs today, but people who do not buy PCs today," said Lundin.
News source: Retuers
