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Your life better not depend on apps for Simputer
The price isn't actually that low, and the functionality sounds comparable to other products already available or becoming available. Except maybe in parts of India.

This is kind of like the DeLorean. When a market is already filled by major, well capitalized players, it's tough for someone with a good idea to break in.

Still, does show where there's a vulnerability for Microsoft: the most basic computer with few capabilities. That kind of machine with an operating system that never has to change can be put together cheaply.
The Thailand deal shows that Microsoft can handle the technical problems in simplifying Windows down to a cheap, local level. But wherever there's a government that likes the idea of owning the local software Microsoft will have problems.

The Indian President seems to be encouraging local software as if it were similar to Ghandhi's support of local weaving. Seems good, but it underestimates the capabilities of Indian programmers. If they worked on applications for Windows they'd probably come up with products the world would buy. And that would make India a lot better off.
Open source is no way to build a hugely profitable software industry.
Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 03/29/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Simputer debut  ahmad@... | 03/29/04
Your life better not depend on apps for Simputer  Anton Philidor | 03/29/04
Pray tell, Anton  Fred Fredrickson | 03/29/04
Prayer is answered  Anton Philidor | 03/29/04
you can have profitable proprietary sw based on open standards (nt)  stephen732@... | 03/29/04
"Name a profitable company built on open source."  escoles@... | 03/30/04
Only if they stop selling hardware & services (NT)  Anton Philidor | 03/30/04
See, you're half way there...  escoles@... | 03/30/04
I'm writing as fast as I can. Quit knocking so loudly.  Anton Philidor | 03/30/04
What about thier software that runs on Linux  voska | 03/30/04
How about Oracle and IBM  voska | 03/30/04
re: Your life better not depend o  Iain_Peters | 03/29/04
Think ambitiously  Anton Philidor | 03/29/04
re: Think amb...  Iain_Peters | 03/29/04
What makes sense, is...  escoles@... | 03/30/04
Pooh-poohing what you don't understand?  escoles@... | 03/30/04
No, pish-tushing what I've heard often.  Anton Philidor | 03/30/04
Your statements are not up to ....  navaltiger | 03/31/04
To expensive. Buy a real computer.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/29/04
Re: To expensive. Buy a real computer...??  ahmad@... | 03/29/04
wow - $500.00  V Sanders | 03/29/04
Think about what you just said...  AbsolutelyNot | 03/29/04
Amen!  kennethsf | 04/08/04
Bitty's miffed its not a Windows device  jellyclock | 03/29/04
Does India rule the world now?  newid2092@... | 03/29/04
No one forced you to read the story.  Robert Carnegie | 03/30/04
Quantity has a Quality all it's own  escoles@... | 03/30/04
Brain drain for financial gain...  xunil skcor | 03/30/04
Better get used to it...  Alpha_Female | 03/30/04
RE: this is WRONG  newid2092@... | 03/30/04
get a grip  think_hard | 03/30/04

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