Online article: "Microsoft funds African PCs amid open source debate"

[john levin]

Senectus . wrote:
> On 10/5/05, Daniel Robitaille <robitaille at ubuntu.com> wrote:
> 
>>http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1508113,00020020.htm
>>
>>"Microsoft Corp is funding computer centres it hopes will reach half a
>>million poor South Africans and argued on Monday that free open source
>>software is not always the best option for developing countries.
>>Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told a news conference the US
>>giant would provide free software for IT centres in 284 municipalities
>>in Africa's richest country aimed at those with no computer access."
> 
> 
> *jaw drops*
> I bet that there are some serious caveats in that piece of charity..
> such as "if you take our hardware you must also take our software".
> 

This from 2002:
Namibia wisely spurns M$ ‘gift’ in favor of Linux
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/10/31/namibia_wisely_spurns_m_gift/

"Imagine the pleasure with which SchoolNet would initially have 
confronted a charitable overture from Microsoft involving free software. 
Now imagine the disappointment of learning that accepting the 'gift' 
would entail outlays of money in the range of fifteen times the value of 
the M$ Trojan horse."
"The idea was to obtain fifty inexpensive laptop computers from Acer and 
for Redmond to donate some of its Great Software. It appears that 
SchoolNet had at least briefly labored under the illusion that the 
operating system software would be donated as well, but this was not to 
be. The company was willing to donate only free licensing for Office 
Pro, valued at $2,000," while SchoolNet would have to lay out an extra 
$9,000 for OS licensing in order to exploit the privilege of using the 
office software."

I'm really looking forward to seeing the small print on this latest 
'charitable' donation.

John