WSJ.com - Microsoft Offers Low-Cost Ware In Asia Project

WSJ.com - Microsoft Offers Low-Cost Ware In Asia Project: "The software -- a sort of 'Windows Lite' that offers fewer features for a lower price -- is designed to appeal to first-time computer users who can't afford full-price Microsoft software or a regular PC. Right now, many people in poorer countries use illegal, pirated copies of Windows or the free Linux operating system, while others don't use computers at all.
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In Thailand and elsewhere, consumers will be able to get Starter Edition only when they buy a computer preloaded with the software. Microsoft hasn't said how much it will charge PC makers to buy the product, but Gartner says the cost is likely to be about $35, significantly less than regular versions of Windows. Consumers will probably be able to buy the complete, Windows-loaded machines in stores for about $300, Mr. Wiggins says."