Windows XP starter edition coming to India
Microsoft is introducing XP starter edition in India for Rs. 1000 (roughly $22). It will be available only thru OEM (Original equipment manufacturer – folks like HCL, Compaq, Zenith etc) channels in Hindi and Tamil to begin with.
Microsoft claims that Starter edition is their effort to introduce computing to the masses who have never used a computer before. It is also supposed to be a way to combat piracy by making XP more affordable. I am afraid that none of these two motives get served by the XP starter edition.
Cost of Windows XP or its ease of use is not the reason for non-adoption of the PC in India. The fact is that the PC, as it exists today, is not very useful for the average middle class house hold. It holds some value for families with kids in school. But beyond that, its just a very fancy type writer. The internet makes it a little more attractive but frankly there is very little regional or local vernacular content on the web that is not available on the TV.
Lowering the cost of XP does not really help combat piracy. Pirated software is available for FREE. And nothing beats getting stuff for free. Besides, why would one pay Rs 1000 to get a crippled version of XP when the full blown version is available for free.
All these points are no brainers really. Then why would Microsoft take the pains to introduce a whole new version of XP just for developing markets? I think the reason might lie in how the OEMs work in India. Of late, OEMs have started to offer PCs with Linux installed on them. It brings down the cost of the PC since they don’t have to pay for the XP license. Worse, the reseller simply uninstalls Linux and installs a pirated copy of XP on the OEM machine as soon as it is sold. That allows OEMs to remain competitive against local PC assemblers on cost. XP Starter edition provides an alternative to installing Linux on OEM machines. At Rs 1000, it does not inflate the cost of the PC too much (XP Home costs Rs 3700, I think). And it allows OEMs to remain on right side of the law and in Microsoft’s good books as well. For Microsoft, Rs. 1000 is still better than not getting anything and definitely much better than risking losing a customer to Linux.
Piracy is yet another reason why we are seeing a move towards web centric approach to software (the so called “web 2.0″).