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Microsoft announces 'XP Lite' in Asia 微軟在亞洲發佈"輕型XP"作業系統Wednesday, August 11, 2004 Poste

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Microsoft announces 'XP Lite' in Asia
微軟在亞洲發佈"輕型XP"作業系統

Wednesday, August 11, 2004 Posted: 11:06 AM EDT (1506 GMT)

微軟體週三宣佈今年十月起將在亞洲提供低價Windows XP starter版本的作業系統，以力爭保持其在面對開源系統Linux和盜版的侵蝕下的市場份額。

儘管美國軟體巨大微軟公司仍保有全球桌面電腦市場的壓倒性份額，但亞洲幾個主要的電腦零售商已于去年開始出售安裝了Linux的電腦硬體。

相對于完全功能版的Windows XP，這個已被命名為"輕型XP"的作業系統擁有較低的圖像解析度、較少的網路選項和較弱的多工處理能力。業界分析者已把這次發行行動描述為微軟反擊Linux的先發制人的一步。

CNN -- BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Microsoft announced Wednesday it would offer a low-cost starter edition of its Windows XP operating system in Asia starting in October, as it strives to hold onto market share facing erosion from the open-source Linux system and software piracy.

Although U.S. software giant Microsoft still holds a commanding share of the desktop PC market worldwide, several major computer retailers in Asia in the past year have begun offering hardware with Linux installed.

Industry analysts have described the launch of what already has been dubbed "XP Lite" -- with lower-resolution graphics, fewer networking options and less capacity for multitasking than full XP versions -- as a pre-emptive move against Linux.

Linux is open source software available for little or no cost to computer vendors and users because no licensing fee is charged in its basic form.

Microsoft also has said it hopes that the lower-priced products can help combat software piracy, which is rampant in the developing countries of Asia, where full-priced programs often are out of the reach of buyers.

The new software, officially called Windows XP Starter Edition, is "a low-cost introduction to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing countries," Microsoft said in a news release.

Microsoft acknowledged earlier this year that it was working on the project, but kept details secret.

The Starter Edition will ship on new, low-cost desktop PCs available through manufacturers and Microsoft distributors in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, the company said.

It said two more countries in the five-country pilot program would be announced later this year following further discussions with governments, and that vendors would be informed about pricing in coming weeks.

Microsoft said key features of the new software would be "localized" help features, country-specific wallpapers and screensavers, and "preconfigured settings" for features that might confuse novices.

The new software's "simplified task management" in which "first-time home PC users can have up to three programs running concurrently" represents a downgrade from the standard XP system. A full XP version can run many more programs concurrently, depending on the amount of memory in a computer.

Other downgrades include "display resolution set to 800x600 maximum and no support for PC-to-PC home networking, sharing printers across a network or more advanced features such as the ability to establish multiple user accounts on a single PC," the company said.

The new software retains standard XP features such as Internet connectivity, Windows Messenger, Windows Media Player 9 and digital photography support.