<div> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dear Nicholas,<br> <br> You made very strong points in your keynotes about the XO outlining exactly (and correctly) WHY you were staying away from Microsoft.  Also, if you think Microsoft has any long-term interest in dual boot systems, you don't know them very well.<br> <br> I'm saddened by your announcement because it is anti-kid.  If the grown-ups don't stop thinking of kids as small adults, they will never get the computers they need.  36 million kids will be using Linux in Brazil by the end of the year (in labs), so we have lots of independent verification that there is life without Microsoft.  You told us that the XO was specifically designed to avoid the need to carry the huge "Windows" overhead.  And, while we're at it, don't forget that Microsoft already charges many schools $100 per computer per year for the privilege of running their software.<br> <br> This is a sad state of affairs, indeed.<br> <br> David Thornburg<br> </font></div> <div> <br> </div> <div> <br> </div> -----Original Message-----<br> From: Asheesh Laroia <asheesh@creativecommons.org><br> To: Nicholas Negroponte <nn@media.mit.edu><br> Cc: support-gang@laptop.org; sugar@laptop.org; devel@laptop.org<br> Sent: Thu, 15 May 2008 6:27 pm<br> Subject: Re: [sugar] Microsoft<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_9111fde9-54c5-4492-8920-b6e13b861fb1" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>On Thu, 15 May 2008, Nicholas Negroponte wrote:<br> <br> > One Laptop per Child is announcing an agreement with Microsoft<br> > to make a dual boot, Linux/Windows, version of the XO laptop. In<br> > addition, our intention is to engage one or more third parties to port Sugar <br> to<br> > run on Windows in order to reach a wider installed base of laptops. In the<br> > meanwhile, OLPC remains fully committed to our goal: a completely free<br> > and open learning platform for the world's children. The mission<br> > statement of OLPC has not changed in three years (attached).<br> <br> My copy of this mail (as available at <br> <a href="http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/sugar/2008-May/005752.html" target="_blank">http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/sugar/2008-May/005752.html</a> ) does not <br> have the attachment of the mission statement.<br> <br> -- Asheesh.<br> <br> -- <br> Absolutum obsoletum. (If it works, it's out of date.)<br> -- Stafford Beer<br> _______________________________________________<br> Sugar mailing list<br> <a href="mailto:Sugar@lists.laptop.org">Sugar@lists.laptop.org</a><br> <a href="http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar" target="_blank">http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar</a><br> </tt></pre> </div>  <div id='u8CA84FC9E123407-6E0-370E' class='aol_ad_footer'><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Plan your next roadtrip with <A title="http://www.mapquest.com/?ncid=mpqmap00030000000004" href="http://www.mapquest.com/?ncid=mpqmap00030000000004" target="_blank">MapQuest.com</A>: America's #1 Mapping Site.</FONT> </div>