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Microsoft to Offer Discounts for Windows XP on Low Cost Laptops
Fri, 16 May 2008
In a bid to beat off competition from Linux, Microsoft is to offer low cost laptop manufacturers heavy discounts on the price of Windows XP. Linux has typically proved to be a popular operating system for manufacturers looking to keep the cost of production as low as possible. However, with the low cost laptop market growing rapidly, Microsoft have begun to divert their attention to striking deals with low cost laptop makers, and have successfully agreed to sell Windows XP to Eee PC maker Asus and the XO laptop producing One Laptop Per Child foundation.

Microsoft have now revealed plans to charge PC manufacturers just £13 to have Windows XP preloaded onto low cost laptops being sold in emerging countries, and just £16 for laptops being sold in developed countries. The discount is, however, limited to machines with hard disks no bigger than 80GB and screens no bigger than 10.2 inches. A further £5 discount may be available to manufacturers who are eligible for Microsoft’s market development scheme.

Following the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft is to wind down mainstream sales of XP following the end of June.