$3 Microsoft Student Education Suite
Microsoft announced today plans to offer a suite of applications to children in developing nations similar to one laptop per child initiative for just $3 dollars. The Microsoft Student Education Suite as it is called will include a specialized version of Windows XP, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Math 3.0, Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office, and Windows Live Mail desktop.
I think it’s a great move by Microsoft. One of the biggest problems in developing nations is piracy mainly due to software being too expensive. For a measly $3 dollars, students are able to get the Microsoft Student Education Suite. The move also stems the tide of users switching over to other alternatives such as Linux or Google’s suite of applications.
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Discounted commercial software is a threat to fair trade in the labor market. This “giveaway” and the continued discounts to the “emerging nations” in part is an effort to maintain and expand the pool of low cost offshore labor. Far from a charitable act, it is a loosely disguised marketing program to preserve Microsoft’s dominant position. It does so in a manner that discriminates against the population of developed nations and tampers with fair trade and fair competition. Where are the discounts for the poor in developed nations? They don’t exist and it’s not an oversight.
ML,
Thank you for your comments and insight. I do agree that this is a marketing program to lock users to using Microsoft products. In a free market, the market always dictates price. Microsoft believes $3 is the price for using it’s product. It’s a far cry from what it is used to be. Unfortunately, Microsoft holds a monopoly in this business. What we need is a little competition.