Gates' MIT Alternative A Diversion?

Microsoft has done an about face with its support of MIT Media Laboratory's ambitious "One Laptop Per Child" program, recently stating that cell phone accessories would provide a cheaper alternative, according to the New York Times. Critics say the suggestion is convenient in light of the fact that the Windows CE operating system was rejected by project founder Nicholas Negroponte in favor of open source Linux. The NYT article by John Markoff entitled "Microsoft Would Put Poor Online by Cellphone" was also run on patents, including 27 that belong to Microsoft. Many of the others are owned by Linux allies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Intel-all of whom became conspicuously distant from Linux, perhaps after pressure from Microsoft. "Basically, Microsoft is going to use the legal system to shut down open-source software," said HP's Gary Campbell in a 2004 here.") Drag this to your Bookmarks. Add to document.write("Del.icio.us") Yahoo My Web