Ballmer: We need a $100 PC

**MIG-31** · Oct 20, 2004, 09:17 PM

ORLANDO, Fla.--What's one of Steve Ballmer's biggest headaches? It's not Linux or security breaches. It's piracy, the Microsoft CEO said Wednesday.

"The biggest problem we have right now is that people who should be paying for software aren't," Ballmer told an audience of technology executives at an industry conference here sponsored by market researcher Gartner.

One way to stem piracy is to offer consumers in emerging countries a low-cost PC, Ballmer said. "There has to be...a $100 computer to go down-market in some of these countries. We have to engineer (PCs) to be lighter and cheaper," he said.

People in poorer countries have one low-cost computing option, Ballmer said. "They have a least-PC concept: the Internet cafe. Pay-by-the-drink computer use--that has a very important place in the market. (Microsoft) has five times as many Hotmail users in India and China than there are PCs because of this," he said.
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mkk · Oct 21, 2004, 01:01 AM

Or.., we need a $10 operating system. Wait.., oops there already are. Sorry, Ballmer.

Oct 20, 2004, 09:17 PM	#1
MIG-31 HardwareHeaven News Mod Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham,UK Posts: 55,770 Rep Power: 444 System Specs	Ballmer: We need a $100 PC ORLANDO, Fla.--What's one of Steve Ballmer's biggest headaches? It's not Linux or security breaches. It's piracy, the Microsoft CEO said Wednesday. "The biggest problem we have right now is that people who should be paying for software aren't," Ballmer told an audience of technology executives at an industry conference here sponsored by market researcher Gartner. One way to stem piracy is to offer consumers in emerging countries a low-cost PC, Ballmer said. "There has to be...a $100 computer to go down-market in some of these countries. We have to engineer (PCs) to be lighter and cheaper," he said. People in poorer countries have one low-cost computing option, Ballmer said. "They have a least-PC concept: the Internet cafe. Pay-by-the-drink computer use--that has a very important place in the market. (Microsoft) has five times as many Hotmail users in India and China than there are PCs because of this," he said. _______________ Read More: c\|net __________________ Please Post Your News Submissions Here

Oct 21, 2004, 01:01 AM	#2
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,383 Rep Power: 120 System Specs	Or.., we need a $10 operating system. Wait.., oops there already are. Sorry, Ballmer.