Yesterday, MIT presented more details on their "$100" (XO) laptop to press and analysts. One surprise in the conversation was that Microsoft is working on getting a version of Windows to work on the inexpensive computer. This is generating a bunch of surprised speculation, particularly because Microsoft announced this past week that they are offering a $3 version of Windows and Office.
It makes sense for Microsoft to give it a try, but as Michael Gartenberg blogs, bundling Windows with the device is unlikely. He gives his reasons. I have my hunches too and mine come down to the device's hardware support for touch and handwriting. How can this be? After all touch and handwriting support are some amazing features that Windows Vista already provides and Microsoft is a leader in Tablet PC/UMPC technologies. Touch and handwriting support are some of the great differentiators in Vista. Nothing comes close. Wouldn't an XO laptop be a good match then for the $3 Windows offering then since there's built in hardware support for this capability? Yes and no.
Here's the thing. The $3 version of Windows that Microsoft is offering doesn't include Microsoft's top-notch handwriting recognition. I'm not sure if it includes "ink" support--the ability to render handdrawn strokes as smooth as they might appear on paper. Without ink and handwriting support in the software, Windows is going to look odd on the device. People will see the built in digitizer and expect there to be software support. I'm guessing there will be with the Linux version, which would make Linux appear more functional on the device out of the box. Yes, there are third-party solutions that could fill the void, but this only complicates deployment issues. I imagine also there could be an upsell opportunity, but to what? A $4 version of Vista Home Premium that supports the ink? Things get complicated.
Sure Microsoft could change its mind and "upgrade" all versions of Windows so that they support ink and their excellent handwriting recognition, but when might this happen? My guess is that XO is most likely to keep its Linux OS for now and Microsoft's $3 Windows/Office offering is a better match for Intel's Classmate PC which does not support touch.
Of course, in the competitive world all this could change in the blink of a business decision. We'll see how things unfold. I imagine what might happen next probably depends on how useful students and teachers find the touch capabilities on the XO. If touch doesn't prove out to be all that useful, noone will probably care if the $3 Windows supports it or not and Microsoft doesn't have to make any licensing changes with Windows for now. Doesn't it seem like it puts Microsoft in the camp of hoping that touch isn't all that successful on the XO? Kind of ironic isn't it?


Incremental Blogger