Microsoft to launch Windows XP in Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Microsoft Corp. is targeting Africa with a lower-priced version of the Windows operating system that will work on cheaper machines and have Africa-themed screensavers and background wallpaper among its features.
Microsoft said Thursday its Windows XP Starter Edition for Africa is scheduled to hit African shelves in July, although it didn’t say how many units will be shipped or what the price will be.
The Microsoft system “operates on lower-cost personal computing hardware” and “is designed for entry-level PC users in Africa —with extended help and assistance functions for first-time users, and locally relevant screensavers and wallpapers,” the Redmond, Wash.-based company said in a statement released in Nigeria.
“It is a welcome move because it promises cheaper computers,” said Zubby Opene, a Nigerian economist. “But for a country like Nigeria where more than 70 percent live on less than a dollar a day, the new system may well be for the rich only.”
Similar products are already available in 83 countries from Latin America to Asia, the company said.