Microsoft wants to double PC users to two billion

MIGHTYSOFT has promised to cut the prices of its software to the kids of developing countries in a bid to up the numbers of computer users worldwide.

Software King of the World, Sir William Gates III told a throng of Chinese in Beijing that he wanted to double the number of computer users to two billion by 2015.

Vole plans to offer a software package called Microsoft Student Innovation Suite for $3 to governments purchasing and giving Windows-based computer to primary and secondary students. The bundle will ship in the second half of 2007, includes Windows XP Starter Edition, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Windows Live Mail desktop and other programs.

This would be the alleged "past its sell by date" software that Vole wants the Western world to abandon in favour of Vista which it will not be issuing it at home after the end of the year. Orlando Ayala, senior vice president at Microsoft's emerging segments market development group said that the move was not philanthropic.

Vole was fed up with seeing its software pirated and sold at a fraction of the price of a genuine product, he said.

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