Article from CNET about Government Program and Dell


Article from The Nation (Thailand), Alternative Offering to Government Cheap Computer Scheme

With over 120,000 computers reserved as of the end of this week, the Thai government is already trying to line up Dell to provide an alternate supply to H-P. This demand is so great that three computer clubs have combined forces to offer a Linux alternative to people turned down by the official project. The government is expecting to sell 300K laptops and 700K desktops in the current phase of the program. Both offerings are less than USD 500 and include financing.


Governments all over the world are showing an increasing interest in promoting Linux. This is an interesting trend culturally for several reasons, some of which may not be obvious. First, there is the recognition by many governments that Linux offers the best insurance against any future security concerns. Less well-known is the fact that the concept of private property (whether intellectual or physical), which is so much the basis of the economies of highly developed countries, is much less entrenched in many cultures. This can be witnessed on many levels, from government-financed projects in controlled economies like China (where IP eventually all belongs to the central government), to street vendors selling illegal CD copies in Latin America and the Far East. Although it may be difficult for business people living in Europe, the US and other very developed countries to fathom just how difficult it will be to enforce IP laws in these other places, it's a problem that will not go away anytime soon.

One last consideration is that Microsoft is perceived as being a totally US company, and may be identified as a target of continuing anti-US sentiment, particularly in Muslim countries.