Low-Cost Windows XP Comes to Africa

Microsoft is bringing its Windows XP Starter Edition operating system to Africa, the company announced Thursday. The lower-priced version of XP drops home networking and limits the number of programs that can be opened simultaneously.

The impetus behind the move is to provide African PC users with cheaper computers, as the high technology costs often force them to run old systems brought in from other continents. But XP Starter Edition will still be only for the rich in Africa, where the majority live off less than one dollar a day.

Windows XP Starter Edition initially targeted countries with high piracy rates, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Microsoft also rolled out a version in Spanish for Latin America last year, and followed with an English language release for India, which the company said was intended to bridge the "digital divide."

In a statement released in Nigeria, Microsoft said XP Starter Edition "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 low-cost operating system will be available in July, but Microsoft did not offer any pricing details. XP Starter Edition is usually only available on new computers purchased through authorized PC vendors.