MS to Play Nice With Aussie Kids

Jul 18 2001

Here's a recipe for bad press: Take one successful company, with a chairman who talks about the digital divide a lot, and get it in a fight with a charity that gives secondhand computers to poor children. Now you've got this week's obscure story about Microsoft and PCs for Kids.

The Melbourne Age reported the story on Monday, steaming that "the world's richest software company" was on the Australian charity's case. PCs for Kids gets its computers from corporations that have purchased site licenses, wrote the Age's Garry Barker, and installing MS software without purchasing an individual license is a copyright violation. Individual licenses can cost up to $600 per computer, said the charity, while News.com put the figure closer to $85 each.

Either way, Microsoft is now working with PCs for Kids to settle a one-time fee for licenses. "Microsoft said it does make allowances for charities in its license scheme and has an authorized refurbishment plan that offers 'heavily discounted' licenses," said News.com, in a counterpoint to the Age's outrage. News.com also said other PC refurbishing charities just use open-source software to avoid such hassles.

Microsoft got somewhat better press for its decision to wire a park bench in the small town of Bury St. Edmunds, England. "The bench will be connected to the Internet, and park goers will be able to plug their notebook computers in and get to work," said Information Week. We're with the Register on this one: "Can we leave our parks free from computers - isn't that why you go there in the first place?"

Microsoft to settle license tiff with charity
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Microsoft closes a window on charity
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Surfing in the Park
Information Week

You've had the cyberlav, now here's the cyber parkbench
The Register