This was a long time coming. As neat as the OLPC project was in the beginning, it was due for a change as it was simply not meeting the needs as initially thought. And while the idea of Windows XP might not be my first choice, it is a darn sight better than the “sugar” distribution of Linux I have tested out myself in the past. Sugar for XP, is even more hair brained as the UI is still flawed.

At the end of the day, I honestly do not have all of the answers that best suit the future of this project. While I believe that taking a Linux route would be more economical in the long run, if Microsoft is willing to make Windows XP available, awesome, go for it. Just make darn sure that some of the security features provided in Vista are available in these XP installations as they will otherwise, be food for XP ready malware. A special, stripped down Vista may have made more sense. But this is just my thinking realizing that we really do not need more newbies with XP downloading everything in sight.

Am I wrong? Is XP, with its benefits and flaws, really the best choice from a security standpoint for developing nations? Hit the comments, you be the judge.