Reuters:
The Central Government Procurement Center issued the ban on installing Windows 8 on government computers as part of a notice on the use of energy-saving products, posted on its website last week.
The official Xinhua news agency said the ban was to ensure computer security after Microsoft ended support for its Windows XP operating system, which was widely used in China.
Not clear exactly what prompted this, but it is a big deal to Microsoft.
Ouch!
So, where do they go from here? Sounds like there may be a lot more Chinese switchers in the near future!
Thanks, Steve B., for the arrogance and lack of foresight!
They… want to ensure computer security… so they allow Windows XP which is EOL… and ban the far more secure Windows 8.
Sense this, makes not.
Does no one care to actually dig into this, or we’re just gonna copy it off Reuters and leave it like that, completely irrational and logically disconnected?
Cyber bans
Saw another article with some analysis. This may all be due to Microsoft and the Chinese government still hammering out the costs of an upgrade.
spinning it THAT way doesn’t make for breathless headlines. What level-headed tosh!
“We don’t like paying for software. Give us a better price or we pirate.”
I elect you. Dig away! Report back here please.
Money? Or security?
Apparently Balmer didn’t tell his successor what palms needed to be greased in China.
That was my basic comment idea.
As a “security” program this is the opposite of making any sense – I think Mr. Ward’s comment below makes more sense than the Xinhua explanation.
Yeah, actually I saw someone else saying that they don’t want 8 since it’s too hard to pirate. Wouldn’t surprise me. You’d think it was because of the interface more than anything else.