Microsoft Goes Cheap to woo Asia

Microsoft is proposing to expand an offer to supply Asian countries with a simpler, cheaper version of its Windows operating system in an apparent effort to curb software piracy and dent the appeal of the open-source Linux system in the region. Or could this be proactive measure by Microsoft to avoid the "perfect storm", as pointed out by Franklin Fisher. He had also testified during Microsoft-US Justice Department anti-trust trial in 1999, that customers believed there were no serious commercial contenders to the Windows operating system at that time. The story is very different now with Sun, IBMand Oracle going guns with Open Source. Besides competition MS faces challenges from the very large asian developer community who are also supported by their goverment, organizations and intellectuals.