MS delays launch of low-cost Windows

The launch of a low-cost version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating

system in India has been postponed due to delays in adapting it for local users,

a senior company official said Tuesday.

The keenly awaited launch of the Windows XP Starter Edition will happen in

June, not during the first quarter of 2005 as earlier promised, said Ranjivjit

Singh, Marketing and Business Operations Director of Microsoft's Indian

subsidiary. "We are still working on providing Indian language

capability," he told, "You can't underestimate the huge development

work involved."

India is the largest of the five emerging computer markets that Microsoft is

targeting with its stripped-down operating system. The company already sells the

starter edition in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and has plans to launch it

in Russia.

India has only 16 million computers for more than a billion people, but sales

are growing 35% each year. US-based Microsoft claims to enjoy 90% market share

in India. It hopes that cheaper software will help reduce piracy in a country

where only two of 10 computers use more expensive licensed software.

The XP Starter Edition enables users to run only three programs concurrently

and offers lower resolution graphics. It also lacks capabilities for home

networking and multiple user accounts.

Ranjivjit said the Indian version would support India's dominant Hindi

language initially, adding that nine other languages will be added later.

Microsoft has not yet announced the price of the starter edition. Windows XP's

full version sells for about $85 in India.