[dot] Brazil Starts Deployment of Low Cost KDE Computers

[Dot Stories]

URL: http://dot.kde.org/1131376383/

From: Helio Chissini de Castro <helio at mandriva.com>
Dept: business-as-usual
Date: Monday07/Nov/2005, @09:13

Brazil Starts Deployment of Low Cost KDE Computers
==================================================

   A new inititive by the Brazillian government will see low cost KDE
based computers on sale throughout the country from next week.  The
Computers for All
[http://www.brazzilmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4170&Itemid=49]
scheme will bring "cheap and accessible" computers following a recent
law cutting taxes and encouraging affordable financing for low income
buyers of computers preinstalled with Free Software operating systems. 
Several companies are involved in the scheme with most using KDE
desktops.  The Ministry of Science hopes for half a million machines to
be sold in the next 4 to 6 months.

     Brazilian company Positivo [http://www.positivo.com.br] will start
to deploy 2,500 machines a month next week installed with an OEM KDE
desktop based on Mandriva [http://www.mandriva.com].  They expect to
reach 10,000 sales per month by the end of this year.

     "With this partnership with Mandriva Conectiva we keep our
philosophy to offer home users easy to use products created and
represented by companies with credibility and unquestionable
reliability.", says Hélio Rotenberg, director of Positivo Informática.

     The company has sold 10,000 computers in the last few months with
KDE based distribution Insigne
[http://www.insignesoftware.com/default.php], before changing to
Mandriva.