Gates slams open source legislation

Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates has slammed moves by political parties in Australia and elsewhere to legislate the adoption of open source software, reports Australian IT News.

In an interview at the Microsoft Office System launch in New York, Gates said any such moves by government were "wrongheaded" and would result in a reduction in public sector productivity.

Microsoft is expanding its code-sharing programme, called Shared Source, giving hundreds of its most valuable professionals (MVPs) access to all the source code of Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

TechWeb reports Microsoft saying its MVPs are chosen "for their great expertise in one or more Microsoft products and a willingness to share their expertise with peers".

The Shared Source Initiative has been sharing select code with customers, partners, and particularly government agencies worldwide since 2001 in an attempt to bolster development of new applications and fend off criticism from the open source community.

Apple Computer said yesterday it would cut prices on its line of eMac computers, reports Reuters.

Apple said the desktop computers, which have been targeted at schools and for home use, would start at $1 099 for a system that includes a super drive, providing the ability to burn CDs and most DVDs, down from $1 299. Models without a super drive start at $799, down from $999.