Microsoft Venus
Encyclopedia
Microsoft Venus was an aborted venture by Microsoft
into the low-end personal computing market in the People's Republic of China
. The product, a set-top
operating system
designed to work with low-end televisions (somewhat similar to MSN TV
in the United States), was announced by then-Microsoft chairman Bill Gates
on March 10, 1999 in Shenzhen
, and was to be made available by January of 2000; it never made it out of Microsoft's lab however, slowly dying less than a year after its announcement.
Despite initial support from the Chinese government
— which included, but was not limited to, discounts and assorted subsidies — and lucrative distribution agreements with Acer, Philips
, Lenovo, and a few other companies, the planned venture faced many problems, the largest of which was a massive cost overrun. The units were reported to sell for up to 3,000 yuan
(or US$
360 at the time), which was then a large sum for the general Chinese public.
As 1999 progressed and 2000 began, the Chinese government's relations with Microsoft continued to sour over production costs of the Venus. This tension reached a fever pitch in January 2000, when the Chinese government ordered Windows 2000
uninstalled from all ministerial computers, opting to use the locally-produced Red Flag Linux
instead.
January 2000 passed without a Venus release, and the product remained "vaporware
". After Microsoft's aforementioned brief showdown with the Chinese government that same month, all talk of Venus appears to have ceased in the news media. Venus was never released, and with it went Microsoft's attempt at selling low-cost computing to the Chinese masses.
's Windows-based computing division in 2005 gave the consumer electronics corporation, which is partially owned by the Chinese government, a strong presence in the Windows computing market both at home in China and abroad that has persisted since the initial acquisition. However, Lenovo's computers are full-fledged PCs, and do not bear a strong resemblance to the all-in-one television component that Microsoft envisioned becoming a large success in China.
, rudimentary word processing
and graphic design suite
, and CD player into one set-top television component. Gates touted the computer as having "learning capabilities". This ability was intended to be combined with a contract with forty Chinese governmental ministries to produce an application known as "Government Online", which would have served the stated purpose of bringing the Chinese bureaucracy closer to the masses.
Microsoft reportedly intended for the Venus boxes to run on a special version of Windows CE
, fine-tuned for display on television sets.
Exact processor speeds were never released by Microsoft, but were believed to be comparable to that of low-end Windows computers at that time.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
into the low-end personal computing market in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The product, a set-top
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
designed to work with low-end televisions (somewhat similar to MSN TV
MSN TV
MSN TV is the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display , and the online service that supports it....
in the United States), was announced by then-Microsoft chairman Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
on March 10, 1999 in Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, and was to be made available by January of 2000; it never made it out of Microsoft's lab however, slowly dying less than a year after its announcement.
History
Relatively little is known about Microsoft Venus, since the project never made it beyond the prototype stage, and was designed to be exclusive to the People's Republic of China. What is known of the project appears to show that Microsoft designed Venus in response to a largely untapped Chinese computing market; with their low-end set-top box, designed to be a combination of Internet accessibility and the basic features of a personal computer (such as a rudimentary word processor), they hoped to tap into this market, gaining market share and profit in the world's fastest-growing economy in the process.Despite initial support from the Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
— which included, but was not limited to, discounts and assorted subsidies — and lucrative distribution agreements with Acer, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, Lenovo, and a few other companies, the planned venture faced many problems, the largest of which was a massive cost overrun. The units were reported to sell for up to 3,000 yuan
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
(or US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
360 at the time), which was then a large sum for the general Chinese public.
As 1999 progressed and 2000 began, the Chinese government's relations with Microsoft continued to sour over production costs of the Venus. This tension reached a fever pitch in January 2000, when the Chinese government ordered Windows 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
uninstalled from all ministerial computers, opting to use the locally-produced Red Flag Linux
Red Flag Linux
Red Flag Linux is a Chinese Linux distribution developed by Red Flag Software. Red Flag's logo is Tux carrying a prominent red flag.The current executive president of Red Flag Software is Jia Dong .-Description:...
instead.
January 2000 passed without a Venus release, and the product remained "vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
". After Microsoft's aforementioned brief showdown with the Chinese government that same month, all talk of Venus appears to have ceased in the news media. Venus was never released, and with it went Microsoft's attempt at selling low-cost computing to the Chinese masses.
Aftermath
While Microsoft's first attempt at bringing computing to the Chinese masses was a failure, later events have proved more favorable to the company. Lenovo's purchase of IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's Windows-based computing division in 2005 gave the consumer electronics corporation, which is partially owned by the Chinese government, a strong presence in the Windows computing market both at home in China and abroad that has persisted since the initial acquisition. However, Lenovo's computers are full-fledged PCs, and do not bear a strong resemblance to the all-in-one television component that Microsoft envisioned becoming a large success in China.
Specifications
According to Reuters' account of the initial unveiling of the Venus prototype, the box was intended to combine an Internet browserWeb browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
, rudimentary word processing
Word processing
Word processing is the creation of documents using a word processor. It can also refer to advanced shorthand techniques, sometimes used in specialized contexts with a specially modified typewriter.-External links:...
and graphic design suite
Graphics software
In computer graphics, graphics software or image editing software is a program or collection of programs that enable a person to manipulate visual images on a computer....
, and CD player into one set-top television component. Gates touted the computer as having "learning capabilities". This ability was intended to be combined with a contract with forty Chinese governmental ministries to produce an application known as "Government Online", which would have served the stated purpose of bringing the Chinese bureaucracy closer to the masses.
Microsoft reportedly intended for the Venus boxes to run on a special version of Windows CE
Windows CE
Microsoft Windows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
, fine-tuned for display on television sets.
Exact processor speeds were never released by Microsoft, but were believed to be comparable to that of low-end Windows computers at that time.
See also
- MSN TVMSN TVMSN TV is the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display , and the online service that supports it....
- Science and technology in the People's Republic of ChinaScience and technology in the People's Republic of ChinaScience and technology in the People's Republic of China has been growing rapidly. As China develops and becomes more connected to the global economy, the government has placed a stronger emphasis on science and technology as an integral part of the socio-economic development of the country...
- Set-top boxSet-top boxA set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...