China Bans Windows 8

[whell]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A4J07Q20140520

(Reuters) - China has banned government use of Windows 8, Microsoft Corp's latest operating system, a blow to a U.S. technology company that has long struggled with sales in the country.

The official Xinhua news agency said the ban was to ensure computer security after Microsoft ended support for its Windows XP operating system, which was widely used in China.

This apparently pre-dates the Justice department's action against China over hacking and tech theft. However, it does suggest a pretty big crack in the dam that could benefit open source operating systems like Linux.