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China hopes home-grown OS will oust Microsoft

Doesn't much like Apple or Google, either

The world's about to get a new operating system, if reports out of China are correct: the Middle Kingdom hopes to kick off its own operating system in October 2014.

According to Xinhua, Ni Guangnan of the Chinese Academy of Engineering told local trade magazine People's Post and Telecommunications News the OS will first hit on desktop machines.

Xinhua notes that the combination of Windows XP's end-of-life plus the country's ban on Windows 8 sales in government procurement has created a vacuum the OS development effort hopes to fill.

The official news-agency says the alliance to develop the OS, which Ni heads, kicked off in March, and that he's complained there are problems relating to “a lack of research funds and too many developers pulling in different directions”.

Complaining that China's Android development efforts lack “independent intellectual property rights”, he's called on the government to lead future work.

“Our key to success lies in an environment that can help us compete with Google, Apple and Microsoft”, Ni is quoted as saying.

In July, it emerged that Microsoft was subject to a monopoly probe in China, with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce making vague statements about Redmond tying its Office suite to the Windows operating system.

That's led to repeated attempts to craft a local Linux, which have met with only limited success. ®

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