In a bid to reduce dependence on foreign technology China is releasing a new Operating System (OS)
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NeoKylin preview Image: NeoKylin |
Microsoft Windows has long been the most prevalent operating system in China, with XP taking the largest portion of the market.
As it looks to reduce dependence on foreign technology and create a more favourable environment for domestic software companies, China is promoting NeoKylin, its answer to XP.
The OS, developed by China Standard Software, looks similar to XP in its layout and carries much of the same functionalities - such as My Computer, Control Panel, Recycle Bin, etc.
More than 40% of PCs sold by Dell in China are running the new software, indicating its popularity with both individual and governmental users. NeoKylin was developed as part of the same initiative that produced the Tianhe supercomputers.
Nonetheless, the new OS does not appear to be very user-friendly and comes installed with just a handful of apps, such as Firefox, GIMP (an image editing program) and a calculator. Despite the much-publicised 'return to China', Google Chrome could not be installed on the new OS.
While many similarities remain, the screensaver has been switched from the classic rolling hills and clouds to a Qilin - the mythical chimera-like beast from which the NeoKylin takes its name.