Technology Lab / Information Technology

China bans Windows 8 on government PCs to ensure security

Apparently the move will also save energy.

The Chinese government has banned the installation of Windows 8 on government PCs, reports Re/code. The Central Government Procurement Center issued a directive last week barring the use of Microsoft's latest operating system as an energy-saving measure, according to Re/code.

State news agency Xinhua gave a different reason for the ban: it's to ensure system security after Microsoft ended support for Windows XP. The unsupported operating system is still estimated to be used on as much as half of the Chinese desktop market.

How the ban makes sense, either as a security measure or an energy-saving one, isn't clear. Lest there be any doubt, the solution to Windows XP's security problems—it's vulnerable to a number of unpatched flaws already—is to stop using it. Not ban the use of an actively supported operating system.

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