Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news

US-based software giant Microsoft Corporation has finally broken its word of no price cuts on China's market, unveiling a two-month-long nationwide promotion today on its Windows XP operating system, today's The Beijing News reported.
As part of Microsoft's anti-piracy campaign to promote its legitimate products, this program is provided in cooperation with the company's long-time partner in China, Federal Software Stores, a Chinese retail chain.
Under the program, before April 22, Chinese consumers can buy its Windows XP products at nearly half the normal price.  For example, the home personal computer edition price has been slashed from 1,498 yuan (US$181) to 786 yuan, while the professional edition was chopped from 1,998 yuan to 1,270 yuan.
Consumers can order the discounted products at Microsoft China's website http://www.microsoft.com/china/ as well as at Federal Software Stores.
Denying the long circulated report that Microsoft would carry its low-price policy in Asia to China, Microsoft said products on this promotional program are not the same starter version of Windows XP system that it is marketing in five other Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In this sense, the promotion program doesn't indicate Microsoft is introducing a low-price strategy in China, and it will not affect its current pricing policies here, the company added.