I would echo Atanu Dey's thoughts in his blog post here http://www.deeshaa.org/2011/10/08/aakash-blue-skies-vaporware/
cheers ashish On Sat, Oct 8, 2011 at 10:50 PM, Rahul Banerjee <banerjee at cs.washington.edu>wrote: > Thanks for the link, Yaw! That was highly entertaining and instructive > of how vicious the competition can be in these areas. > > Like the Indian politicians' hype on one side, the pooh-pooh'ing of > this "cheap tablet" initiative from other quarters is equally amusing. > > The picture in the Times of India article (btw, TOI is known as "the > TOI-let paper" in India for its sensationalist tabloid content and > total lack of journalistic standards), was ostensibly of new hardware > being put together by students at an engineering college (VIT), under > massive constraints (financial and technological). But showing these > photos of a nascent project to ridicule it? Not cool. > > For contrast, here's a picture of the original Apple computer (it used > to be sold as a hobbyist's DIY kit): > > http://retrogameandcomputer.com/img/computer/apple1-circuit-board-complete.jpg > Too ancient? Here's a picture of a DIY board you can buy today for > your own Android projects: > http://dangerousprototypes.com/wp-content/media/2011/05/SeeedADK.jpg > > I don't see a screen in either, but I'm pretty sure that both > platforms support displays. My point is that _all_ projects look like > ugly boards in the beginning. Sometimes, people cover it with a box > (sometimes reporters look at the box and mistake it for "a storage > device"). > > And, for your weekend entertainment, I insert here the TOI report > (quoted in the article): > <snip> > As Times of India reports, so far, this Indian project is vaporware: > > The so-called laptop actually turned out to be a storage device > containing megabytes of data info which can be accessed by a user by > connecting this device to a laptop. It meant that unlike the internet, > this device can display that information that has already been stored. > </snip> > "megabytes of data info" -- priceless! > > -- > Rahul > > On Sat, Oct 8, 2011 at 5:43 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> wrote: > > carlos forgot the link. > > > > > http://www.ictworks.org/news/2011/10/07/why-indias-35-aakash-android-tablet-edutech-red-herring-ict-deployments-education > > > > On Sat, Oct 8, 2011 at 12:40, Carlos Rey <crey at ehas.org> wrote: > >> Hi all, > >> > >> I'm following with a lot of interest your discussion and I just read > this > >> post at ICTWorks' website and thought it may be of interest for it. > >> > >> Regards, > >> > >> Carlos > >> > >> On 07/10/11 19:28, James Dailey wrote: > >> > >> Tapan's assessment rings true for me. > >> I would also say that in my experience, Technology is both an amplifier > and > >> aspirational. Beyond mere amplification, an important distinction > should be > >> made between an amplification of current "ways of doing business" and > >> dramatically new ways of doing business that are a result of a tipping > point > >> that the technology allows us to reach. > >> Are ipods, itunes, and the digitalization of music strictly necessary > for > >> us? Does it make sense for our society to spend billions on that while > >> there were perfectly good ways of listening to music? My take is that > it > >> is an irrelevant question - we live in such a world. We live in a > world > >> where people (given a choice) aspire to own the newest and greatest, and > >> where ICT enables new modes of business/interaction/service delivery in > the > >> real world. > >> The democratization of technology, the widest possible adoption, though, > >> requires a price point and a set of features /form factors / > experiential > >> benefit that - on balance - are sufficient in their aspirational bounty > and > >> their tipping "pointiness". > >> This new $35 device, with a touchpad, seems like a great move - and a > huge > >> opportunity. More moves in this direction would include a better > battery, > >> solar thin film on the reverse side for easy recharging in the tropics, > >> hardened for outside field use (water proof against rain storms/ dust > proof > >> against the road), and lower price. > >> The poor pay more for their services (water, power, information) than > the > >> rich on a per unit basis, and so shared access models and lower cost > >> technologies that dramatically lower the barriers and increase the > >> availability is a - on balance - a net positive. > >> - James Dailey > >> SEATTLE > >> > >> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 7:36 PM, Tapan Parikh <tapan at cs.washington.edu> > >> wrote: > >>> > >>> Ive never understood Kentaros point here, or at least why its delivered > >>> with such pessimism. > >>> Its strictly a glass half-full, half-empty kind of argument. Of course > >>> technology does not achieve its effect in isolation. Of course you > need all > >>> the rest of the things Kentaro mentions. But an "amplifier of your > intent" > >>> still sounds pretty awesome to me. This is what Steve Jobs was trying > to do > >>> for us, and what we are trying (successfully or unsuccessfully) to > achieve > >>> for the poor and marginalized through ICT4D. Im not saying that > computers > >>> are the best or most appropriate technology, but the potential is > there, and > >>> that is why we are working to achieve it, and why it is still research. > >>> I find Joyojeet's critique much more interesting. Are computers truly > >>> amplifiers, or are they strictly aspirational? Said another way, is > high > >>> technology perceived as an end in and of itself, or do we understand > its > >>> true machinations*, and use them for some other higher purpose - the > highest > >>> being to learn, and through the process become better people, or a > better > >>> society. I am sure everyone who has worked in ICTD has directly > observed > >>> "gadget lust" in our partners, users, and without doubt, in ourselves. > >>> Summarizing my point, the important question is "are u the one riding > the > >>> horse, or is the horse riding you?". The jury is still out on this for > >>> ICT4D, as it is for the rest of the World, IMHO. > >>> > >>> * For the philosophy and German buffs, see Heidegger's "The Question > >>> Concerning Technology". > >>> > >>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 6:55 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> rahul, > >>>> > >>>> i would encourage you to check out > >>>> http://www.kentarotoyama.org/research. i think his work on > >>>> technology as an amplifier and the ten myths of ict4d will be quite > >>>> insightful. > >>>> > >>>> yaw > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 18:16, Rahul Banerjee < > banerjee at cs.washington.edu> > >>>> wrote: > >>>> > Yes, I agree that this is simply another hardware platform on which > >>>> > people can build stuff. It is a solution enabler, not a solution in > >>>> > itself. However, this price point means that one can deploy > solutions > >>>> > for cheaper than with existing hardware. > >>>> > > >>>> > I think we all agree that *solutions* built on top of hardware > >>>> > platforms change people's lives -- cheap hardware simply opens up > such > >>>> > possibilities to interested parties who want to build solutions, but > >>>> > don't have enough money for expensive hardware. > >>>> > > >>>> > I would like to emphasize this point -- the best ideas can come from > >>>> > anywhere. Once you let such a cheap device loose into the wild (so > to > >>>> > speak), I'm certain that several talented people will come up with > >>>> > good ideas and implement them. What remains to be seen is how many > of > >>>> > those are useful and improve people's lives significantly. > >>>> > > >>>> > -- > >>>> > Rahul > >>>> > > >>>> > On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 6:02 PM, Clint Tseng <cxlt at cs.washington.edu > > > >>>> > wrote: > >>>> >> Yes, but your argument is centered around how the technology is > >>>> >> better. I > >>>> >> don't think I have to point out who we're echoing when we say that > >>>> >> technology alone is not enough. We could make the Galaxy S2 or the > >>>> >> iPhone 4 > >>>> >> cost $10 and it simply wouldn't make the kind of difference you'd > hope > >>>> >> for > >>>> >> (eg, much at all). > >>>> >> The App Store is not available because you have to pay Google > >>>> >> licensing fees > >>>> >> to put it on your device, which would have driven the cost up. > >>>> >> Touchscreens are nice, but I don't think any of this will truly > matter > >>>> >> for > >>>> >> the populations we're talking about until we see voice technology > like > >>>> >> Siri > >>>> >> develop to the point where you don't need to care that you're > talking > >>>> >> to > >>>> >> technology. At that point, perhaps it's worth revisiting the > >>>> >> distribution of > >>>> >> generic technology to remote regions and untrained users without > >>>> >> caring > >>>> >> about what their actual needs are. For now, it's still much better > to > >>>> >> actually do the footwork to figure out what people need and give > them > >>>> >> that > >>>> >> than to try to hand out or sell general purpose computing devices > and > >>>> >> hope > >>>> >> to make a difference. > >>>> >> $0.02. > >>>> >> -Clint > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 3:16 PM, Rahul Banerjee wrote: > >>>> >> > >>>> >> Against a cell phone, the tablet's screen is a compelling argument. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> However, I don't know if really poor people (who are mostly > >>>> >> illiterate) would go for a tablet over a *television* -- I've > observed > >>>> >> that even people living in illegally constructed shacks next to > train > >>>> >> tracks always have a DTH antenna dish sticking out from the roof. > My > >>>> >> belief is that: > >>>> >> 1. TV's are dead simple to operate -- turn them on and they work. > If > >>>> >> you can't navigate your magical tablet's touchscreen, you have a > >>>> >> magical paperweight. > >>>> >> 2. There's decent infrastructure in place (in India) to get a > >>>> >> direct-to-home subscription. I've been to some pretty remote places > in > >>>> >> India (places that are accessible only using off-road vehicles and > are > >>>> >> completely cut-off for three months during winter) and nearly all > >>>> >> these houses had dish antennas. AFAIK, 3G-based data plans aren't > that > >>>> >> ubiquitous yet (you could only get them in certain cities in India > >>>> >> last time I checked -- about 2 months ago). > >>>> >> > >>>> >> The battery question is an interesting one -- I read a review which > >>>> >> stated that the battery life is two hours. I've observed in urban > >>>> >> slums that (illegally) hooking up wires to overhead electricity > supply > >>>> >> cables (a dangerous practice, to be sure) is common. I'm not > claiming > >>>> >> that this is the norm everywhere, but financial pressure often > >>>> >> eliminates batteries anyway :) > >>>> >> > >>>> >> I'm going to keep on harping on the "poor but intelligent/talented > >>>> >> student" angle. These are the people who'll benefit the most from > such > >>>> >> a device. Imagine being able to read textbooks on this! Btw, I also > >>>> >> discovered in the review that the App Store / Marketplace is > disabled, > >>>> >> which is *not cool*. Maybe they don't expect the target users to > have > >>>> >> connectivity, but this severely limits the platform. There are a > ton > >>>> >> of free apps out there which the users cannot get, and now custom > >>>> >> delivery platforms will have to be built for every project (I'm > >>>> >> thinking of textbooks, telemedicine, the fieldwork apps like the > >>>> >> Verbal Autopsy stuff, etc) > >>>> >> > >>>> >> I've rambled enough here. My summary would be that this is a giant > >>>> >> step forward, but the poorest of the poor (think indigent poverty) > >>>> >> won't magically lift themselves out of poverty using this one > device. > >>>> >> However, it does generate lots of exciting possibilities for > >>>> >> "slightly-better-off" segments and it can be an enabling device for > >>>> >> several projects on a shoestring budget. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> -- > >>>> >> Rahul > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 1:00 PM, Fritz Meissner > >>>> >> <fritz.meissner at gmail.com> > >>>> >> wrote: > >>>> >> > >>>> >> Just brainstorming a hypothetically compelling reason: consumption > of > >>>> >> locally-made movies, which I'm given to understand currently > happens > >>>> >> wholesale on cellphones in India. Would the move to tablet form, > i.e. > >>>> >> bigger > >>>> >> screen and (one would hope) better sound, make for a massively > >>>> >> improved > >>>> >> experience? > >>>> >> The Aakash could be a better investment than a TV / DVD player, > given > >>>> >> the > >>>> >> greater capacity and reusability of USB or SD cards compared to > DVDs. > >>>> >> Of > >>>> >> course, the TV has a bigger screen, but it doesn't run on > batteries. > >>>> >> How > >>>> >> much would a TV cost? > >>>> >> > >>>> >> Fritz > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 3:15 PM, Jerome White < > jerome at cs.caltech.edu> > >>>> >> wrote: > >>>> >> > >>>> >> However, there is a "rural/poor" segment that could afford this: > those > >>>> >> making between 5 and 10 thousand Rupees a month. In fact it's what > >>>> >> some > >>>> >> spend on a mobile phone. However, with the mobile, there is very > >>>> >> compelling > >>>> >> reason to make such an investment. A similarly compelling reason, > from > >>>> >> their > >>>> >> perspective, to own this device isn't clear to me. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> But, at least we've got another device to help us generate > >>>> >> publications :) > >>>> >> > >>>> >> jerome > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On 06-Oct-2011, at 4:11 PM, Fritz Meissner wrote: > >>>> >> > >>>> >> How much is $35 to the poorest of the poor? I recall an economics > >>>> >> study > >>>> >> that paid Indian workers the equivalent of a monthly salary, I > think > >>>> >> that > >>>> >> was 50USD... 35USD is beyond cheap in the West but perhaps still > not > >>>> >> affordable in that context. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> OTOH if the tablet is locally made, perhaps just the work that the > >>>> >> manufacturer provides will be beneficial. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> Fritz > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 1:32 AM, Joyojeet Pal <joyojeet at gmail.com> > >>>> >> wrote: > >>>> >> I agree with Yaw on this -- sure, it is great that this technology > is > >>>> >> so > >>>> >> cheap, and one can argue that similar such efforts have brought up > new > >>>> >> technology innovations (Netbook etc) and various other benefits, > what > >>>> >> is > >>>> >> deeply problematic is the idea that this will solve the issues of > >>>> >> development in India, and Indian minister Kapil Sibal's announcing > the > >>>> >> project as being some kind of a dig out of exclusion > >>>> >> > >>>> >> ( > http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/india-announces-35-tablet-computer-to-help-lift-villagers-out-of-poverty/2011/10/05/gIQAPT8PNL_story.html > ) > >>>> >> > >>>> >> If you look at UNDP's latest HDI report on India, you may find that > >>>> >> someone should find this claim at least quixotic, given that the > >>>> >> country > >>>> >> ranks 119th in the world for what ranks are worth. India as a state > >>>> >> spends > >>>> >> among the lowest on education (3.6%) and healthcare (1.1%) and has > an > >>>> >> income > >>>> >> inequality problem that is by all measure growing yearly, gender > >>>> >> inequity is > >>>> >> 0.748 (on a scale of the 'best' at 0.212 and 'worst' at 0.814). the > >>>> >> average > >>>> >> Indian spends 4.4 years in formal schooling.. the list goes on and > on. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> i'm not saying this is not a significant achievement, my concern is > >>>> >> tying this to development in such a way, in fact specifically in > the > >>>> >> perception that this could be the state's part in providing > >>>> >> development in > >>>> >> india. i think it hurts the cause of folks working in this space at > >>>> >> the very > >>>> >> least. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 7:03 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> > wrote: > >>>> >> the hype around this tablet is terrible. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> i think it's great to have cheaper technology, but android tablets, > >>>> >> even cheap $35 android tablets, will not lift villagers out of > >>>> >> poverty. i wish it were that easy... > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 15:49, Rahul Banerjee > >>>> >> <banerjee at cs.washington.edu> wrote: > >>>> >> > >>>> >> Sorry for the spam, but I couldn't resist sharing such wonderful > news: > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/India-announces-35-tablet-computer-for-rural-poor-2203509.php > >>>> >> > >>>> >> (Actually, the government is subsidising its price (which would be > >>>> >> closer to $50), but it's still pretty amazing that something like > this > >>>> >> exists at all) > >>>> >> > >>>> >> -- > >>>> >> Rahul > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> _______________________________________________ > >>>> >> change mailing list > >>>> >> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> > > >>>> > _______________________________________________ > >>>> > change mailing list > >>>> > change at change.washington.edu > >>>> > http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>>> > > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> change mailing list > >>>> change at change.washington.edu > >>>> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> change mailing list > >>> change at change.washington.edu > >>> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> James Dailey > >> skype: jdailey > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> change mailing list > >> change at change.washington.edu > >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Carlos Rey Moreno > >> Investigador Fundaci?n EHAS - 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