Hello All, I've been lurking for several years, but this item has pulled me out of hiding.
I want to point out, just in case it has not been mentioned by Taran or others, that the initial Simputer had a text-to-speech synthesizer built into it for several Indian languages, which made it possible for non-literate users to use the computer to 'read' text files written in their own language. I'm hoping that this feature is still there, and will be expanded. I know there is a linguist in the UK or Europe who was working on a talking word processor authoring kit, which would allow the author to speak in the crucial phonemics of any language, written or not, and create a roman/arabic orthography-based talking word processor in the target language. Putting these two capacities together is a project that would interest me greatly. Feedback? Bill Dr. William Peet, CEO Interest-Driven Learning, Inc. 446 Bouchelle Drive #303 New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 www.drpeet.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] 386 427-4473 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Taran Rampersad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "The Digital Divide Network discussion group" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 11:00 PM Subject: [SPAM] Re: [DDN] Update on the Simputer > Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: > > >Taran, > > > >I ask you this publicly rather than privately, since others on this DDN list > >may have the same question. > > > >How man US dollars does a "high end" Amida Simputer cost? > > > > > Right now? $480. With an initial run of 50,000 manufactured, it's hard > to compete with a Dell - so take that into consideration before you > start making judgements. Oh - and you're asking for a comparison of a > laptop to a palmtop. That's a little strange, but I'll go with it. I > imagine if I bought more than 10, I could negotiate a better price. > > >And how does it compare in power and utility with an entry level Dell > >Computer that costs 298 US dollars, and is described in this way: > > > >Base Model Includes: > > IntelTM CeleronTM processor at 2.40GHz > > Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition > > 256MB Single-channel Shared6 DDR SDRAM at 400MHz > > 17" (16.0"vis) Monitor > > 40GB5 Ultra/ATA 100 Hard Drive > > Integrated IntelTM Extreme 3D Graphics > > 90-Day Limited Warranty3 and At-Home Service4 > > > > > Well, I don't know why you didn't check the Amida Simputer site, but > here are the specs: > http://www.amidasimputer.com/specs/ > > On a hardware level, it's pretty hard to compete with the laptop. But > the Simputer has a few things that a discerning person will appreciate - > such as a lack of need for downloading of Microsoft Service Packs (if > that's a big loss for some, I don't know why), and special software > which is written specifically for developing world applications. If it > makes anyone feel better, perhaps we could get LPI to offer a Simputer > Certification. :-) > > Since the 206MHz StrongArm Intel CPU doesn't need to run Windows XP, > it's probably at least as responsive as the above machine - possibly > faster. The video card is a non-issue; it's comparing a palmtop to a > laptop (thus the same with the monitor). The Simputer also, I am sorry > to say, lacks moving parts - so it's probably more robust in the long > run. And with only 64 Megabytes of RAM, the Simputer won't run Windows > XP. Fortunately, since it's running Linux, it doesn't *need* 64 > megabytes of RAM. > > I'll have 2 months of support. When I have it, after 2 months in Guyana, > I can speak more about that - if I have to use it. But that's a > *service*, and isn't really a hardware specification or software > specification. > > The real plus that I see? The hardware specs are open - Dell is > notorious for creating specific parts that only are for Dell machines > (so you have to buy parts directly from them). And the 'At-Home Service' > and 90 day Limited Warranty are only useful when you can get support > locally - and if you can get that support from an authorized Dell > Dealer, you may have to wait a while for parts (a thing called 'Just In > Time Inventory' makes that a concern). The Simputer, on the other hand, > will get support from India - and I imagine in Guyana I'll have the same > problems, until some group within the Latin American/Caribbean region > produces them. But if I do need to ship it, it's 206 grams. I'll save a > few stamps. > > Then there's the software, which is written for the person in the > developing world. Oh - and I'm betting that a battery life of 8-12 hours > outclasses just about any laptop. > > And as far as cost - tell me how many of the components in that Dell are > manufactured for Dell, and we can work a ratio. The Simputers cost will > go down, the Dell costs are already down because of mass production. > > Really, I think you could better compare this Palm Pilot to your Dell: > http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/tungsten-e/ > > Again, bear in mind that these products are presently mass produced, > whereas the Simputer is not. > > Until I have one in my hand and play with it, though, I can't tell you > the plus side of the Simputer. I have a laptop. But I look forward to > the Simputer, because it's a flexible machine which can be produced > anywhere in the world. I'm getting the full Software Development Kit as > well (not included in that price), and maybe I'll have some time to > really put the Simputer through my paces. And with 12 hours to do it as > I wander the globe, I expect I can have some real fun. > > > So - what did we learn from the comparison? I hope we learned that they > are different machines... and also that hardware requirements for > running an operating system which also allows an accelerometer as an > input device is small enough to fit into a machine with these > considerably lower hardware requirements. I hope we realize that the > comparison was between 2 machines with quite different objectives. > > But if you want to know if I would have bought a Dell like the one above > instead of a Simputer - if that's really what you're asking - well, > you'll get a very different answer. After all, in a few years I'll be > able to buy PCs directly from Venezuala instead of the U.S. Maybe > Venezuala might manufacture Simputers as well. I imagine that people in > outlying areas might find a Simputer more feasible than a Dell laptop, > but I'll make you a deal. Check my weblog after I get the Simputer and > head to Guyana - I'll have it in action, and we can have a more > interesting discussion then. > > Heck, I might even email you from it while I go check out some fishing > in the area- if I get a chance (I expect I'll be too busy for fishing). > And if you want to really have a comparison, send me a Dell with the > above specs - but instead, have Dell install Linux for me if you could. > The price might go down even more, and would make the value of the Dell > increase a bit. If you want my shipping address in Panama, let me know. > Or if you want to ship it directly to Guyana, I can probably dig up an > address on that as well. > > I'll give you a fair comparison wherever I go. :-) Don't think I'll let > the Simputer off easily because I 'like it'. > > -- > Taran Rampersad > Presently in: San Jose, Costa Rica > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.knowprose.com > http://www.easylum.net > http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran > > "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
