Sandy Andrews writes:
<<Who are we to make the decision as to which approach is the best? Shouldn't the people involved have a say, and, in order to allow them to do so, shouldn't we allow various initiatives to go forward, so that people can use them?>> just a thought (am I missing something?)>> Of course those affected should have the final choice: including the important choice of not crossing the digital divide. The very term "personal computer" is itself an initiative, a rhetorical initiative that suggests each time it's said that every human being should have one, children included. Some of us believe that we need to point out that there are other choices, and "the social computer" is one such alternative, a lower cost alternative to "the personal computer." Steve Eskow [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 5/27/05, Dr. Steve Eskow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > (Disclaimer: I have interest,commercial or otherwise, in Dell Computers. I > have great interest in machines and practices that will narrow the digital > divide.) > > Nicholas Negroponte preaches the values of the "personal" computer: each > child,each parent, each farmer,each soldier should have a private computer. > Thus his quest for the $100 computer, thus the search for the Simputer. > > I believe that the universal "personal" computer should be the ultimate > goal. > > There are, however, "proximate" as well as "ultimate" goals, there are > "appropriate" and "intermediate" technologies as well as "advanced" > technologies--there are, that is, advantages to using bicycles rather than > automobiles for certain situations calling for transport. > > Or, to advocating public rather than private transportation. > > So: a village, on the wrong side of the digital divide, deserves access to > computers and the benefits they bring. > > One possibility is that we--a donor agency-- generate some $10,000 US and > purchase 20 Amida Simputers for 20 of the villagers. > > Another possibility is that we spend $300 US or $600 or $900 and put one, > two, or three entry level desktop computers in a school or church or other > public space. > > Negroponte explicitly resists the idea of shared and public computing, and > wants immediately to move to personal computing. > > The down sides of personal computing are obvious, and extend well beyond the > matter of initial cost. Personal computing tends to make maintenance and > repair problems and costs also personal, for example, while social computing > allows a community of users to share such costs. > > Personal or social computing: which is the right road for those without > computers and their benefits to get access to them? > > Steve Eskow > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Taran > Rampersad > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 8:01 PM > To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group > Subject: 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(r) Windows(r) 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 > [email protected] > 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 > [email protected] > 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. > -- Sandra Sutton Andrews, PhD [EMAIL PROTECTED] Digital Media and Instructional Technologies Arizona State University & The Floaters Organization _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] 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.
