Reading some of the discussions on this list, somehow they give me the impression some of the members on this list is still using FIRST world tools to solve 3rd world problems. (Sorry to use the terms first and 3rd worlds). Not that long ago I wrote about children in some African countries do not even have paper to write on. They do not have money to buy pencil and exercise books. They use twig to trace and practice writing on the chair/sandy ground they are sitting on. They have no chairs nor tables, and if their parents do not have money to buy them a uniform they are not even allow to attend class. So what would you do? Buy them a uniform so that they can at least attend the class? Help them to furnish their classroom with chairs and desks so that they can have something to sit on? OR would you give these same children with the $100 lap-top with FLASH animations? Do you think this same child would know how to use Google to search for information? Furthermore, $100 might be dirt cheap in our world. The same $100 is a lot of money in thier world. What would you want to provide them first with? In my opinion, if anyone wishes to, they can turn the TV termnal into a very useful interactive tool. IF one can use TV monitor to play games, why can it not use the same TV monitor and turn it into a computer screen? What is the different between TV and PC? TV is sending, computer is both send and receive. I am sure some smart person from MIT or the like, IF THEY REALLY WANT TO, can come up with a device. It would also make much more sense to create telecenters. Giving each child a lap-top, you are looking at a ' distributed model' that is composed of millions and millions of lap-tops. How are you going to service them? or train the users? It would make much more sense to create 'centralized model/telecenters' and have the users come to the center to use the facilities. Not only it is easier to control and manage, one can also start creating job for local populations to man the telecenters. Cindy [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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