On 12/2/05, Dave A. Chakrabarti <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Satish, Taran, others, > > > Are you arguing that Negropointe's initiative is a "real" product?
I have said in bold letters that its a concept, its a prototype, its caught the imagination and the market may respond to the challenges. Until Media Lab and its partners turn it into a saleable/ usable product that customers want, its not a product > Conversely, according to your post, Simputer has been around for five > years, sold 10,000 units, Simputer has LOST out.. If you CANNOT SCALE UP to a million pieces SOLD in 5 years, the product is DEAD.. There will be people who would love it, will keep working on it but until it resurfaces at that level of production and sales, its not a player.. I would argue, however, that Negropointe has, indeed, built a product. > Clearly your definition of product is very different from what most > corporations and product creation specialists thin.. Does it occus to anyone > that for every 1000 prototypes that aspire to become products only a single > digit do indeed survive in the market beyond three years.. And survive does > not mean producing 4000 units.. It means being sold on the shelves.. I think I am talking to a group that is Anti-Negroponte and Pro-Simputer.. I belong to neither camp..Except pro-their-goals..and refining these goals- most of them shared by most of us here- the way I consider appropriate ... Its clear that those who are responding to the mail do not have any experience of product creation in the marketplace.. In the event, its tough to even start discussing the issues associated with how to productize.. Product creation and software engineering and intellectualism are mostly as far apart as a doctor and an engineer and a lawyer.. in no particular order... >From Satish: > > "there are cheaper, better, more > convenient options available or must be available to the people for them > not > to try simputer.. If there is one idea that is embraced with passion > without > facts backing it up, it is simputer.. a catchy name, a great idea, a good > prototype but NOT product enought to be in the hands of its own target > customers.." > > I would disagree. The poor Indian villager is not turning to alternative > products, to cheaper, better, or more convenient mobile computing > platforms. He's not turning to anything at all. That's the > challenge...getting him to turn towards the digital world in the first > place. Simputer may not be in his hands yet, but to point to that as a > failure is to point to everything else in this field as a similar failure. > > If you believe the Simputer was a great prototype, and suffered merely > from lack of publicity / marketing, why not help to market it yourself? > Surely your connections and experience would be an extremely valuable > addition to Simputer's direction and potential for growth...and in > India, you have the all-important connections to really move the project > forward. > > From Satish: "But to trash an idea that has actually captured the > imagination of those who can > make it possible is destroying value..." > > Are you referring to your preceding comments on the Simputer or to > Taran's comments on the Negropointe machine? By your argument, both seem > valid. In fact, you state that "Simputer has done a great job of > energizing the field, it also captured the imagination" and "its a great > contribution" ...does this not making bashing it an effort to detract > value? > > On the other hand, I feel there is some value in revealing the concepts > and ideology behind marketing hype, and in raising (seemingly valid) > concerns. The Negropointe machine may not suffer so much from those who > are taking value away from it as those who are questioning its > value...if it truly has value, it should be able to stand up those > critics and shine, yes? That is what testing a product against the > market is all about...and what Negropointe should have been looking > forward to after a UN-backed demonstration of the would-be product with > such publicity. > > Dave. > > ------------------- > Dave A. Chakrabarti > Projects Coordinator > CTCNet Chicago > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > (708) 919 1026 > ------------------- > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] the word UNSUBSCRIBE in > the body of the message. > -- Satish Jha Special Adviser, Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICTs Principal Adviser, vMoksha Technologies Co-Chair, Economic Opportunities Commission, WITFOR Management Consultant - Technology Strategy, Management and Program/Project Management www.vmoksha.com; www.dpindia.org; www.aiti-kace.com.gh; www.witfor.org _______________________________________________ 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.
