On 12/3/05, Chris Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > ICT in the times we live in does as much good and more as telephones, > roads, rails, machines in general do and while its a good idea to figure out > how a piece of technology will benefit the target customers, it is the > customers who will decide if it measures up.. If it does not, it will not > move.. > > All I am seeing here is that Simputer can do little wrong even if the > facts speak otheriwse and Negroponte can do little light regardless of what > his track record may be.. I must be missing something. > > Access to technologies of the times that are as basic as literacy needs to > be mandated by society.. What people do with it is also subject to social > sanctions but mostly they are free to use it like most other resources.. How > they derive value is mostly in the customer's domain and while we can try to > aid or influence it, we should not have any authority over it..
It is the choice that each society makes for itself- that is what to make available to its members.. We are too diverse to decide on that but we can influence their choices by advocacy and other means. When I bout the $8000 Macintosh with 80MB/8MB in 1990, a $1000 laptop was a similar dream..Today 90 percent laptops sold to individuals cost less than $1000..and have 1000 times more power.. We are no one to give them anything.. The digital divide debate presumes that we will consider coming up with measures that bridge the gap.. Whats the gap? No one in this string has backed up any of their assertions and has forayed into various areas leaving the subject of the debate sidelined.. > Simputer is not even really a product from the definition of a product... Please do work with simputer and let others live with their dreams.. Are these all compliments to the Simputer? These are the facts about simputer.. that is what simputer is and none of the points is against or for it.. It is the state of affairs.. and how can private industry in the country compete with the free laptops? That is the question that should be posed to simputer.. how many private persons have bought it? 10% of total sales of 5000 simputers in 5 years? Please ask someone to make us precise about the figures.. Better than Grameen --may be e-choupal. -- 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.
