Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] How Much Bandwidth is Necessary?
Simon Woodside wrote: > Not only that, but the high cost of a PC or a laptop needs to be > considered. A PC is expensive, whether it's connected to high-bandwidth > or low. So a substantial sum of the total ICT investment isn't going to > change no matter what the bandwidth plan might be. I would beg to differ. There are existing real low cost options for PCs. Computer Aid is a non-profit organisation that supplies professionally refurbished high quality PCs for a fraction of the cost of a new machine. For any given bandwidth the difference in performance between a P2 and a P4 is imperceptible (or at least insignificant). We have supplied over 25,000 PCs to 80 different countries. We have 24 staff and expenditure of circa $750,000 per year and yet no member of staff in our offices has ever used any machine on their desk higher than a (refurbished) P1 or P2. The majority of the machines that we are currently shipping are P2s. It is possible to seriously reduce the total ICT investment without performance loss of any consequence. Kind regards Tony Roberts Chief Executive Computer Aid International 433 Holloway Road London, N7 6LJ. UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7281 0091 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.computeraid.org Registered Charity no. 1069256 Registered Company no. 3442679 _ This message was sent to you using a quality Pentium PC fully refurbished by Computer Aid International. This DOT-COM Discussion is funded by the dot-ORG USAID Cooperative Agreement, and hosted by GKD. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org provides more information. To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd For the GKD database, with past messages: http://www.GKDknowledge.org
[GKD] Social Appropriation of ICTs in Jamaica
Regarding Karin Delgadillo's posting on the social use and appropriation of ICTs in Jamica you may be interested to learn of the work of some of Computer Aid's partners. Computer Aid has sent professionally refurbished PCs to Kingston School to St Patrick's Youth Training Project and on two occasions to the Jamaica Society for the Blind. In the later case we have supplied 170 PCs fitted with adaptive technologies for sight impaired and blind users in association with another UK NGO, Sight Savers International. Voice recognition software and other output enhancements enable users to develop vocational skills and join mainstream education and recreational activities as well as accessing email and the internet. Blind led organisations from other Latin American and Caribbean countries are participating in this innovative project inlcuding Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, St. Vincent, Guyana, and Belize. Computer Aid International is a non-profit organisation registered as a charity with the government in England and Wales. We are the world's largest and most experienced non-profit supplier of quality refurbished Pentium computers to non-profits in developing countries. We have supplied almost 25,000 fully refurbished PCs to where they are most needed in schools, colleges and community organisations in 80 different countries. Kind regards Tony Roberts Chief Executive Computer Aid International 433 Holloway Road London, N7 6LJ. UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7281 0091 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.computeraid.org Registered Charity no. 1069256 Registered Company no. 3442679 _ This message was sent to you using a quality Pentium PC fully refurbished by Computer Aid International. ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
Re: [GKD] RFI: Computer Donations To The Third World
The thing is that a lot of useless computers ARE dumped in developing countries. There are waste disposal companies in the UK and elsewhere who pay state governments in India and China (for example) to dump unprocessed electronic waste in their backyard. And there have also been some well intentioned (but poorly planned and executed) projects to send old PCs to places without the resources or skills to make immediate, productive and sustainable use of them. (This ends up being as negative an outcome as out-and-out dumping). What we need to do is make an appropriate distinction between dumping and providing quality, fully refurbished, Pentium PCs into contexts where the appropriate capacity is already in place to make productive use of them. This means that secure and adapted premises, experienced staff and access to free or affordable technical support is in place. If so PII machines make excellent all round work horses. I am using one to write this. And PI PCs make excellent desktops on a thin client network in a school classroom. If supplied through SchoolNets where the recipient NGO is engaged in providing the above capacity and working on connectivity and policy issue the outcomes are truly impressive. See www.schoolnetafrica.net SchoolNet Africa is a pan-Africa, African-led organisation with structures in 30 African countries leading the way in applying ICTs to enhance education. SchoolNet Africa has just launched an appeal for one million refurbished computers for African schools. And if the PCs are supplied through national NGO Federations who are already engaged in pro-active capacity building work to stengthen their member organisations including providing computer training and technical support - again the outcomes are extremely valuable. We need to differentiate between good practice and bad practice in this area just as in other fields. Extending the productive life of PCs has very positive developmental, educational and environmental outcomes. Dumping PCs does not. Kind regards Tony Roberts Executive Director Computer Aid International 433 Holloway Road London, N7 6LJ. UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7281 0091 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.computeraid.org Registered Charity no. 1069256 Registered Company no. 3442679 _ This message was sent to you using a quality Pentium PC fully refurbished by Computer Aid International. -- Daniel Makundi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ...I have always protested aloud whenever I hear someone mentioning in a > meeting something to the effect "they are turning 3rd world countries > into obsolete computer dumping ground". > > There is nothing like obsolete here: a 486/66 pc with 500 MB HDD and 16 > MB RAM will nicely install Win95 and Office97 and leave you plenty of > room for your data files. > > Doesn't sound like much, but, obtained at $80 (system unit, color > monitor, keyboard and mouse), a person or school that would otherwise > never dream of acquiring a computer. > > Please keep donating the used PCs and accessories, we out here do > appreciate them very much. ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
[GKD] Computer Aid International
Computer Aid International is a non-profit organisation and registered charity (# 1069256) based in London, England which supplies fully refurbished second-user Pentium computers for schools and community organisations in developing countries. In less than four years of existance Computer Aid has supplied 10,000 fully refurbished computers to non-profit organisations in 63 different developing countries. As far as Computer Aid is aware they have supplied more computers to more schools and community organisations in more developing countries than any other non-profit initiative. Computer Aid has supplied many hundreds of computers to the World Bank "World Links for Development" programme; equipped projects of agencies such as Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International; as well as responding directly to requests from individual non-profit organisations and local initiatives. Computer Aid recovers its costs by charging a "handling fee" of £39 per Pentium computer (approx US$55) plus any shipping fees incured. Computer Aid can supply in any volume to any freight terminal globally. By way of example a full container of 230 Pentiums delivered to Johannesburg freight terminal including all "handling fees"; transport, shipping, insurance and customs documentation as far as the freight terminal costs a total of £10,300 or £45 (approx US$64). The total cost per computer is typically less than one tenth of the purchase price of a new computer locally. The technical specifaction of machines supplied continually increases over time as the technical specification of machines donated to Computer Aid in the UK increases. The majority of machines being shipped at time of writing are Pentium 1 class machines (133-200MHz), 1.2 Gb hard disk, 32Mb RAM, SVGA colour monitor, mouse, keyboard and cables all supplied (sorry - UK plugs!). Computer Aid is currently planning a major expansion of supply which aims to increase supply to over 20,000 computers per year in an effort to further reduce "handling fees". Further info., full Terms and Condition and application form available from www.computeraid.org or from Angela Anyiam at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tony Roberts Executive Director Computer Aid International Unit 114 Belgravia Workshops 159 Marlborough Road London, N19 4NF, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7281 0091 Registered Charity no. 1069256 Registered Company no. 3442679 ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.globalknowledge.org>
