Dear Colleagues,
Reading the emails on the $100 computer it occurred to me that together
you have painted the picture:
1. Yes, we can technically make an affordable Information Access Device
(IOD). Looking at the cell phone prices and the success of the
pay-as-you-go model for instance in Africa, I'd say we can provide a $100
'computer'. All the ingredients are there and most were mentioned: Open
Source (Linux in particular), (Very) Thin Clients, systems on chips,
cheap wireless networks, affordable flat screen technology, etc.
2. No, this won't solve anything because in Very Low Income Communities
(VLIC) people have little incentive to use it. The device itself does
not address real, often very short term needs of VLICs (who are using a
3G phone).
3. Yes, Refurbished computer schemes, and there are many, already solve
the $100 computer issue on a small scale ... but no, you can not easily
source, prepare and deliver a million refurbished devices. Logistics
will rapidly drive up the price of any large scale refurbishment scheme
near to the cost of massively produced new 'computers'. The earlier
reference to a small UK charity preparing delivery of the refurbs,
underlines this point. There is also the issue of ...
4. Technical support
Technical support in outlying areas may be the number one enemy of
sustainable ICT access. Many people have mentioned this in conjunction
with skills development, another costly affair. The IOD mentioned under
point (1) will have to deal with both, e.g. by developing very robust,
remotely servicable devices with little or no moving parts and by
incentivising the growth of voluntary based support communities and
support centres. Using Free and/or Open Source inspired communities seem
to lead the way here.
The success of a newly developed IOD will depend, in my view, on two
things:
1. Address the issue of relevance head on. Computers in schools are nice
but we have a crisis on our hands where people have no income,
compromised well-being (health etc) and social disruption (child headed
families, child soldiers etc). Any new IOD can only sell itself on the
basis of relevant user-centric services that deal with this more or less
directly. Of course these services can only be articulated by the target
benificiaries in non technical terms and will differ completely from
place to place, audience to audience.
2. Community. At all levels. Just as the end-to-end Internet community
fused with Open Source to create the little miracle called Linux, we
need to marry a IOD+service effort with a strong sense of community.
Given there is already a plethora of low cost access initiatives, we can
start by working together on this. Simputer, Freeplay, Worldspace and
others have discovered how difficult it is to succeed in emerging
markets like Africa. Only by working together (open standards, open
frameworks) could we hope to cover all the angles. The challenge and
potential is big enough for all.
Bas Kotterink
Programme Manager
OpenSea.nl
Minister Loudonlaan 82
Enschede, NL
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