[dundee] cheap free and zero cost..... African children get the best technology

[Andrew Clayton]

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:07:15 +0000, Kris Davidson wrote:

> I'm just playing devils advocate here (not the pinball game) but two
> things come to mind.
> 
> * These laptops sell for about $100 each, whats to stop someone
> selling it and buying you know - food, tools or a goat.

The idea is due to their distinctiveness if an adult is seen to have
one in their possession, questions will be asked...

They are also designed to talk to a server (possibly in the school)
every 28 days or something and if they fail to communicate they
deactivate themselves. This is one of the anti-theft mechanisms, I
don't think they've fully worked out all the details yet...

> * They use a non-standard and cumbersome interface, which might not
> seem like a big issue but it cuts people off usability wise if they
> were presented with a standard interface.

I don't see that as big issue, people are pretty adaptable and
anyway who's to say something like Sugar won't become a *standard*
interface!

> Having said all this I do think there a good idea, if only because
> education can solve so many other problems. 

> Kris

Andrew