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

[Lee Turner]

I think the idea /in principle/ is great.

However, all the press I've read is that 3rd world governments do not want
to buy them as they have bigger things on their agenda

If the units were sold (not to the general public) in more developed
countries, you could ramp up production and drive the cost lower than $100,
thusly making them more attractive to other countries with a little less
cash to splash.

Sure you are taking the long route to getting at your goal, but to me that
would make the most sense.

On 28/11/2007, Andrew Clayton <andrew at digital-domain.net> wrote:
>
> 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
>
>
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-- 
<generic witty comment>
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