Laptops for $100

[red team]

Cheap Laptops For Developing Countries (http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/ptech/08/17/100.dollar.laptops.ap/index.html)

[Janus]

The question is whether these laptops will actually work and remain durable. I hear that's one problem with the crap computers being shipped over to poorer areas.

[afrikaNOW]

The machines will use the free Linux operating system, include flash memory instead of a hard drive and run on electricity created by a hand or foot pump.

I like the linux, but the hand pump?

[apathy maybe]

Where do you think they get electricity from? The hand pump is so they have a reliable source of energy.

And if people want to know more about this, do a search on Slashdot for it, it will turn up heaps of links to articles and comments.

I think it is a good idea and I want one (but a decent colour scheme).

[TheGreatOne]

You cant have one unless you live in a developing country. =P

[ComradeRed]

You can also use batteries or an AC outlet for the energy source, or so sayeth the Wikipedia.

[afrikaNOW]

Originally posted by apathy [email protected] 19 2006, 01:19 PM
Where do you think they get electricity from? The hand pump is so they have a reliable source of energy.

And if people want to know more about this, do a search on Slashdot for it, it will turn up heaps of links to articles and comments.

I think it is a good idea and I want one (but a decent colour scheme).
I mean of course! This would be great for personal use, but how can we get cheaper computers for developing countries for business purposes?

[atlas]

they're not for business, they're for education, the idea is that there are sponsors who would pay for these to be shipped to the children over there. Last I heard on them the hand crank idea was nixed, too expensive, or they might up the price to $200.

[Rollo]

Waste of time and money, the money could be spent on much better things.

[Wintermute]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2006, 01:32 AM
Waste of time and money, the money could be spent on much better things.
Why is it necessarily a waste? In areas where there are no teachers because everyone betwen 18 and 45 has been wiped out through warfare and genocide, shouldn't children be provided with some resource to educate themselves, so perhaps they don't repeat the same pattern when they're considered old enough to fight?

[Rollo]

Yes but the quality of the computers are very poor and who would be providing the software for the laptops? There would have to be some learning software on it for the laptops to be worthwhile and the software would most likely be very biased.

[apathy maybe]

The software is Free Software. The OS is GNU/Linux, and there is plenty of free educational software out there. None of the software is MS or other crap.

It is a great idea, why should only rich people and people in the overdeveloped countries have access to the great things that are computers? The Internet is a wonderful resourse.

ICT is the way forward, the best thing out of the industrial revolution.

[Rollo]

Where are they going to get the software?

[apathy maybe]

It is Free! Goto (for example) http://www.debian.org or http://www.Ubuntu.com (they will send you five (5)! cds for free! or http://www.knoppix.com/ (live CD). And they are just Debian or some Debian based GNU/Linux Distros!

http://www.openoffice.org is Free Software as is Abiword from http://www.abisource.com/

All the software on these Laptops is Free (as in speech and often as in beer as well).

See also the thread about Free Software started by me in 2004 http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php...l=Free+Software (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=25528&hl=Free+Software)
This thread http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php...004&hl=software (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=10004&hl=software)

Open Source Software is similar to Free Software, different philosophy however. Most programs that fit one will also fit the other.

[Rollo]

I don't think these places have the internet. I've been to some reveloping countries and the only place you can get internet access is near the embassys and small areas in the capital.

[atlas]

@ rollo

i remember reading about this a while back. it seems they will either have satelite internet, or an ad hoc network to connect them to their teachers. The only thing that would cost anyone money on this is the hardware--the software is absolutely free.

[apathy maybe]

An update on this! http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060825-7593.html
They are now USD 140 and have a camera ?!

See also the Slashdot discussion http://hardware.slashdot.org/hardware/06/08/26/002217.shtml

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

PT's candidate for governor of sao paulo, mercadante, has today claimed that he will provide this computer for public school kids