One Laptop Per Child pledge

[David Ecklein]

Perhaps I am talking apples and oranges here, in an effort to introduce a
note of skepticism.  Does anyone have more detailed specs on these Model-T
laptops that must be cranked?

Christopher Schmidt in an earlier email did have some informed speculation
(hand-generated power, b/w screen, "not a PC", etc.).  Doesn't sound too
promising in itself.  If the built-in wireless is workable as described,
that would be a mitigation - but would you want to use one?  For a while
some people in the US who could not afford (or didn't want) a computer
bought set-top boxes that would connect to their televisions, just as in an
earlier time, word-processing machines were on the market.  Both of these
over-specialized attempts at dodging the polymorphism of the PC proved
evolutionary dead ends.

Many (but clearly not all) developing countries do have power.  Not always
on, and not always at the same voltage!  I have had some experience of this
in rural Philippines, among the poorest areas in the world.  It seems to me
cheap electricity would trump many other priorities, including provision of
laptops to children in those places.  Has MIT got the cart before the horse?

I have seen very good solar-powered calculators sold at dollar stores.
These might deliver much more educational bang for the buck than a crippled
laptop costing between $100 and $300 as projected.

As for other functions covered by laptops, cheap cell-phone service is
spreading rapidly in developing countries.  Text messaging is arguably more
popular in the Philippines than it is here.  Perhaps there is a Chinese-made
video cell-phone already in the pipeline that might cover many functions
visualized by this MIT project, at less cost.

Finally, no one has mentioned any hard copy in connection with these
projected laptops.  The "paperless revolution" many technophiles heralded
years ago has really turned out to be a slow evolution.  Why should we
expect it to be more instantaneous in developing countries?  Printers and
their ongoing expenses (ink, ribbons, paper, repair or disposal etc) could
swamp the cost of the laptop itself.

I still like the idea of recycling existing PCs; it is a tragedy that they
are being disposed of without due consideration for their educational
potential.  Especially when, in some cases, there are environmental concerns
about their final resting places.

Dave Ecklein


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ted Roche" <tedroche at tedroche.com>
To: "David Ecklein" <dave at diacad.com>
Cc: <rasharpe at earthlink.net>; <gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 8:24 AM
Subject: Re: One Laptop Per Child pledge


> On May 27, 2006, at 10:27 PM, David Ecklein wrote:
>
> > I don't understand this fixation on laptops.  These are commodities
> > for the
> > affluent, costing twice as much when new as desktops.  They have
> > far less
> > upgrade capability, the screens are delicate and hard to repair,
> > the mouse
> > and keyboard are compromises.  The cases are fragile and often have
> > proprietary form factors and parts, inhibiting inexpensive
> > repairs.  The
> > sole asset of a laptop is portability, which many college students
> > have
> > found turns into a liability: they are one of the most stolen items on
> > campus.
>
> The laptops of the MIT project don't have a lot of resemblance to the
> disposable, fragile, overpowered 1st-world toys you find for sale at
> the big box stores. Their design criteria lead them to choose the
> laptop form factor. I haven't followed the project in detail, but I'd
> suspect there were good reasons: portability for personal ownership,
> minimal power consumption, etc.
>
> Ted Roche
> Ted Roche & Associates, LLC
> http://www.tedroche.com
>
>
>