[geeks] Hey, it's cheaper than an iPhone...

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

On Thu, Jul 12, 2007 at 06:59:46AM -0500, Lionel Peterson wrote:
> Crud - you saw the smiley, right?

Yes, I'm sorry if I offended you, I just wanted to join in. 

> OLPNWC - One Laptop Per Non-White Child?

An interesting name. Not PC, and not 100% correct, but close.
 
> Asus Eee is $199/$299, dependent on FLASH RAM amount (4 or 8 Gig) and
> screen size (7" or 10") - I didn't mention the screen size difference
> earlier...

That's not bad. Considering they have to make a profit at the plant, the
distributor has to make a profit and so does the retailer, it's not
bad. 

It's not cheap enough to be given away to poor people, but I'm sure
that's not it's focus. Even at that price an organization like CARE
can afford to buy them and hand the out one per village, which is a big
deal. I don't know the details of the unit so it may not be appropriate
for many places.

> He's not giving them away either, and his smallest order size is
> several hundred thousand units at $150 (est.) each piece.

Ouch. I expect that an NGO like CARE could distribute a hundred to villages
in Africa and Asia as the "village computer", and if they suddenly became
rich, many more and some to microenterprenuers. CARE is different among
charities as they no longer focus on the famous CARE package of food, they
focus on technology and and supplies to help poor people help themselves.

For example, a computer to be used as the villiage library, complete with
many volumes on farming, building, etc would be welcome, while a computer
so that kids could "surf the web", watch the Simpsons or so on would
not. 

Bryson wrote about them and the book was turned into a TV show by the
BBC.

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 
Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/