Intel Unveils PC for Developing Nations 194
Poppler writes "Intel has announced it will produce a PC aimed at developing nations, the 'Community PC.' Instead of giving out minimal PCs to as many individuals as possible, Intel wants to sell these machines to 'kiosk owners' who will rent out use to their village. Price TBA. How does this stack up against the $100 laptop, in terms of helping the developing world?"
Q. What's new here? (Score:3, Interesting)
Intel's talking about "Kiosk" PC's - has noone from Intel ever travelled to a developing nation? PC's in Kiosk mode are everywhere allready.
What intel really need to do, is make a cut-down macbook style notebook and take Steve Jobs [silicon.com] up on his generous offer to help third world children.
Re:Q. What's new here? (Score:3, Interesting)
Most consumer PCs are not designed to withstand unusually adverse climate conditions or handle fluctuating power supplies, and that has severely limited their use in parts of some developing countries.
Intel's Community PC is designed to withstand temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 85 percent relative humidity, and has a removable dust filter. To keep the motherboard cool, the chassis houses an integrated fan.
Wild power fluctuations (and frequent power outages) are quite commm
Re:Q. What's new here? (Score:2)
When I visited Thailand, they had cheap internet cafes everywhere with decent desktop computers that were great for e-mail, web use and basic office applications. Visitors like me used them of course, but most often they are used by local people without computers. The price was around $1 an hour which makes it v
Re:Q. What's new here? (Score:2, Informative)
All three countries (Uruguay, Argentina and Chile) already have a similar plan, also sponsored by Intel - see http://www.mipcuruguay.com.uy/plan_antecedentes.ht m [mipcuruguay.com.uy] , but I'd say that it
Re:Q. What's new here? (Score:2)
Terrorists... (Score:1, Troll)
Just what the world needs (Score:4, Funny)
In some ways, quite useful. In others, not. (Score:1, Insightful)
Okay, maybe these PCs will be located where there is a reliable power supply. That's not much use for many of the uses the $100 handheld PC will be used for though - education, textbook provision, assistance (e.g., farming techniques for farmers in the field).
There's no reason that this cannot co-exist, but it seems that Intel will pay $50m to the countries to get a strangle
Re:In some ways, quite useful. In others, not. (Score:2)
But, hey. The US doesn't matter. We're just a bunch of imperialist assholes out to make a buck, you know.
Re:In some ways, quite useful. In others, not. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:In some ways, quite useful. In others, not. (Score:2)
Library computers are excludable - only one person can use each at a given time. You end up with tragedy of the commons type situations, with people waiting to use the library computers. You don't have that with the $100 laptop.
Seriously, these things are about the price of a TI-86, and a lot more useful. They'd be great for american high-school and middle-school students. I don't see why the a
Re:In some ways, quite useful. In others, not. (Score:2)
I've yet to see a working model of the $100 laptop. You get to the $100 price point only with massive government subsidies. If at all. Remember the Linux Simputer? Which ended up costing much more and delivering much less than what was promised.
Been there seen that... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:2)
Only a dollar??? (Score:2, Insightful)
You can provide food and clothing for a child in a developing nation for a few cents a day, but they have money to pay for internet pr0n? They need to stop spending their money on teh internets and buy some damn food then. I'm glad I didn't sponsor one of those spoiled little kids then if they are just gonna use it to get internet access to send me spam.
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:2)
Granted, Mexico is not as bad as other countries "overall", if you go to places like Chiapas or Yucatan peninsula (I grew up there in a city called Campeche) you certainly can see all "bells and whistles" of a undeveloped country, like misery and poverty and all that. Btw, just as a interesting information, of
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:2)
"como dato final -y nomas para el breviario cultural- la cifra de pobres extremos practicamente coincide con la del numero de habitantes indigenas"
The quantity of extreme poor people (misserables) is very similar to the one of the indigenous people.
All this information is from a friend that is making his PhD in sustainable development of the Chiapas zone (Selva Lacandona). Somewhat I know his information is right.
Re:Been there seen that... (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, this is quite complex, I believe there are programs developed to help the poors. Although the taxation systems are *not* developed to do this (we have a 15% V.A.T.). Also, unfortunately we do have a lot
this is actually more realistic. (Score:1, Insightful)
Hopefully either of the projects can become real.
Re:this is actually more realistic. (Score:2)
Missing the point again (Score:5, Insightful)
Now, if they're building a kiosk, then the lest they can do is make the machine fnction in multiseat mode. This is possible both using Linux and windows.
But then again, that would translate to lower Intel sales, so I guess this is just another case of developing markets being receptacles for unworkable ideas developed by some guy in a suit in NY or CA whose idea of field visits involve brave runs down to the mall.
Re:Missing the point again (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Missing the point again (Score:4, Insightful)
Fact: The availability of relatively reliable electricity does not translate to ubiquitous computer literacy. Computers are too expensive.
Fact: The urban population can contribute to bridging the digital divide just as well as the villager can (arguably better; sorry, it's economics)
Fact: Speaking more pragmatically now, it's more effective to work on computer literacy in urban areas and in Egypt, the percentage of urban to total is high and is increasing rapidly.
Fact: People with lower standards of living do not regard a computer as anything vital when compared to water, access to fair markets for produce, etc.
Now, a hand-cranked machine doesn't target this market as much as the rural areas, true. Which makes it, ultimately...
An ineffective tool of socio-economic development through technology
I do this for a living. I know. I've seen too many moronic ICT4D projects to let your comment slide.
Sorry for being abrasive; it wasn't intentional. There's just too much techno-fancy-pants'ing in ICT4D these days.
Re:Missing the point again (Score:2)
No, you don't seem to know. First, one don't need to power the laptop with the cranck, he can just plug it to the grid, like any onther eletronic product. If you where whatching it closer, you should know that.
Second, better information for the rural population of most 3rd world countries is very important. Almost all countries on the world need the agriculture to sustain its economy (even at the 1st world), and improving rural productivity is a known way to boost urban development (just economics).
Third,
Re:Missing the point again (Score:2)
Geeks confuse access with understanding.
Agricultural extension agents in the US had a century of experience learning how to communicate with farmers who were unlikely to have had more than a grade school education.
You want to be effective, you need people on the ground.
Re:Missing the point again (Score:2)
"Now, a hand-cranked machine doesn't target this market as much as the rural areas, true. Which makes it, ultimately [...] An ineffective tool of socio-economic development through technology[.] "
Full marks for arguing from fact and direct observation. It feels like a blessing to see this. I will take issue with your conclusions, though.
But first, credit where credit is due. Your arguments about focusing on urban areas is valid and I too have seen good results from starting there. Someone else argued ab
Re:Missing the point again (Score:2)
It cant much use for downloading pron as one you would need a free hand
Re:Missing the point again (Score:3, Insightful)
Did I say it would? It won't. Not here.
Also, your trickly down comment is ignorant. As one of the elites of Egypt, I am sure you are unaware of the needs of the poor.
1. Ad hominem isn't constructive.
2. Without giving out my bank statement on
3. I think I have a good idea of what low-income Egyptians need. It isn't that difficult to tell. If they're dying of bilharzia, then
AMD's 50x15? (Score:3, Interesting)
Do the developing countries need these ? (Score:4, Insightful)
I would have thought that other infrastructure is more important to developing nations than having access to a PC.
Re:Do the developing countries need these ? (Score:2)
Personally, I'm astonished how horribly expensive each of these projects is turning out. Low-end CPU, RAM/Flash, B&W LCD screen, small battery, motor and crank, etc. I can't imagine why nobody is making (fully capable) ~$30 computers.
Even in the USA, I can buy a $10 digital camera, with most of the abov
Some people do (Score:2, Interesting)
I have a friend who just finished her bachelors degree in computer science, what's really strange is that she doesn't own a computer -- she never has. I still can't wrap my head about that, I don't understand how you can learn computer science without one to abuse.
Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why? (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm a medical student and a technophile. I studied part of my third year clinicals in a third world nation with Doctors without Borders. Quite frankly, people who keep pushing for computers to be put into 3rd world nations don't seem to actually visit the poorest (and hence the most populous parts) of those places. The fact is that even a $100 put towards a computer can be better put towards generic versions of prescription drugs. Clean water, food, medical care and education are
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
I have been to several developing countries. And they all had clean, accesible water, sanitation, roads, indoor plumbing in most homes, hospitals, schools, elec
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Your argument can be restated like this "we should not help any african with anything until all africans have clean water and food and are not starving". That's a noble sounding argument but it's wrong. There are people in the US wh
Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
So on education he would agree with you, however, access to text-books and information is of course the number one requirement for education. Giving people water, food, medical care etc is of course also extremely important. However, I'm reminded of the proverb by Maimonides [wikipedia.org]: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Re:Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
The fact is that even a $100 put towards a computer can be better put towards generic versions of prescription drugs. Clean water, food, medical care and education are more important than any internet connection, laptop, or cellular phone. Unfortunately, Slashdot folks don't get it.
I have been downmodded many times on this forum for saying as much. Nice to hear it from someone with experience.
Re:Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
Come on... all they need is a computer and a local Chrisitian church missionary base to teach them they are poor since they don't accept Christ. Right?
Black humor aside, computer *is* education. This is 2006, networking is not just for porn and chatting anymore, Internet is by far the fastest way to educate yourself on
Anonymous coward? (Score:2, Interesting)
Educated how? About what? So your way is that everyone learn to read and write but no computer skills? Nothing beyond basic farming techniues? Tou must think there is no such thing as the EMERGING FUCKING DEVELOPING WORLD? Ever heard of it? Not everyone is starving and dying. This laptop is so that EMERGING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES can gain the skills to enter the economically advance world faster.
Re:Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_18/b3627035.ht m [businessweek.com]
Sure the money spent for building a cell phone infrastructure could go for buying drugs, but when you only give food and medecine, people cannot help themselves to get out of poverty. Give the tools
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Straw argument, nobody's pushing for computers to be placed in the poorest places. If you've ever read the statements of the institutions pushing low-cost computing for developing nations, you'd realize that.
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Consider this. Medical bills are infinite in scope. Disease is constant, and even in the West where we have truly vast resources to throw at the problem there are still people dying because they cannot afford the drugs to treat their conditions.
So, I am sceptical of any argument that says "There are still people in the world dying! Let's not do anything else until this is solved". There are many populations in the wor
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Quite frankly, people who keep pushing for computers to be put into 3rd world nations don't seem to actually visit the poorest (and hence the most populous parts) of those places.
I think you're right, but I also don't think this thing is for the poorest 3rd world nations. Like I said in a previous post "the developing nations" is a diverse group, and throwing them all together into one category can be very misleading. It seems to me that this PC is designed for countries like Mexico where they're going to
Re:Why? (Score:2)
The more interesting question here (Score:1)
bill gates (Score:1, Funny)
Help the developing world (Score:5, Insightful)
1) Convince the Muslim clerics in Nigeria that the polio vaccine is not a Western conspiracy to kill off Muslims.
1a) Fix polio.
2) Stop the hysteria over genetically modified food, so that people can grow 'golden rice', rice modified to produce beta carotene, so that people who live only on rice, at least get some nutrition from it.
3) Provide real birth control options for developing nations.
4) Stop pouring money into China.
5) Get the French out of the Sudan, so that the UN can actually fix the problems there.
1001) Get them all laptops, so that the power of the Internet can Change Their Lives.
Seriously folks, stop the laptops-for-everyone circlejerk, and fix the real problems.
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
Re:Help the developing world (Score:5, Insightful)
Lets see, high on a rational priority list would be (just off the top of my head here):
Contrary to popular belief, "the developing world" isn't a single place, but a vastly different collection of places and people at differing levels of development.
Help is also not a zero sum game. It's not as if Intel not doing this kind of development opens up greater possibilities for priorities 1-5 in your numbering scheme.
Is this something that can help some people in developing countries? I really don't know. But attacking the idea on the premise that there's other people with other problems is really missunderstanding the entire situation.
Re:Help the developing world (Score:3, Insightful)
Do you expect Intel to work on fixing the polio vaccine and "stop the hysteria over genetically mofified foods"?
The people who work on these issues aren't just an entity called "folks", they are different organisations capable of addressing different issues. MIT and Intel are doing what they are specialised in: provide access to information, processing power.
Let's not nag them for doing what they can do, instead of what t
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
Re:Help the developing world (Score:3, Insightful)
On every article on technology development, there is always someone who comes up with similar arguments.
*sigh*
Just why? I mean, do you really think that development should happen only if everything else falls into place?
Hell, the US has its own set of problems - are you going to stop everything and everybody from coming up with and using technology until they are all solved. Development is not a single task, nor is it for a single place.
Often, development is the coming together of a lot
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
1a) Fix polio.
Right On.
2) Stop the hysteria over genetically modified food, so that people can grow 'golden rice', rice modified to produce beta carotene, so that people who live only on rice, at least get some nutrition from it.
Except that Monsanto and ADM also modify the grain so that it's sterile, meaning if you want to plant a new crop you cannot use seed from the previous one. You mus
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
If the land is capable of growing high quality food, then that's what should
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
Maybe if the people of Nigeria had access to the Internet, and therefore schools of thought outside of what the clerics tell them, they'd be able to persuade their leadership to allow polio vaccinations to proceed -- or, depose them and replace them with leadership that DOESN'T kook out over public health issues. So there's a solution to #1 and #1a right there.
Knowledge is similarly helpful in solving all the other problem
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
People, like Greenpeace, oppose Gold Rice because they believe it is a "Trojan Hourse" technology... that Golden Rice will legitamize GM food products, and Greenpeace opposes all GM products regardless of the use.
The anger at GM foods comes from highly subsidized (and often very wealthy) European farmers, who have been looking for a reason to ban foods outside of Europe to protect their market. It IS a
Re:Help the developing world (Score:2)
W T F!
*blinks in confusion*
Care to explain?
Issues and Specs (Score:4, Insightful)
From the article: Intel's Community PC is designed to withstand temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 85 percent relative humidity, and has a removable dust filter.
See, this is a concrete example of the intelligent engineering behind this particular PC For The Poor. Negroponte's $100 laptop has a hand crank for powering it, but I do not recall hearing how it handled heat and humidity. (maybe he said somewhere but I don't see it)
Still, as someone who works for an international nonprofit that works to improve healthcare delivery systems in "Third World" countries... I am afraid that we are putting our attention and investments into some of the lesser problems. Can you e-mail food to a starving person? Can HTTP protect you from malaria? Honestly it's not the end user who needs reliable computing power and Internet access; it's the medical professionals, ministries of health, NGOs, etc., who need up-to-date information and communication capabilities.
another thought (Score:2)
Another thought: apparently "The Community PC, according to Kwan, will also include a printer port." Will the ink and paper resist heat, humidity and sand, too? A printer requires consumables... more work, more cost, more to break.
Re:Issues and Specs (Score:2)
"See, this is a concrete example of the intelligent engineering behind this particular PC For The Poor."
With respect, you couldn't be more wrong. If you've spent any time trying to operate electronic equipment in remote, tropical areas, you'll know that moving parts are the problem. Adding more moving parts - in fact, making the health of the system depend on them - is... how shall I say it nicely? Not an entirely appropriate response.
"Negroponte's $100 laptop has a hand crank for powering it, but I do
Whoah. (Score:3, Interesting)
Someone needs to hit these people with 2x4s.
Let's see now. If I want to help people in the third-world.. hmm. Well, they obviously aren't starving, have -spectactular- medical care, there's no problem with HIV, and we made sure they all have clean water and nice 2-story ranch houses. Crime is at an all-time low and there aren't -any- despots or tyrannical dictators that let American corporations in to use their citizens as dirt-cheap overworked labor for pennies.
So, lets get them all cheap, ubiquitous computing.
(You show me a man who can eat a $100 laptop, and I'll show you someone who needs affordable health care)
Re:Whoah. (Score:2)
Humm, would you be surprised if I tell you that the answer to most of those question
Re:Whoah. (Score:3, Funny)
A combination of the two approaches (Score:4, Interesting)
As regards medical supplies and the like: there is no doubt that this money could be used for other things. I do not venture an opinion as to which is right or better; everyone has their own agenda and beliefs. I suppose the idea behind the computers is education. Many experts think that education is really the only long-term solution to these over-populated countries and that through education we can begin to turn the overwhelming tide. Just throwing money at the problem is not a solution, but that is what is done at first (in the form of drugs and/or laptops) and then the hope is that some sort of training or education will come along with it and remain long after. I wish them all luck
How important is the CPU? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:How important is the CPU? (Score:2)
These ARE companies after all folks, not martyrs.
Addition to other community things... (Score:3, Funny)
Apparently everyone wants a slice of the "manure powered apparatus" pie. I've got to go find out what I can put into a developing nation and get powered by manure (thus providing more jobs for their fragile manure based economy).
poor idea (Score:1)
Third world needs help... (Score:2, Insightful)
You need to check your facts... (Score:2)
http://www.redcross.org/sponsors/corporatelist.htm l [redcross.org]
Among them:
Dell = $1 million annually plus matching up to $1 million in employee donations
Intel = $1 million annually plus matching up to $1 million in employee donations
How much money have you given to charitable organizations this year? Was it even $5???
Big brand bullshit (Score:3, Insightful)
DONATE your old PC. [computeraid.org]
Stop being a let's catch the headlines bullshitter and adress the PROBLEM instead of YOUR CORPORATE EGO.
Re:Big brand bullshit (Score:2)
if DOS/win 3.11/95/linux/Mac os pre-X were good enough for 20 years why the hell aren't they good enough for people who don't know the difference?
Re:Big brand bullshit (Score:2)
yeah, right, because a 386 can't compile C code, and Microsoft word 1986 (you get what I mean) won't be able to print out letters.
Is the point of this computer to teach software skills? No, it's to aid efficiency and productivity, something any Pentium I can help you achieve.
Developing Nations = Permanent Poverty (Score:4, Insightful)
Now why is that? Shouldn't they be developed enough to create wealth and an educated populus? It seems to me that they are kept in poverty to suit the needs of other countries that exploit them. I hope a PC will help them, but I doubt it. Things need to change on a global economic scale first, then these nations might have a chance at creating a 'first world' society.
Mil-Spec PC (Score:2)
Smoke and Mirrors (Score:2, Flamebait)
Intel, on the other hand, knows a few things about actually shipping product.
Priorities (Score:2)
He has a pile of money to through around. He's throwing it at two things: the smaller portion at improving educational resources in the US, and the larger portion of it to help provide immunizations in the third world.
He made choices - first world | second world | third world. High tech | MS shilling | honest good.
You could be cynical and think he's doing it to aggrandize himself - but he's up there with Elvis,
Re:Priorities (Score:2)
His plan is to drop/donate $1.5B on immunization programs and employ nearly 300 people in a foundation just so he can gain back the taxes on that money?
And that $1.5B generates business for drug companies so he can get a dividend on that increased business?
That's the plan you envision for making more money?
Pure Marketing Stunt... (Score:4, Insightful)
Does the children at these nations need computers? Pehaps...
Does they need better EDUCATIONAL and WEALTH DIVISION policies? You can bet it!
I live at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And I can tell you that most of the children here already has acces to computers. But they don't use them to study, they prefer to user them to play Counter-Strike.
Distribute free computers among the poor populations, and dump them at public schools has NO USE when the average teacher is underpaid... When there arent enought schools... When there is no social programs to make sure the children stay at school... When lots of children go to the local drug dealers to make money, because their mother are unenployed... When these children has a drunken dad, or no dad at all!
Don't get me wrong. I think that it would be fantastic if every children here at Rio de Janeiro, or at Brazil, has access to a computer. But the problem is, nobody is thinking what these children will do with these computers! How they fit within the current brazilian school model?
Computers are not the priority right now. And I gues this is the same situation on every other developing nation. Lets get the basic stuff first, like EDUCATION, and JOBS, and HOUSING... Then the governaments can start giving away free computers to garantee some more votes on the next election.
Just my $0.02
Re:Pure Marketing Stunt... (Score:2)
Lets get the basic stuff first, like EDUCATION, and JOBS, and HOUSING
I think EDUCATION and HOUSING are part of JOBS. If the average person has money from a good job, the education and housing thing works itself out. When people are poor, well then of course they don't have access to many of the things they need.
If I was benevolent dictator of the world, I would ignore all the rest and focus my attention on creating good jobs.
Re:Pure Marketing Stunt... (Score:2)
With all due respect, they need better EDUCATIONAL and WEALTH CREATION policies, and equal opportunity to participate in the wealth creation process. C'mon world, it's about time we left the welfare state and its class warfare bs behind us. That meme has run its course and shown that all it can achieve is making everyone equally poor, except the few corrupt politicians who control the wealth and production of a country.
What's the point? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What's the point? (Score:3, Insightful)
100.00 laptop (Score:4, Insightful)
I think it's a good place to start... (Score:2)
It seems from many of the responses that this is already the way computers and the internet are accessible in many developing countries.
I think the kiosk idea is good because it provides a centralized location for maintenance and support of the devices. The target audience won't be able to maintain their systems initially.
Steve
Intel and priorities (Score:2)
You're right.
Pharmaceutical companies should be doing ever more to handle the issue of medication in the third world.
Educational organizations should be doing ever more to teach in the developing world.
Food producers should be doing ever more to deliver much needed food to the developing world, and agricultural engineers should be doing ever more to enhance the
It's been done before! (Score:2)
Spock: "It appears to be a prototype for something known as a 'Community PC'. If memory serves, it was part of an ill-fated attempt by manufacturers and content providers to support higher prices and perpetuate certain legacy technologies."
Kirk: "Why didn't they just put some Linux PCs into a library and let it go at that?"
Spock: "Ultimately, the library was deemed superior to the Community PC. Logic woul
Just what the third world needs... (Score:2)
I have another term for them. Leeches.
That's one fast computer (Score:2)
Adjective, not present partisciple. Gotcha.
-- n
How about both together? (Score:2)
Rather than presenting them as alternatives or competitors, I'd suggest viewing them as "better together than alone".
The major purpose of the $100 laptop is as an educational tool for people without access to libraries or other information sources. Without a disk, it's mainly a network terminal. To function as one requires network connectivity, which is rare in most of the developed countries, and nearly nonexistent
Re:How does this stack up against the $100 laptop. (Score:1)
-1 stating the obvious, maybe.