[Air-L] help on africa and computer donations

[tom abeles]

The question that I would ask here is whether both the Intel and the OLPC 
products as well as Simputer and similar devices might be too late to be the 
"solution". The advent of the Apple Iphone and the emergence from obscurity 
of the Open Moko's   open source linux based Neo 1973 seem to be next 
generation systems following on the heels of the web-enabled PDA's and cell 
phones and similar dual wireless/wifi hand helds.

What also changes the nature of the equation is the running costs for these 
systems. After all, the wireless providers subsidize phones to get the fees 
for service. Its not just the initial capital costs but the entire 
infrastructure costs including band width and support services.

Thus, the argument may be moot except who gets the revenue from the sale of 
devices and/or how they are financed. It would be interesting, perhaps, if 
Chavez took some of his Venezuelan oil revenues and went to either Taiwan or 
China and bypassed the US and its bickering about free market economics.

thoughts?

tom

tom abeles


>From: Paul DiPerna <pdiperna at blauexchange.org>
>Reply-To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
>To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
>Subject: Re: [Air-L] help on africa and computer donations
>Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:19:47 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>
>In terms of who is the politically (or market) connected charismatic 
>operator in this story, I see Barrett as at least the equal of Negroponte, 
>if not more so.
>
>  The report was suggesting Intel's market power and Barrett's political 
>power were preventing a new product (One Laptop) to be distributed in 
>developing countries, and even introduced here in the United States.
>
>  Negroponte was exerting power through discussions with foreign 
>governments.  Barrett/Intel seemed to be doing it both ways - through 
>government channels and business channels.  I don't necessarily see one 
>approach more or less subversive than the other.  Both kinds of activities 
>need to be publicly and intuitively transparent, so consumers or public 
>officials can base their best decisions whichever way.
>
>  And for whatever it's worth, I think Barrett and Intel have done a lot of 
>good the last 5-10 years when it comes to promoting competitiveness and the 
>need for systemic education reform here in the states.  He is a catalyst.
>
>  In any case, all of my blather above is moot.
>
>  In July, Barrett got a seat on One Laptop's board, further concentrating 
>power on how laptop technology will probably flow in developing countries.  
>And maybe this is a good thing for now.. I don't know.  While a market 
>matures in it's early stages, innovation could benefit from this kind of 
>arrangement.  But my gut tells me this is not a good thing for an 
>indefinite amount of time.
>
>
>
>
>
>    - Paul
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Jimmy Wales <jwales at wikia.com>
>To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
>Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 11:25:19 AM
>Subject: Re: [Air-L] help on africa and computer donations
>
>Paul DiPerna wrote:
> > The business/political dynamics at play between the One Laptop
> > Project and Craig Barrett/Intel are interesting.  The CBS report
> > implicitly raises some profound questions about how oligopolies (here
> > in the US. for example) can actually stifle technological progress
> > and the diffusion of an innovation to the masses.  I'm not a business
> > analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but that was one of my
> > takeaways.
>
>My takeaway is the exact opposite: a politically connected charismatic
>operator can hijack the governmental developmental agenda to achieve
>unfair advantage, destroying emerging markets with an inferior and
>frankly absurd product that no one wants or needs... in the name of 
>charity.
>
>--Jimbo
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