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How much of that $99 is the Windows CE or XP license? At those prices, including a non-free OS, it seems too good to be true. Why do they preach open source, yet not got all the way and use an open source OS?
Enough with the toy computers. This race to the bottom is sickening. I understand the third world could benefit from this. I ask though why do they have to get crap? They don't need as much as us, I understand that. Why can't we work on giving them good hardware? We can bail out banks and try to cure aids. I think were more than capable of a better solution and making the economics work.
In the same way, we don't stop digging wells for tiny villages just because we can't supply them with hot and cold running water in every house.
Enough with the toy computers. This race to the bottom is sickening. I understand the third world could benefit from this. I ask though why do they have to get crap? They don't need as much as us, I understand that. Why can't we work on giving them good hardware? We can bail out banks and try to cure aids. I think were more than capable of a better solution and making the economics work.
You do realize, of course, that just 20 years ago, this computer would have been considered "Outrageously over-powered, no individual could conceivably need so much performance/memory" I sometimes wonder why it is that, as individuals, we look at the systems that were shockingly powerful and capable, and now consider them to be "crap."
Enough with the toy computers. This race to the bottom is sickening. I understand the third world could benefit from this. I ask though why do they have to get crap? They don't need as much as us, I understand that. Why can't we work on giving them good hardware? We can bail out banks and try to cure aids. I think were more than capable of a better solution and making the economics work.
I think something you are overlooking is that this is like hardware we used to use 10 years ago. And we (the 1st world) were pretty darn productive with that kind of hardware and the software that could run on it.
There's no reason in the world why something equivalent wouldn't be just as beneficial for the developing world.
>I ask though why do they have to get crap? Because they are poor. Cheap stuff is usually crappy stuff. If your price-point is $99, in an industry where the average is ~$1000, and you want to fit into that low price-point, you end up with low-end stuff - period.
Put another way, a $3000 laptop still costs $3000 (maybe more) in the developing world. There's no "3rd world discount" just because they live in the 3rd world. AND we've already tried subsidizing decent hardware/software through the OLPC program and that hasn't exactly turned out like anybody hoped.
To a rural farmer in Africa who wants to keep track of his harvest schedule, balance the books and gaining access to the Internet so he can comparison shop from seed suppliers, $3000 may as well be $infinity and he'll just continue to muddle along -- heck, $500 may as well be $infinity depending on the case. But $99 is something you can squeeze out of being a bit more frugal on the petrol usage in the tiller for a few months.
Cherrypal 7" Africa mini-laptop (small, slow, sufficient) [C101] $99.00
..The 7" Cherrypal was designed with developing countries in mind.
"Laptop" ... yeah right Smartbook would be better term to describe devices like this. edit: It seems silly to call this laptop when there even is far more powerful phones on the market.
Enough with the toy computers. This race to the bottom is sickening. I understand the third world could benefit from this. I ask though why do they have to get crap? They don't need as much as us, I understand that. Why can't we work on giving them good hardware? We can bail out banks and try to cure aids. I think were more than capable of a better solution and making the economics work.
OK, their next cheapest thing is called the 'Bing' (LOL trademark infringement...), costs $389, and runs an atom with 1GHz and a ~10" screen. Is this closer to what you think is a good base spec? I presume the point you're trying to make is that a computer aimed at the developing world should be x86 compatible so that users will have a realistic choice of software an budding engineers and programmers will have access…
256GB ram? My PC only has 4.
Talk about getting your money's worth!
Also, here's the direct product link: http://www.cherrypal.com/openstore/product_info.php?products...
Only caveat is that battery lasts only for 4hrs. Would have been good if that was expandable to 6hrs or 8hrs (maybe for an extra sum). But it's value for money.
Specs offered sound a lot better than the Wikireader which is also $99 and does lesser than this
Enough with the toy computers. This race to the bottom is sickening. I understand the third world could benefit from this. I ask though why do they have to get crap? They don't need as much as us, I understand that. Why can't we work on giving them good hardware? We can bail out banks and try to cure aids. I think were more than capable of a better solution and making the economics work.
You got a lot of downvotes, but I actually upvoted you since I think that fits within HN's guidelines of a comment that creates a lot of discussion. I think something you are overlooking is that this is like hardware we used to use 10 years ago. And we (the 1st world) were pretty darn productive with that kind of hardware and the software that could run on it. There's no reason in the world why something equivalent w…