The mobile phone is one of the most important pieces of technology spreading across the developing world – and it’s changing the way people, communities and business connect with each other in these areas. Outside the US people use phones in a way many Americans can’t really comprehend. In June we argued in the piece The Three Region Theory For Mobile Phones that people have a different relationship to their phones and PCs depending on which one was introduced first to the mass market. Where phones appeared before the PC – as in many developing parts of the world – the phones become the predominant access to the internet – and in some ways the de-facto computer.
Meanwhile, the US designed $100 laptop has been heralded as an amazing product to make change – a device that with its hand-crank-charger would educate and enable the poor in developing countries. It’s been featured everywhere – from design blogs to newspapers and we’ve all been nodding our head that it must be a good thing. This recent post by Cheskin made us think again about whether it’s really that necessary:
In emerging markets, it’s really a question about whether people will need a PC, as mobile phones pick up more and more ability to access the internet, do banking, get info (e.g. crop prices), etc. In India, the number of PCs connected to the internet are less than 5% of the number of mobile phones. Some mobile operators are talking about mobile service being free if the user accepts ads, so that makes a mobile phone even more accessible for the poor.
People in developing countries already have a low price portable computer – it just has a smaller screen and makes a ringing noise. Hey, you can even buy a hand-crank to charge it. Sure, the computers have bigger screens – but if many Americans can work from their smart-phone away from their office PC, why can’t the Indian poor do their homework on their handsets there? Maybe we should be handing out phones not laptops?
Hey, we’re not trying to pooh-pooh an idea that has a lot of backing and great objectives – we just want to create a discussion to ensure that funds aren’t wasted and people’s lives made truly better.
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While the mobile phone is a great tool for some things, is it a better tool for learning?
As your article points out, people do return to their office PC even when they can work from a smart phone.
Good enough is never better than better.
August 7th, 2007 at 9:55 am
I agree with the T.H. Cell phones are useful but you cant think of children doing school work on them for example.
August 7th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
This article is missing the point on what separates a computer from a phone — not so much the screen but the keyboard. You can’t expect people to efficiently word process, program, engineer, architect, compute spreadsheets, etc. with a few tiny punch-buttons. Even bloggers find it difficult to crank out decent posts on so-called smartphones. Given the current state of technology, phones are only good for text messaging, talking, and rudimentary web browsing. And to get a phone that web browses acceptably, you’re going to pay a lot more than $100.
August 7th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Internet connectivity in African cities is poor at best. As you travel beyond the cities the infrastructure deteriorates yet more. Laptops for for internet connection are simply not practical in an environment that often relies on sat phones to communicate from remote locations. There can be no doubt that phone based Internet connectivity is the only way to go in Africa.
Rather than compare how people in the West use their phones perhaps we need to explore the real needs of the communities in question. Access to key information such as health advice for remote villages is much more valuable right now than trying to digitise classrooms. By the time African governments turn their attention to using mobiles for learning, or indeed every school child owns one, the handsets themselves will be able to perform the functions required.
Maybe we need a $5 dollar mobile rather than a $100 laptop?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:49 am
The One Laptop Per Child Project is unique in its aims, motivations and roll out and it should be commended. I agree that mobile phones are opening up banking and communications to normal Africans but to actively discourage the laptop project is misguided and very short sighted.
Developing countries will remain undeveloped if they are not furnished with the tools required to compete with and communicate with the wider world. The mobile phone is revolutionary and will become more important but laptops / raw computing power / PC knowledge is essential for the African continent if we truly want it to develop. Allowing them to transfer money and make calls – not enough.
We need to think big, giving them a mobile phone and telling them to be happy with it (”look, you can type out CVs and spreadsheets using these tiny keys and screens!”) is a somewhat narrow view, in my opinion.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:50 am
$100 laptops are a good idea as Harry said above
“Developing countries will remain undeveloped if they are not furnished with the tools required to compete with and communicate with the wider world”
i agree. Also laptops can run more complex applications.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm