Comments on: Do We Really Need A $100 Laptop?

By: PCs Losing Their Relevance In Japan - PSFK.com

PCs Losing Their Relevance In Japan - PSFK.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:19:31 +0000

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By: Product Development

Product Development — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:29:18 +0000

$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.

By: Harry

Harry — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:50:21 +0000

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.

By: Africa: "Keep Your $100 Laptops, We'll Study By Phone!" on PSFK

Africa: "Keep Your $100 Laptops, We'll Study By Phone!" on PSFK — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:20:50 +0000

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By: $100 Laptop » House of Naked

$100 Laptop » House of Naked — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:16:29 +0000

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By: Microfinancing With Semacodes on PSFK

Microfinancing With Semacodes on PSFK — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:00:57 +0000

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By: No Mention Of Mobile Phones In News Of $100 Laptop Problems on PSFK

No Mention Of Mobile Phones In News Of $100 Laptop Problems on PSFK — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:41:10 +0000

[...] PSFK ArticlesDo We Really Need A $100 Laptop?How The Mobile Phone Is Changing [...]

By: Ben Gallagher

Ben Gallagher — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:49:12 +0000

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?

By: Chris Hauser

Chris Hauser — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:16:06 +0000

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.

By: ryce

ryce — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:12:20 +0000

I agree with the T.H. Cell phones are useful but you cant think of children doing school work on them for example.

By: T.H.Reasoner

T.H.Reasoner — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:55:16 +0000

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.

By: Laptop Blog » Do We Really Need A $100 Laptop? - PSFK

Laptop Blog » Do We Really Need A $100 Laptop? - PSFK — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:11:26 +0000

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