Taran Rampersad wrote:
I think that this link may also be useful on the Solo:
http://www.explan.co.uk/solo/ ...It's really a good looking system and
one I wouldn't mind getting my hands on to look at further.
...
I'd like to hear
how these systems are being used by people...
If you click on the link there to "markets" you'll see some photos
(taken in 2002, when I was in Oke-Ogun with the head of the design team
for Mark 2 prototype field testing). We were using it, with a satellite
phone, for email. This was quite something in an area with precious
little electricity and far from the nearest telephone network - hence
the doctor in the photo coming to us to ask if he could send an email,
and save himself a journey of several hours to the nearest cyber cafe. I
think the specs may relate to the Mark 2.
Cost is also a question mark.
My understand is that it's not cheap - but that total cost of ownership
is competitive. Plus you have a computer that is genuinely designed for
the realities of local needs and conditions, developed in collaboration
with local people, and you have all the benefits of technology transfer
and various kinds of local positive spin-offs.
This is really a very cool project...
I think so - and so do the health workers, teachers, community
development activists and others I know who have had the chance to see
it working in rural Nigeria
As I understand it the design team are holding back commercial
production until they can get *local* investment - so that there is full
local control and financial benefit. Then what would help would be a
full order book. I could be speaking out of turn here as I am not
directly involved now - just interested because I helped to make some
initial introductions - and remembering discussions I was part of back
in 2002.
As I understand it the ideal would be a project or two that would take a
set number of computers per month for the first year. Imagine the
benefit to a business start-up if there was a schools project, or health
project, or some NGO order that could be relied on to take the computers
it had ordered and pay promptly.
If a philanthropist was around to donate the four room factory/show room
that is needed then I imagine that would be a great help in kick
starting the project too - but that is just my idea. The business plan
we were discussing in 2002 required a building with four main rooms
(plus toilet/wash-room) - office/private meeting room, "clean" assembly
room, "dirty" assembly room/store room and showroom/customer training
room. The cost would be trivial by "developed" world standard - but is a
huge challenge to the Nigerian team trying to start the business.
.... and one I am glad you
brought to the fore ....I think perhaps I'll do some more digging into these
things.
Please do. I think you travel a lot - maybe you could visit Fantsuam
Foundation some time to see for yourself. I'm not suggesting you ask
them to pay your expenses - but if you did decide to travel in that
direction I am confident that I could introduce you to people who would
give you a great welcome and every help in arranging an interesting stay .
The solar aspects are something I am practically exploring at this time.
Something that fits with this is also this: http://www.biodesign.org.uk/
That is good stuff too - on a totally different scale. You can see
assembly of that being tried out at Fantsuam too.
There is plenty of solar energy in Nigeria - the previous Nigerian High
Commissioner used to describe it "God's own kilowatts". That's why we're
also teaching people about solar cookers and solar cooking.
I recognise that this discussion is wandering off topic - but this
thread moved some time ago into "the context" of technology - not just
the technology itself - and in CAWDnet everything is inter-related -
what we teach/learn and how we teach/learn it - ICT4D - education and
training (formal and informal) - appropriate technology - effective
systems for communicating information - people from different cultures
"rubbing minds" - learning from each other - using ICTs to overcome
limitations of physical distance - F2F training and ODL (open and
distance learning) - hardware .. the Solo ... software .. FOSS. We are
concerned with all aspects of effective teaching/learning systems -
content, study-skills, technology.....
Pam
Pamela McLean
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
CAWDnet convenor
www.cawd.info
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