Dear GKD Members: I am working on an article on the Simputer, and would be very grateful if you could spare a few moments to give me your views on the same.
Could you kindly let me know: 1. What is your view of the utility of the Simputer? 2. Is its potential getting eroded by falling palmtop prices? Or is the comparison with a low-cost palmtop unfair to the Simputer? 3. Should a country like India go in for greater hardware innovation? 4. What would you view to the be the main contribution of the Simputer? (i) Low cost (ii) Open-design (iii) Fact that it comes from a Third World country? (iv) Attempt to be friendly to the rural villager? (v) Anything else? 5. We in India have been falling short of the promise of a number of IT-for-development projects? Why do you feel this is so? 6. If you had a say in designing the Simputer differently, what would it be? 7. Simputer has received a whole lot of favourable press coverage. Do you feel this was (i) deserved (ii) undeserved (iii) lesser than deserved? 8. How do projects like the Simputer rate on scalability, software, interface, userability? What is your understanding of the problems and obstacles in taking this from the lab to manufacturing? Why haven't computer companies or other industrialists coming forward to support this? 9. Will the Simputer be able to sell at the sub-$200 price? 10. Any other comments. Thanks a lot. If you could send in the comments by March 12, I'd be very grateful. Frederick. PS: Please visit the http://linuxinindia.pitas.com site below... -- Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa * India 832.409490 / 409783 BYTESFORALL www.bytesforall.org * GNU-LINUX http://linuxinindia.pitas.com Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] * SMS [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Saligao Goa India Writing with a difference... on what makes *the* difference ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, an NGO that is a GKP member*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
