The laptop wars - Will charity or profit end the digital divide?

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10489616&CFID=3819273&CFTOKEN=c04adb97ba1e98a4-65D3B20F-B27C-BB00-012B4CE366E50403

by davidw • 19 years ago

14 22 19 years ago

economist.com

eru4• 19 years ago

Profit.

Edit: Why do I read this article on screen? I mean - I have it on paper.. Damn procrastination.

ivankirigin5• 19 years ago

I never understood complaints about the digital divide. I'm all for using cellphone minutes as a micro currency, and rigging a windmill to generate power in the middle of nowhere.

I'm just so much more concerned with the corruption-is-everywhere--i-cant-own-my-own-land--western-trade-barriers-killed-my-crop-yield--my-government-steals-aid divide.

Who cares about laptops when you have problems like that?

sethjohn2• 19 years ago

Laptops provide people the means to educate themselves and communicate with each other in new ways.

Education and communication are among the best tools available to address problems such as fighting government corruption and clarifying land-ownership rights.

ivankirigin5• 19 years ago

I don't doubt that better educated and empowered locals will be able to solve problems better.

It is just remarkably indirect

__2• 19 years ago

"Who cares about laptops when you have problems like that?"

It's not an either-or thing. Technology democratizes.

ivankirigin5• 19 years ago

Yes it is either-or: attention is scarce. We are causing some of the problems in the third world, or at least supporting some bad systems.

When digging your self a hole: Step 1. stop digging

limeade• 19 years ago

How is the OLPC project "charity" when the governments buy the laptops from OLPC just as they would from Intel? The Economist is ridiculous, drawing false distinctions.

davidw2• 19 years ago

The project is being run as a non-profit. The money is to attempt to recoup costs and make the project self-sustaining.

eru4• 19 years ago

Perhaps they should just buy old laptops from eBay add crank generators and software - then pass them on to the third world. That would mean much lower up-front capital requirements. I mean - I could organize such a project in my bedroom.

bp001• 19 years ago

What I have a hard time understanding is why the XO laptops are not sold in the US and other industrialized nations as well as the developing world.

The only reason I have heard is that they don't want to get too "commercial" with these...whatever. Surely economies of scale would kick in and they would be able to drop prices faster and therefore be more successful with the aims of this project?

The laptop wars - Will charity or profit end the digital divide?

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