__/ [ Jerry McBride ] on Friday 20 April 2007 01:48 \__
> John Locke wrote:
>
> ----snip----
>
>> I think the program is well intended, however, my main concern would
>> be the lack of electricity. How would they charge the battery and
>> connect to the Internet ? I've traveled extensively in Cambodia to
>> deliver supplies to impoverished rural schools and I have never seen
>> one with power.
>
> The unit is charged by manually hand cranking it's internal generator. No
> need to plug into the power grid, no batteries to replace. As for inet
> connections... it's all wifi and it operates as a mesh... Groups of OLPC's
> are connected automatically and if atlease one of the OLPC's is near a wifi
> internet source, then the whole group is connected...
>
> Truly a dream come true.
I haven't thought about this before, but electricity would prevent Windows
from reaching some of those 4/5+ billion people who do not use a PC. Notice
the announcements from Microsoft yesterday:
* We'll double the market share
* We'll have 1 billion new Windows users
Versus the OLPC folks:
* We seek to bridge the digital divide.
To Microsoft, it's all about the money, the lockin, and control. By the way,
a $3 Windows bundle pretty much tells you that Gates' plans for a cellphone
for developing countries (or OLPC running Windows) went kaput.
Speaking of electricity, didn't Microsoft (or its proxy the Gates Foundation)
buy or invest in some company that's doing powerlines? This might be for
fast Internet, or it may be another example of Microsoft being out there for
money, regardless of businesses focus (just like Google).
Scott Bellware [MVP]: Microsoft is No Longer Software Company...
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft simply isn't in the business of making software anymore.
| It's only in the business of being in business. Pretending to be
| a software company is just a front.
|
| Oh to be president of the board for just one day...
|
| I'm trying to get a free PDF printer installed on Vista...
| What was I thinking? Everyone knows that this kind of functionality
| is only available in some distant future science fiction version of
| Vista... or Windows XP. I think I'm about to become a lover of
| antiques... or Macs.
`----
http://codebetter.com/blogs/scott.bellware/archive/2007/04/17/161949.aspx
--
~~ With kind regards
Roy S. Schestowitz | Othello for free: http://othellomaster.com
http://Schestowitz.com | Open Prospects ¦ PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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http://iuron.com - knowledge engine, not a search engine
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