Tue 4 Apr 2006
Intel eyes PCs for developing nations (via news.com)
By Candace Lombardi
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: March 30, 2006, 12:32 PM PST
Last modified: March 30, 2006, 9:00 PM PST
The fully featured, high-quality, low-cost desktop PC platform is aimed at first-time computer users and the design is meant to be carried out by PC makers. The platform was unveiled by Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini at a press event in Mexico as part of Intel’s “Discover the PC” effort.
While Intel has not yet released details, the platform is promised to be small, inexpensive, energy-efficient and reasonably priced for the average developing-nation family, according to a statement.
The desktop PCs will also have high-speed Internet access….
Most consumer PCs are not designed to withstand unusually adverse climate conditions or handle fluctuating power supplies, and that has severely limited their use in parts of some developing countries.
On Wednesday, Intel unveiled in India a fully functional computer called the Community PC. It’s well-equipped to handle adverse conditions, according to Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan.
Intel’s Community PC is designed to withstand temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 85 percent relative humidity, and has a removable dust filter. To keep the motherboard cool, the chassis houses an integrated fan. The computer operates on a “customized power supply unit,” and is designed to consume less than 100 watts while operating, which is another way of keeping the computer’s heat in check.
Intel seems to continue to understand ‘appropriate’ as a function of the technology alone. Their new ‘Community PC’ is designed to withstand adverse operating conditions (good), and to be situated in a kiosk (good) as a shared-access machine (depends on the use). We know that Intel is counting on kiosk owners being about to pay more for (presumably with borrow money) the desktop and so it’ll cost more. That’s okay, according to them, because it’s a source of income. But how? What are people going to do with them? Computers don’t attract users like mosquitos to a light. There is little that is inherently appealing.
The end of this article mentions several Intel pilot projects that have proven to them that this is the way to go. Anyone know which pilots? Are they still around? Simple probability says they’re not.
Update: Today I noticed an article on Wired News about Negroponte’s reaction to Intel and Microsoft criticising the $100 laptop/One Laptop Per Child project. No surprise - the article is entirely about technology. Oddly, the article finishes with a quote from Negroponte: “The hundred-dollar laptop is an education project. It’s not a laptop project.” And yet - where’s the talk about education? Seriously. If it’s out there, please point me to it.
April 5th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
It still makes sense to provide the next generation kids with $ 100 crankable laptops rather than community PCs that will act as no more than showpieces.
Read more on this at
http://india-it-pulse.blogspot.com/2006/03/now-laptops-for-indian-kids.html
VJ
April 5th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
Vijay,
Thanks for the comment. I’m interested in your perspective on two issues:
1. Why do you think the Intel PCs will be mere showpieces, and the $100 laptops will not?
2. What do you forsee as the sustaining uses of the laptops? What are the things that will keep kids involved and active with their laptops once the novelty has worn off?
May 7th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
Sorry, was out of cyberspace for a few weeks.
1. When we are speaking of Intel PCs, we must remind ourselves of the fact that these are community pieces. Each community will have access to one of these. A community pc would be focussed on maintaining land records, e-payment for services, content delivery ,etc and would target the 25+ group. This group of individuals would already nearing the end of their abilities to grasp technical aspects and turn techno-literate. They would need a person who is already techno-literate to help them derive the full usage of the system.
The $100 PC is targetted at children who I think will be more receptive to what a PC can do for them and will grow up with a complete understanding of what a PC can do to transform their lives.
On hindsight, I feel both kinds of PCs might be necessary in different degrees to ensure progress.
2. Pure content is what will sustain the children’s interest in these PCs. This is where I feel providing mere laptops might not help. Either Media Labs must push new content every 2 months or so via the Net or ensure that the children get Internet access so that they can browse for kid content on the information highway.