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Simputer Runs Into Problems
dejaffa writes "It seems that an Indian Linux-based "computer for the poor" is having financial issues. This has implications for the world digital divide. The story is here (MSNBC, I know, I know). There were originally great hopes for it, as seen here, but money is proving to be the stumbling block."
Realistically they could use paved roads for more benefit of the people. Although when you consider this country has nuclear missles and horrible infrastructure you have to wonder where their priorities are focused.
While I can certainly understand the desire to get technology "to the people," I do have to wonder about the uses.
It is nice to think that a farmer could use such a device to get prices on equipment and such from around the world, however, what good will it do them? They still will probably be forced to buy what is easily provided.
Instead, this seems like a case where people are just hoping that a computer can magically fix so many problems. I don't understand it, how exactly is the computer supposed to be the answer that solves world poverty?
Should we not instead look to get more usefull technology to these farmers and other poor nations? Technologies that can in fact help them lead healthier more productive lives? Hell, a simple education could probably work wonders for many of them.
-josh
Computers aren't cheap. They never have been. When it comes to food, shelter, medicine, or computers, what do you think has the lowest spending priority for a poor person?
-evan
What this company (and a lot of others) fail to realize is that the market for hi-tech devices isn't there until more basic needs are met. This goes for pretty much all third-world nations. There's no point in providing people with new technology when the "old" technology - indoor plumbing, running (clean) water, etc. isn't available to everyone yet. Solve the basic problems first, and only *then* try to sell them computers.
I think $200 is still too expensive to be of much use to craftsman and farmers. And what happens when one of these things breaks and you lose all your inventory information or records of who owes you what? I think paper and pencil is probably a much better use of people's time. People should be taught how to use computers in schools, but it does them a disservice to tell them they really need these machines. I fear this is just another way big companies wish to tell people how to live their lives and have gotten the intelectuals to prmote their agendas.
Reminds me of the big chemical companies promoting pesticides in the third world thus putting entire populations and countries into debt.
Don't fall for this crap. If it is a choice between a computer and a cleaner water supply, then go for the water.
A Simputer used to get on the internet and check land records has nothing whatsoever to do with poor people and whether they will subsitute computers for food. This is for mid level people, probably state employees who are sent out to do a job, it's for urban shopkeepers who need to check something online or students who nead and educational tool. In India that's MILLIONS of people.
The idea that the vastness of India is nothing but barfoot rice farmers and water buffaloes is frankly, insulting.
Not everyone in India is a farmer - in fact it is one of the booming IT market among poorer nations. I went to India 14 years ago, and when a friend of mine who went there recently sent me photos, I was astounded to see the number of "Internet" and "e-mail" signs in the streets. Things have evolved so fast over there! You see, India is trying to go from an agrarian/industrial society to a digital one. In fact, a lot of Western companies outsource some of their coding to India. It seems Indians have a cultural knack for programming and mathematics.
If they feel like they need computers, then they need computers. The first world trying to decide what the third world needs has rarely worked, like trying to sell heavy farming equipment to people used to work their fragile soil with animal-powered equipment. Since it cost so much to maintain and repair, these expensive agricultural machines often end up collecting dust. In this particular case, I think recycling older computers (i.e. Pentium I and II) and giving them away to poorer nations which want them is a great idea. After all, they are the ones most aware of what their needs are...
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The really do have troubles.
First, a tornado hit the factory. Then the workers rioted because local taxes are so high. As soon as that got fixed, the earthquake hit. What could possibly happen next, an alien invasion?!?!
There are 01 kinds of cars in the world. The General Lee, and everything else.
If you just keep supplying them with the basic necessities, you're not giving them a way out of poverty. If you can provide them with the tools to participate in a booming digital market (in South-East Asia, anyway), then you've done more than help them survive: you've given them a future.
India is becoming a digital nation, with more and more Western companies outsourcing some of their coding needs there. If people in India feel like they need more computers, then we should believe them. Acting otherwise would be paternalistic, to say the least.
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While a noble initiative, this won't work. "Rural" folks don't need computers. They've gotten along without them just fine before now, why mess with them? As far as I know, there is no killer app that would make an Indian subsistence farmer ache to have access to a computer. When a killer app comes along, some enterprising company will then fill the market need. And there will be no need for a group of academics to shove the things down "Rural" folk's throats.
In particular, the licensing terms from simputer.org are unfavorable to very small commercial operations: Any commercial exploitation of the Specifications (whether Simputer or Simputerized) involves a nominal one time payment to the Trust. The payment will be $25,000 for developing countries and $250,000 for developed countries.
So, what about a smaller kit company in a developed nation, such as Jameco or others? They're almost certainly not going to spend $250K for a Simputer license. But if kit vendors were allowed open access to the plans, specifications, PC board layouts, etc. we could see enough hobbyists building and using Simputers to create a small revolution.
At least, the royalty should be graduated according to the company's current size and profitability.
My point: sometimes, drawing a hard line in the sand between "noble" non commercial use and "lowly" commercial exploitation is silly, and I can think of innumerable examples in the world where lack of profit motive and strong armed egalitarianism ruined a market.