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Steve Ballmer's $100 PC, Sans Windows
Martin_Flory writes "SolarPC has announced the $100 personal computer. Steve Ballmer's idea for reducing piracy was great after all, since this computer runs on Linux (DSL Distro). 'The design and construction of the SolarLite is consistent with the goal of an environmentally friendly computer. It uses a lightweight, recyclable, aluminum case that has a 20-year warranty. Its VIA chipset based "long-life" motherboard is a "green" lead free product. Like all SolarPC computers, the SolarLite operates on 12 volt DC power and can be run from a solar panel, car battery, or human powered (with a bicycle-based generator). The cool and quiet SolarLite uses approximately 10 watts of energy, just a fraction of what a standard PC consumes.' Sounds amazing right? This could change education all around the globe... a new Information Era is coming, and everyone is invited." The site claims they'll be available next month (minimum order 100,000 units), and promises a demo at SCALE 2005.
VIA may have produced a lead-free motherboard, but VIA abuses its workers and integrates lead into other products.
Ballmer should wake up and license his new PC to American and Japanese companies, particularly those on the SVTC's list of recommended companies.
Well, he wants a 100$ computer... If he's looking for it to be running Windows, he'd better bump that up a bit! :)
No It's a really bad joke on Ballmer.
A few weeks ago Ballmer made the annoucement he wanted $100 PC's for the 3rd world countries. He of course wanted them to run windows.
the joke is that the reason you can't have a $100 pc running windows, is because you need to spend $50 on just Windows. Hardware guys are already running at 1-3% profit per machine, Unlike say MSFT windows and office which are running at somewhere around 400% profit per license sold.
What Ballmer fails to realize is that people will balance that equation out. Both sides should be no higher than 30% Guess who will suffer more?
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
VIA may have produced a lead-free motherboard, but VIA abuses its workers and integrates lead into other products.
So, rather than purchase products which would actually satisfy you when they are available, you will instead continue to shun the company and do without.
If I were the company, and I made an effort to make you happy and then, you, rather than take the opportunity to show me that you are willing to support me when I offer what you want, rather continue to tell me I'm horrible, well, I'd take the impression of:
(a) You're jerks.
(b) There's no pleasing you.
(c) May as well continue what we were doing because we won't be selling to anyone that cares about our increased "green" efforts, anyways.
(d) Let's never try this waste of money again.
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
The company that "makes" these is nothing more than a Navada sales company. There is nothing "revolutionary" about this product, it's a miniITX. BFD. This is not a computer company, and as usual, Slashdot got sucked into a free Slavertisment.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
My point was, if it's $100, minimum order 100,000, then obviously $100 is not going to be the retail price of this machine. Once it goes through distribution and goes to retail outlets, it'll probably double in price.
I also just see a box on their website's illustrations. I don't think $100 includes the cost of the monitor or the keyboard/mouse. So by the time you're done buying those "optional" items and can actually USE the computer, you're looking at maybe $400. Which is the cost of a low end Dell shitbox, which almost certainly has better specs. So I don't see that we've actually gained anything.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Sure, maybe not to lower-middle-income residents of wealthy nations, but where these things might be needed and better suited, a VILLAGE might not be able to afford $100.00.
I very much appreciate the exercise, that of making the cheapest possible PC, but we really need next-to-nothing PCs if they're supposed to liberate as we expect. Otherwise, it's just more throwaway stuff for what the poorest nations would call the "well-to-do."
If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
They have an XP based one on their web site for about $270. It's a Celeron 2.4 Ghz with 128 megs of ram and a 40 gig hard drive, but no monitor. The $200 one they used to have ran Lindows (whatever they are calling now). If you take $270, subtract $60 for XP Home OEM, subtract $20 for a 20 gig drive, and $40 for a power supply, that gets the price down to $150. I'm not sure how much Lindows costs, but if it was $20, then the price is $130 and starting to get really close to the $100 cost of this one, and you can just buy 1. To me, a $100 computer sounds like a perfect Citrix or Web client.
I've been buying Great Quality brand PCs from Fry's, and have been very happy with them. The retail price normally runs from $180 to $220, and it includes a hard drive and a power supply. Yesterday, as a day-after-Thanksgiving promo, they were selling them for $99. I almost went down there to get in line before dawn and snap one up, but my wife said lots of unreasonable things like, "You don't need another computer," and "What's wrong with the computer you have now?"
Find free books.
Why would the reseller need to double the price? If they buy 100,000 units for 10,000,000 dollars, and sell each for 120$, than thats 2 million in profit. And I think the point of this is not to make money for the reseller, but to be used in schools/third world countries, where they can't afford "normal" pc's.
Perhaps becuase it is vapourware?
Could it be that the product does not exist yet, but the "supplier" figured out that it could be manufactured cost-effectively if there were a guaranteed build quantity of 100k units?
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
I've seen Linux-based routers using Sandisk Compact Flash running for years in harsh environments.
The post that informs rubes and maroons that Africa is a continent should not be modded down to flamebait. It is informative -- sad, but true, in this context.
We already have SkypeOut, and SkypeIn is coming soon, and Siemens has those Skype compatible phones (Alternatively there are USB devices for using any phone with Skype)
Combining SkypeOut and SkypeIn means that Skype may finally be viable for completely replacing a traditional phoneline (In eastern Canada we have "naked DSL" with no extra costs, and cable internet doesn't require it either).
I envision taking one of these 100$ PCs and using it as a Skype gateway; SkypeIn and SkypeOut provide incoming and outgoing POTS service, the 100$ PC runs skype, and the phones (Which are wireless, so the base stations can be where the PC is) provide the final link.
Now, the only problem is that SkypeOut charges for local calls, which are normally free (for a monthly fee) here. If you make a lot of local calls, even at the very affordable SkypeOut rates it might become expensive.
If they can take orders at 100,000 units, then they can manufacture them. You're probably right that they're probably only sitting on prototypes right now, but we know they can do it. Either way, they're demoing them at Linux Expo in February.
VIA abuses its workers?
... until you consider that if that factory closed down, she might work 4 hours a day as a child prostitute instead.
Let me ask you something. How badly are they abused? Are their fingers being cut off? Are they having firey bamboo chutes shoved into exit-only orifaces? Are they "made" to work long hours? what constitutes worker abuse, exactly?
Look at this way. Presumably, these people work an abusive VIA factory because for them, currently, _that is the best thing going_.
Yeah, its upsetting that a 10 year old girl might work 14 hrs a day in a factory somewhere.
I think its better for the child to keep on working for nike as opposed to polishing 30 year old men. How about you ?
My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
Welcome to America, Land of the Free (Void where prohibited. Some restrictions apply, see DMCA/USAPA.)
Interestingly, the French government has more power over French citizens than the U.S. Federal Government has over American citizens. The Patriot Act hasn't changed that.
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
400% profit? Can you elaborate please?
400% of what? The purchase price?
I remember back in the 80's a quote by a former Commodore computer exec.. "Computers for the masses, not the classes".
The price point that seemed to be "special" for the consumer (at least back then) was $200 bucks. We have to remember though that at that time when you bought a C64/Vic20 it did not come with ANY storage (sounds a lot like the unit above!) and hardly any apps (a couple of cartridges I think). And for display you hooked it up to a TV.
Why can't that model work now? Are we SO used to having SVGA (or better) and Hard disks that an embedded computer (which is what the C64 and Vic20 was) can't make it?
Over 25 MILLION C64's were produced. The person that can tap that same market again (el cheapo PC) can make $$$$
http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
"You could pay them to ride a bicycle instead. It really makes no difference. "
,etc. I can tell you that if I followed your philosophy I'd have an extremely busy life.
It makes a major difference. If a person is riding a bike to power my computer he is working for me and me alone. This is not a fair or even economic model because I would need huge teams of people on bikes to power my house. To keep a single person in luxury a large number of people would be needed. Because of this imbalance, only a small number of privileged people would have electricity even though a large number of people worked for that electricity.
Consider the local incinerator. They provide power for this entire region. The number of people who can power their entire homes far exceeds the number of people actually required to create that power. This is a far better model because large numbers of people get electricity including those who produced it.
Now, I suppose the next step in your little philosophy is to argue that I could be personally down there shoveling trash into the burner. And I certainly could. But where would I get my food? I don't have the time or stamina for a full time job at the power plant and a full time job on the farm. In addition I'd also need to start working at the Water Works, the oil company, and the waste water treatment plant, and at some point I'd need to learn carpentry so I could build a house.
In addition to those necessities, I'd probably want to get part-time jobs at the Phone Company, The Cable company, The Local Newspaper, the local Dr Pepper bottling plant, etc
I like our current system better than both the slave system where people hire large numbers of people for their own personal use, or your system where everyone does everything themselves. Namely, individual services are provided by a relatively small number of people and offered to a large number of people. This allows everyone to enjoy the benefit of services that they could not personally provide. With the introduction of currency we can keep the whole system at least roughly fair.
Now don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to admit that our current Capitalist system is not perfect and it has many problems, but it is a major step up from rich people hiring large sets of slaves and everyone else being screwed.
Sure 100 bucks is cheap.....but these days you can go online and buy a complete used system for 100 bucks...thats with at least 64 mb ram...10 gig hdd and fairly decent video card and more.
If you want to save the enviroment the best way is to recycle used computers.
Look at this place for example...most everything they sell is used.. computer geeks
I remember the day when that exact same argument was used by the large number of people working to make the electricity when their jobs were made redundant thanks to automation.
Hey wait a second, isn't that same argument STILL used by people today?
It's not a slave system if you're paying them and if they have the option of going somewhere else if they get a better offer.