COMP 2903 A35 – In Search of a PC for the People Danny Silver JSOCS, Acadia University

Bruce Einhorn Business Week, June 12, 2006

“the next billion” Shorthand for the vast potential market in the developing world where few have PCs Several different perspectives / approaches being taken – Cheap but standard PC – Small, special needs mini-PC (rugged, power) – Cheap thin client – Internet communicator

Organizations / Products Intel Corp – March, 2006 launched “Community PC” Target: Indian villages - $550 How is this going? – Also in March - $ mini-desktop called the Low Cost Full Feature (LCFF) PC Mexico ordered 400,000 fro Nov, 2006 ?? – May, 2006 – ClassMate PC - $400 Have they sold any?

Organizations / Products Advanced Mirco Devices Inc (AMD) – Partnered with HCL to offer PC in India - $200 – Person internet communicator Person internet communicator – How is this selling? VIA of Taiwan – PC-1 business unit (VP – Richard Brown) – Smaller, cooler, quieter, greener - $230 mini-PC – Rugged, power by car battery, solar cell – Did it fly?

Organizations / Products MicroSoft – FlexGo, May 22, 2006 – Interesting financial “rent-to-own”model for PCs in developing countries – PCs work by the hour using a pass card – Does this go into production?

Organizations / Products MIT – Nicholas Negroponte – One laptop per child – TED videoTED video – $100 laptop - good video here as well $100 laptop – How well is it selling? Souel-based Ncomputing Ltd – Thin clients powered by one PC server - $70 – Stop forcing people to use inappropriate IT – Is this product being used?

Question Should computing technology be different for children? Should computing technology be different for developing countries?