OLPC to help AMD step into emerging markets?

[Steve]

Can a $100 laptop be sold for anything other than a loss? AMD's Henri Richard reckons the One Laptop-per Child $100 PC will help AMD in emerging markets and improve their market share.

Richard expects demand for the US$100-laptop project will beat expectations and noted that low production costs do not equal to a weak gross margin. While continuing to maintain close relationships with worldwide system integrators and OEM customers, AMD will not avoid sponsoring specific projects for different market needs, Richard indicated.

[DigiTimes]

[merlin2001]

yes - because what children in emerging markets REALLY need is access to wikipedia, google and endless amounts of porn and definitely NOT an increase from a 200 calorie a day diet to 1000 calories, or access to clean water or access to reliable source of energy or basic levels of education....

..talk about cart before the horse...

[TheVoice]

I don't think there's much that AMD can do about that, merlin.

Besides, I think you've missed the point - in countries like South Africa where things aren't terrible, but still not brilliant for the average child/person, an initiative like this may well do some good. Question is, whether the incompetent and corrupt governments that tend to be leading such countries will accept, assist and fund such things. Chances are slim, but at least the potential is there.

[MakaveliThaDon]

Yeah Merlin, I think you are being a little unfair. Its not something AMD can do much about really and anything they can do is being done as far as trying to bring 'modern' technology to countires that otherwise wouldn't have it.

Maka

[merlin2001]

sorry - seem to have been a little opaque in my original post. certainly not attacking AMD on this initiative. i just personally think the one laptop per child idea is a bit of waste of economic development resources... ...putting it (very) crudely, the economic resources provided to the developing world are limited and finite. imvho, these resources could find a better use than providing laptops to people who, in all likelihood, would never be able to use them to access the internet (you still need an isp, which means either copper cable in the area --highly unlikely -- or else wireless access on a scale that the US and Europe can't get right yet.. ...so, what will be the use of the laptop. well, if it is loaded with documents and programs that offer health advice, educational support etc. then there may be some use - but if it's all in english, then that's likely to be a 3rd language... ...and it will still hit against the biggest problem education suffers in these regions - children that are so hungry that they can't concentrate in the 1st instance. I personally feel that the money and effort would be better served ensuring access to clean water and sustainable energy sources.
P.S TheVoice, in countries like south africa, there is still massive widespread proverty (this is true of most middle-income countries, other examples including most of latam). for example, in S.A - vast parts of the rural eastern cape having a poverty level above 70%, with unemployment running at around 90% in informal settlements. access to clean running water in those areas is still not universal and often requires a walk of an hour or two a day.

[TheAnimus]

Think long term merlin, if you can get the kids used to technology, than $100 PC, could convey every text book they'll ever need, you don't need the internet for that.

Also 70% unemployment is a good example of a problem, teaching better will help curtail that, espesually if we (rich people, comparitivly) can unlock outsourcing

But, with current corrupt governments, how many of these would actually get into the hands of the right people?

[merlin2001]

as keynes said - in the long run, we are all dead. or more specifically, without access to clean water - your likely to be dead a lot quicker hence significantly reducing the return from education.

plus, learning from a PC is a fairly advanced skill. it requires a basic level of IT literacy; decent reading/writing skills and a good understanding of language (there are thousands of differant languages and dialects in africa alone - you have to wonder where all the translated versions of all these textbooks [this is assuming you can get copyright to use these textbooks] are going to come from.)

sorry to be doom and gloom, but i've been on the sharp end of an educational development project in africa teaching urban teenagers looking to move into tertiary education and, despite their undisputed enthusiasm for learning, I can honestly say they would have struggled to get value from a laptop loaded with textbooks (no matter how slick you made the UI - they simply struggled to have the reading/writing and english skills). given that - i can't see how a 10yr old in rural africa will benefit. I would much rather see the money and effort going towards water, nutrition, energy. There are so many simple, cheap things that can be done for $100 that really make a differance to quality of life...

[TheAnimus]

**** the 100,000 who are going to die, when you can make 10,000 who will be able to have a much, much, much higher quality of lie, this tends to be the way of natural selection, and is the capitalist world we live in (even in russia the soviets always had to encorage excelence) because people feal its good to excel, and go somewhere and do something and live rather than just stay alive.

[just_laze]

**** the 100,000 who are going to die, when you can make 10,000 who will be able to have a much, much, much higher quality of lie, this tends to be the way of natural selection, and is the capitalist world we live in (even in russia the soviets always had to encorage excelence) because people feal its good to excel, and go somewhere and do something and live rather than just stay alive.

In short, you sir, are a psycho.

Now, here's my view:

The countries with widespread poverty are in areas of the world that offer very little natural resource and when you take into account the weather, that normally follows the pattern of very little rain but plenty of sunshine, you're hardly left with a perfect foundation for life.

Essentially the problem of poverty should be tackled by migrating those suffering to more suitable climates, humans living in 40 degree heat without any natural water source or trees for shade is like moving a family of polar bears to the Sahara.

[Swafe]

**** the 100,000 who are going to die, when you can make 10,000 who will be able to have a much, much, much higher quality of lie, this tends to be the way of natural selection, and is the capitalist world we live in (even in russia the soviets always had to encorage excelence) because people feal its good to excel, and go somewhere and do something and live rather than just stay alive.

This is nonsense, as already said theyll be in poor countries, not third world countries, they will be not very well off but they will be able to feed themselves, or at least I'd hope so if they could afford a $100 laptop.

Admittedly the money could be spent in poorer countries helping people who have nothing, giving them food and saving their lives, but thats not AMD's job to do that.

[Mike Fishcake]

**** the 100,000 who are going to die, when you can make 10,000 who will be able to have a much, much, much higher quality of lie, this tends to be the way of natural selection, and is the capitalist world we live in (even in russia the soviets always had to encorage excelence) because people feal its good to excel, and go somewhere and do something and live rather than just stay alive.

I'm sorry, but judging by personal information gathered from your previous posts on this board, I have reached the conclusion that you have a lower quality of life than mine.

Sorry.

*BANG*

[TheAnimus]

I'm sorry, but judging by personal information gathered from your previous posts on this board, I have reached the conclusion that you have a lower quality of life than mine.

Sorry.

*BANG*

Don't you see, thats exactly the point.

If someone's average life expectancy (assuming they live past 12) is 25, and they don't have clean water, good food sources, are we in the right to say, they should live longer? We should give them say clean water and give them an extra 5 years (in this ficticious example)?

This is a good idea because it will help some people, will help AMD, and mabye even provide us with more people we can outsource too which tends to help us (after enough time has past).

We make decisions all day that are about us having a better quality of life, which could of been used to help others. Today i spent over 40pence on chewing gum, should i feal bad that the money i've spent so frifolusly could of saved a life? 40pence, how much aids medicene is that?

Why dismiss an idea like this because some people won't be helped by it, its not as if any of us really cared about them anyway else we wouldn't waste time + money on surfing these forums, we'd be all to busy helping i don't know provide glasses to people in the 3rd world.

[Swafe]

I dont think you get the idea that AMD are in the business to make a profit, and not to give out handouts, if you want something doing about the poor people of the world, why not donate 40p every day to oxfam to get some of that much needed AIDs medicine?

[TheAnimus]

Yes, its about AMD making a profit, increasing market share etc. I'm not remotely disputing that.

This is a good idea because it will help some people, will help AMD, and mabye even provide us with more people we can outsource too which tends to help us (after enough time has past).

But its still going to help people. Least thats my mind

How much of my 40p i give to oxfam would actually leave the UK is an intresting question too!

[TheVoice]

P.S TheVoice, in countries like south africa, there is still massive widespread proverty (this is true of most middle-income countries, other examples including most of latam). for example, in S.A - vast parts of the rural eastern cape having a poverty level above 70%, with unemployment running at around 90% in informal settlements. access to clean running water in those areas is still not universal and often requires a walk of an hour or two a day.

Yep very true - I lived there for 4 and a half years.

I perhaps shouldn't have used the word 'average', but instead 'many' or 'some' so that's my fault. What I was essnetially trying to say though, is that in areas where living conditions aren't the worst they can be, and where there is a reasonable level of access to education and all the rest, this initiative may help out. Not to draw focus from those living deeper in poverty, but everyone has to be addressed and assisted, not just those at the bottom of the scale.