PC learning in 3rd world
By CraftyCorner
@CraftyCorner (5600)
United States
January 10, 2011 6:24pm CST
Paper books are expensive to produce for a remote, isolated classroom of children in a poor country hungry for the learning they contain. There is a possible solution. Digital books by the hundreds of thousands tucked in a tiny thumbdrive. The question is how to unlock that thumbdrive full of PDF files for those little minds to devower in lands where even food is an uncertain resource much less electricity.
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One possible solution is the OLPC, or One Laptop Per Child that hoped to get computers into children's hands at a cost to governments of $100.
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http://one.laptop.org/
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The cost is actually $300 per child, pricey for said children in said countries.
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However, another possibility of learning in the hands of the nation's poorest is coming up from India, the land of the Tata Nano, a car that costs under $3,000. At an eye bugging $30, India's Shakshat seems impossible, but they are aiming at a jaw dropping $10.
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The device itself has a 10 inch touchscreen, 2GB of RAM, a USB port, and Wi-Fi built-in. It runs a Linux-based OS and bundled software includes OpenOffice, a PDF reader, web browser, media player, and video conferencing app. Power will partially come from solar panels mounted to the case.
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http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/india-create-a-30-tablet-pc-for-students-20100723/
1 response
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
11 Jan 11
I have seen some of these on television. I think we need to be concerned to share the technology with the world. It needs to become a priority.
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
11 Jan 11
Windows is closed sourced and needs to be paid for: So unless it is pirated (illegal) it is out of reach of learners in the 3rd world without serious strings attached. That is not the best software for use in this application.
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Free to use software may not be modified by it's users but is free to be licensed then used by them. Avast has a version of it's anti-virus program that is so licensed. There are some strings such as a user's agreement and a limit to how many computers it may be used on legally. You cannot modify the program either.
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The best software for use for the ultra cheap computer that is to be used for learning in the third world where every resource is tight is open source software. The single string attached to open source software is that it cannot be used to harm other's computers. In the hands of students, it even adds to the learning environment.
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http://sourceforge.net/
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SourceForge.net provides free hosting to Open Source software development projects. The essence of the Open Source development model is the rapid creation of solutions within an open, collaborative environment. Collaboration within the Open Source community (developers and end users) promotes a higher standard of quality, and helps to ensure the long-term viability of both data and applications.
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With the software free, the cost falls to the hardware. Mass production, simplicity, and compatibility will drop prices like so many bricks in a lake.



