[kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers

Fri Aug 28 13:16:30 EAT 2009

Crystal the term "affordable" is relative in the context of Socio - economic
development, could you elaborate on your position?

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Crystal Watley Kigoni <
crystal at voicesofafrica.org> wrote:

> We have to start somewhere. Bringing in used computers is a simple and
> effective way to bring computing power into schools and villages. Yes,
> Computers for Schools Kenya does charge for these computers (too much if you
> ask me in comparison to other groups doing the same), and yet the schools
> pay for them so they can give their students a fighting chance at joining
> the knowledge economy. We need to consider the welfare of our young people
> before we sell out to the "new" game as Uganda has. Can Kenya really afford
> to equip ALL of our classrooms with brand new computers? And has anyone
> considered the monopoly given to Microsoft when we push for only new
> equipment? The license fees involved for software? There is a lot more to
> consider than simply e-waste.
> Crystal
>
> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:48 PM, Areba Collins <arebacollins at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I cant believe this, are you guys actually arguing that having no
>> computer is better than having one that is old, consumes lots of power
>> and has only a few years left in it?  Cause as far as the rest of it
>> is concerned, quality is a function of competition.
>>
>> On 8/28/09, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Listers Evans has raised a pertinent issue, we might not have made some
>> of
>> > the strides we have achieved in the sector without the used computers,
>> on
>> > the other hand there is an environmental concern that is valid, this
>> calls
>> > for a multistakeholder approach to create a win win situation for our
>> local
>> > business men (Remember the used car parts issue that sprang up early
>> this
>> > year), NGO and any other organisation involved in the importation
>> process,
>> > may be its time KEBS got involved in the process, reading through Bills
>> > email i am of the opinion that there might be some imbalance in the way
>> the
>> > importation of the computers is handled, by the way i had there is a
>> > facility for disposing off e-waste in Dandora, maybe Mr Tom Musili could
>> > shed some light on the issue, i wish we had statistics to help in
>> evaluating
>> > the impact of the used computers.
>> > Let the debate continue..
>> >
>> > On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Bildad Kagai <billkagai at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> On Aug 28, 2009, at 8:12 AM, Victor Gathara wrote:
>> >>
>> >>  I am thinking here of donations of used computers that can
>> >> make their way into the country through a regulated and monitored
>> >> channel (such as ComputerAid) who will also have responsibility to
>> >> ensure EOL disposal according to WEEE standards to prevent dumping of
>> >> electronic waste.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Victor,
>> >> In your position, you know very well that these second had computers
>> are
>> >> not donations. You can ask Tony Roberts how much he is paid to dispose
>> a
>> >> computer from Barclays in UK, that eventually finds its way to a school
>> in
>> >> Mau. And the Mau school pays for shipping and other costs....but
>> besides
>> >> all these politics......DFID
>> >> might consider to fund a specific study comparing the final 'landed'
>> cost
>> >> of
>> >> a dumped computer versus a 'clone' assembled with new parts at Crescent
>> >> Technologies or JKUAT taking into consideration the kazi kwa vijana
>> >> created....if it has not been done already. PS. I am speaking as a
>> >> 'contributor' to this mess here, because I also have problems disposing
>> my
>> >> old computers and printers in the office. Most of the times, its easier
>> to
>> >> take them to a school in shags that cannot afford the electricity bills
>> of
>> >> running them...and... just live with the guilt like everyone else
>> despite
>> >> being labeled as The Hero who brought us computers.
>> >>
>> >> One reason IBM sold its hardware unit was because Moores Law states
>> over
>> >> time, the cost of hardware approaches zero and the cost of power
>> >> consumption
>> >> and capacity of the hardware doubles every 18 months.  Thus, bringing 5
>> >> year
>> >> old computers to Kenya only drains too much power when we should strive
>> to
>> >> bring consumption per watt down. At least, just based on power
>> consumption
>> >> alone, dumped computer should never see the 'light of day' at the
>> Kenyan
>> >> port if locally assembled computers will consume half of the wattage
>> >> today....especially now when everyone is striving to go green.
>> >>
>> >> http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000868.html
>> >>
>> >> Google, for example, has watched its energy consumption almost double
>> >> during the past three generations of upgrades to its sprawling
>> computing
>> >> infrastructure. *It recently unveiled a major new datacenter site in a
>> >> remote part of Oregon, where power costs are a fraction of those at
>> >> Google's
>> >> home base in Silicon Valley.* But cheap power may not be enough. Last
>> >> year, Google engineer Luiz Andr� Barroso predicted that energy costs
>> would
>> >> dwarf equipment costs -- "possibly by a large margin" -- if
>> power-hungry
>> >> datacenters didn't mend their ways. Barroso went on to warn that
>> >> datacenters' growing appetite for power "could have serious
>> consequences
>> >> for
>> >> the overall affordability of computing, not to mention the overall
>> health
>> >> of
>> >> the planet."
>> >>
>> >>
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>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Barrack O. Otieno
>> > Administrative Manager
>> > Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
>> > P.o.Box 21682
>> > Nairobi 00100
>> > Tel:
>> > +254721325277
>> > +254733206359
>> > Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
>> > www.afriregister.com
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>> >
>>
>>
>> --
>> Its Possible!
>> http://www.itspossible.afraha.com
>>
>> Collins Areba Omwoyo
>> +254 735 824872 / +254 720 516758
>> arebacollins[at]gmail[dot]com
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
> Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
> crystal at voicesofafrica.org
> http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
>
> "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
>
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-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
Administrative Manager
Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
P.o.Box 21682
Nairobi 00100
Tel:
+254721325277
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