[kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers

Fri Aug 28 16:55:10 EAT 2009

Ill give a classical example mr sang on cost of ownership.
I was in one of the seven public universities that had most of its
machines running nt4, are now running open suse because of an
'incident' .
As far as content is concerned, i am sure you can get adequate
responses / suggestions if you cross post this with the skunkworks
list where more people on the ground can share their experiences with
the foss scenario.
About the p3 machine specs being suitable for learning programming,
the ones we learnt on were slower and as far as i remember, not much
has changed in the sylabus to warrant processing power. Assembler,
fotran (talk of relevance), pascal , vb and other foundational
languages hardly consume much.

On 8/28/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang at education.go.ke> wrote:
> Hi Bill,
>
> Australia and other Asia Countries has gone in that direction. Legend,
> legend, dead set legend.
>
> As a country, and more particularly with affordable connectivity rates
> (hopefully), we will be able to deploy solutions and come up with policies
> that encourage local adoption and developments on open standards.
>
> Best regards
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
> Behalf Of Bill Kagai
> Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 4:41 PM
> To: Barnabas K. Sang
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers
>
> Barnabas,
>
> In Australia, they would tell u...
>
> Legend, legend, dead set legend.
>
> You cannot get higher praise than that from an Australian.....
>
> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 4:28 PM, Barnabas K. Sang<bksang at education.go.ke>
> wrote:
>> Collins,
>>
>> Again, people talk of licenses as a limitation on affordable framework for
>> provision of content to stakeholders. Recalling, my mention in this forum
>> on Ministry of Education's experience to have open source school solutions
>> (content/ SMS) for deploying in more than our 210 Secondary Schools
>> Countrywide, still no bidder has succeeded in getting help from any
>> solutions providers.
>>
>> Ministry of Education and Government in general (National ICT Policy,
>> E-Government Strategy, Education Sessional Paper No 1 of 2005), is in a
>> position to discuss modalities of ensuring open standards (educational)
>> solutions are implemented in all sectors. Many people quote availability
>> (yes they are available out there) but someone has to get them here
>> locally. Perhaps our institutions of higher learning should take a lead in
>> this area.
>>
>> All positive comments in the discussion below are indeed worth considering
>> in all strategies/action plans possible.
>>
>> Kind Regards
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
>> Behalf Of Areba Collins
>> Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 1:35 PM
>> To: Barnabas K. Sang
>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers
>>
>> Pentium 3, 633mhz, 10gb, 15' crt, keyboard, mouse, commercially
>> retails at about ksh 4500, and is sufficient in my opinion to learn
>> programming, surf the net and do basic office work. Give me a 'new
>> pc's ' initiative and ill abandon my crusade. Worse (or better )
>> still, dell optiplex 3.0ghz 2gb cpu, 25k, ten thin clients and you
>> have a classroom with less than the cost of a new pc, tell me just how
>> this is not affording power to the masses.
>>
>> On 8/28/09, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 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."
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>>>> >> kictanet mailing list
>>>>> >> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack at gmail.com
>>>>> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>> >>
>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail.com
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > --
>>>>> > Barrack O. Otieno
>>>>> > Administrative Manager
>>>>> > Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
>>>>> > P.o.Box 21682
>>>>> > Nairobi 00100
>>>>> > Tel:
>>>>> > +254721325277
>>>>> > +254733206359
>>>>> > Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
>>>>> > www.afriregister.com
>>>>> > ICANN accredited registrar.
>>>>> >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Its Possible!
>>>>> http://www.itspossible.afraha.com
>>>>>
>>>>> Collins Areba Omwoyo
>>>>> +254 735 824872 / +254 720 516758
>>>>> arebacollins[at]gmail[dot]com
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>
>>>>> This message was sent to: crystal at voicesofafrica.org
>>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/crystal%40voicesofafrica.org
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> 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
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> kictanet mailing list
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>>>>
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>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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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
>>> ICANN accredited registrar.
>
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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