[kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers

Fri Aug 28 18:21:27 EAT 2009

Bw. Barnabas,

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 4:28 PM, Barnabas K. Sang<bksang at education.go.ke> wrote:
> 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.

Could you kindly grant me a meeting to discuss how this can be turned
into reality?
obviously I exclude myself from participating in the bid.

>
> 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.

Great news!

> 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.
>
>
>
> -----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."
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> _______________________________________________
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>>>> >> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
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>>>> >>
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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.
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> 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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>>>> This message was sent to: crystal at voicesofafrica.org
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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
>> +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
>
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