[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Thu Apr 11 17:39:00 EAT 2013

Hi Brian,

It seems that we have a consensus that the traditional laptop is not the way to go, touch is critical and rich multimedia.

I took the next step and searched for a sub $100 tablet and got very many http://www.ainovo.com/elfii.html, http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/president-launches-low-cost-aakash-2-tablet-291330 power is a major issue but I am sure someone out there will offer a workable solution preferably based on solar.  We do not need to try and bring manufacturing in initially as the we still cannot get to the economies of scale that China has achieved but KQ could offer free shipping.

The critical issue will be what will come pre-installed in device and how do we make sure that the headmasters or teachers do not decide to keep them in safe custody?  Definitely a very feature rich drawing and painting program is essential with a photo editor.  I believe a local app-store will be another essential component with local developers throwing out applications in the thousands and then leave the rest to the children.

regards

Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya

Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

________________________________
 From: Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe at gmail.com>
To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk 
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
Sent: Thursday, 11 April 2013, 11:01
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Hi Edith,

"Failure" in the context of the OLPC project needs to be clearly defined. I think that what the media have largely trumpeted as a failure was that the goal of coming out with a sub $100 laptop was not achieved. The costs of producing the OLPC devices is higher than $100 per piece.

However, the fact that these devices are designed *from the ground up* with children (and learning) in mind has been a huge success in terms of yielding devices that are more appropriately suited to the vagaries of youth, both in terms of ruggedness as well as look and feel.

The examples I gave earlier where countries like Uruguay with a tiny population of 3m have rolled out 500,000 over the past 5 years is a resounding success to me.

Rather than reinvent the wheel - let us take one that works, modify it to better suit us, and fit it into the right mix of complementary hardware, software and systems to make the overall undertaking a success.

Best regards,

Brian

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 11:47 PM, Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.ca> wrote:

Brian,
> 
>It appears the “one laptop per child” program (OLPC) failed as widely touted, so important to learn lessons from that failure. 
> 
>Edith 
> 
>From:kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Brian Munyao Longwe
>Sent: April 10, 2013 9:34 AM
>To: Edith Adera
>
>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>
>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants
> 
>Hi Robert,
>Good points. We actually don't need to look very far. The "One Laptop per Child" program has been on this issue for a while now and has a few  models of laptop (including a tablet) that can be offer at a price of +/- $100.
>The OLPC project has already delivered over 200,000 laptops in Rwanda and over 500,000 in Uruguay via government driven programs. Considering these are relatively small countries (7m and 3m total populations respectively). The goal of 1 million laptops per year for std1 entrants is not unnattainable.
>As for content - this is where the opportunity lies. All of the current education materials exist in soft form with the varioius printing presses, it would not take much effort to process these into eBook format and push them onto a digital library along with related material such as story books, dictionaries, encyclopediae etc.
>In addition to the above, there is a huge opportunity to create educational games for all school going ages. Research has shown that children learn much faster when the knowledge is conveyed in a "fun" way.
>Kazi kwetu?
>Brian
> 
>On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 7:56 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I like the confirmation by the President - sworn and his deputy on the issue of laptops for class 1 students from next year, it is commendable and quite easily achievable but as ICT experts are laptops the ideal items or would low power touchscreen tablets
 be more practical and appropriate?  However .com that the two principles are I suspect that they might not be up to speed on devices. 
>
>Here again for the umpteenth time the opportunity for us to become relevant presents itself, shall we take action or sit back to carry out a forensic analysis when only 80% of the students get the devices?
>
>Regards
>
>PS.  A new dispensation, a new dedication and new vigor 
> 
> 
>Robert Yawe
>KAY System Technologies Ltd
>Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>Kenya
>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>
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