The $100 Computer
According to CNet , a $100 Linux-based computer may not be too far in the future. An Indian company called Novatium has stripped-down home computers in the pipeline that look to take PCs to the remaining 5 billion people on the planet. From the article:
Using Linux applications and software from Jain’s Netcore Solutions, these machines will be tweaked so that multiple people can use them. This would reduce the cost of memory in the server that does the bulk of the computing work for the Novatium thin clients on its network.
The article has ideas for 3 articles worth; it talks about Linux-based computers, cheap/thin computers, networked/grid applications, single-purpose computers and the problem of reaching the less-affording sections of the population.
I had heard something about this recently for the US as well:
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/living/13273703.htm
Stealing the things would be thwarted by designing them in a distinct fashion, I guess like the iBooks (which, though IIRC were nice systems, many did not want because they looked like purses).
And lastly, the as tech got cheaper the computer would just have better stuff in it – instead of reducing the price.
Yeah, quite a sight. Hope it takes off…
–Alan
Alan_K
2 Dec 05 at 4:21 am
It’s about time, in the US, we’re not to far from the “just $200.00 PC” (without the monitor). It’s a Linspire Linux PC available at MicroCenter (at least online), That’s $200.00 in the US where us “rich Americans” get soaked for our PC’s that are made and for the most part assembled overseas.
John W
4 Dec 05 at 3:20 am