Gates Mocks $100 Laptop

[Warrior]

The countries trying to help them should do the overthrowing, I mean if they REALLY want to help. Not give them some jack in the box laptop and expect them to automaticly become educated.

Show me somewhere where anyone said these would automatically educate anyone.  You must agree that computers are a useful aid in the education process.

Alright then what are they used for? Oh I get it, maybe we can crank it up for a while and play CS Source or something!
What a dumb idea.

[Sidoh]

Alright then what are they used for? Oh I get it, maybe we can crank it up for a while and play CS Source or something!
What a dumb idea.

No, Warrior.  You said something about someone saying these laptops are going to "automatically" educate underprivilaged people:

[...] and expect them to automaticly become educated.

I was responding to that.

[iago]

Warrior -- go away, your posts are unwelcome in this thread. 

We shouldn't get confused about how overthrowing duing the liberal revolution was and overthrowing now would be.  The US overthrew the British tyrants during the liberal (Locke) revolution, when they already had the ability to read and criticize government.  Comparing Fidel Castro or Saddam Hussein to the 17th and 18th century kings of England would be like comparing Adolf Hitler to Mohatma Ghandi.

I don't know a lot about the US revolution, or whatever it's callled.  What I do know is that, particularly in a totalitarian society, the greatest weapon against the government is education.  People who are living there do not realize that there is a better way to live.  Hopefully, the computers can give them access to books, and books would allow them to expand their minds. 

I am not sure about the US revolution, to be sure, but I just finished reading a book about a fictional revolution where they threw out their old patrician, who was an evil man, and established another patrician, who was at least as evil.  But the point was that they did it themselves, and I think that that is very important in a revolution. 

[Sidoh]

Coincidentally, Cnet has this movie up on their RSS feed:

http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6051192.html?part=rss&tag=6051192&subj=news

It sounds like a pretty good discussion.

[Warrior]

Alright then what are they used for? Oh I get it, maybe we can crank it up for a while and play CS Source or something!
What a dumb idea.

No, Warrior.  You said something about someone saying these laptops are going to "automatically" educate underprivilaged people:

I admitted I made an assumption, so I'm asking what other practical uses might they have?
I still think this is a bad idea, it's good to make an affordable laptop for the world sure but I'm saying the money is better spent elsewhere.

Additionally do people in thirdworld countries really have money to throw at a laptop? I mean from a statistic I saw (I think I can still cite it if needed) some people in africa make 400 a year..that's not something they'd like to throw away that easily. This has a good intention but again, could be used in a better way.

[iago]

Alright then what are they used for? Oh I get it, maybe we can crank it up for a while and play CS Source or something!
What a dumb idea.

No, Warrior.  You said something about someone saying these laptops are going to "automatically" educate underprivilaged people:

I admitted I made an assumption, so I'm asking what other practical uses might they have?
I still think this is a bad idea, it's good to make an affordable laptop for the world sure but I'm saying the money is better spent elsewhere.

Additionally do people in thirdworld countries really have money to throw at a laptop? I mean from a statistic I saw (I think I can still cite it if needed) some people in africa make 400 a year..that's not something they'd like to throw away that easily. This has a good intention but again, could be used in a better way.

Perhaps they can spend money elsewhere, or perhaps they can spend it to buy a laptop to help educate their children.  Don't forget that charity organizations would be able to provide these, too.  And don't forget American or Canadian public schools. 

The point is, they now have a choice.  That's more than they had before. 

[Sidoh]

I admitted I made an assumption, so I'm asking what other practical uses might they have?
I still think this is a bad idea, it's good to make an affordable laptop for the world sure but I'm saying the money is better spent elsewhere.

This may be true, but I still think it's a wonderful idea, given the funding is proficient.

Additionally do people in thirdworld countries really have money to throw at a laptop? I mean from a statistic I saw (I think I can still cite it if needed) some people in africa make 400 a year..that's not something they'd like to throw away that easily. This has a good intention but again, could be used in a better way.

I really doubt that they're going to pay for the laptops.  I think it's far more likely rich governments will buy them in order to offer them as donations.

[Warrior]

I admitted I made an assumption, so I'm asking what other practical uses might they have?
I still think this is a bad idea, it's good to make an affordable laptop for the world sure but I'm saying the money is better spent elsewhere.

This may be true, but I still think it's a wonderful idea, given the funding is proficient.

I'll agree it would be better to have THAT instead of nothing at all, oh well.

Additionally do people in thirdworld countries really have money to throw at a laptop? I mean from a statistic I saw (I think I can still cite it if needed) some people in africa make 400 a year..that's not something they'd like to throw away that easily. This has a good intention but again, could be used in a better way.

I really doubt that they're going to pay for the laptops.  I think it's far more likely rich governments will buy them in order to offer them as donations.

Yea that does make sense, I guess I just think those "rich governments" can help people more by providing everyday necessities.
Like I said, atleast they are trying to make something that's affordable. That's commendable atleast.

[Sidoh]

I'll agree it would be better to have THAT instead of nothing at all, oh well.

Hehe, yeah.

Yea that does make sense, I guess I just think those "rich governments" can help people more by providing everyday necessities.
Like I said, atleast they are trying to make something that's affordable. That's commendable atleast.

I definitely agree.  If they're shipping $100 laptops to underprivileged countries in place of commodities, they'd be really, really stupid.  Hopefully that will never be the case, though.

[ZeroX]

I'll agree it would be better to have THAT instead of nothing at all, oh well.

Hehe, yeah.

Yea that does make sense, I guess I just think those "rich governments" can help people more by providing everyday necessities.
Like I said, atleast they are trying to make something that's affordable. That's commendable atleast.

I definitely agree.  If they're shipping $100 laptops to underprivileged countries in place of commodities, they'd be really, really stupid.  Hopefully that will never be the case, though.

You never know. They just might horde the laptops and use them for their own educational purposes. I personally think they will never get to the kids? I dont know, just trying to think of all situtions?

[Sidoh]

You never know. They just might horde the laptops and use them for their own educational purposes. I personally think they will never get to the kids? I dont know, just trying to think of all situtions?

Who's going to horde the laptops?  The students at MIT?  They're going to get out of school making 6 figures a year -- they're not going to be hording $100 laptops for their own use.

[ZeroX]

You never know. They just might horde the laptops and use them for their own educational purposes. I personally think they will never get to the kids? I dont know, just trying to think of all situtions?

Who's going to horde the laptops?  The students at MIT?  They're going to get out of school making 6 figures a year -- they're not going to be hording $100 laptops for their own use.

No, I mean the goverments of those said countries that are going to be getting the laptops.

[Sidoh]

No, I mean the goverments of those said countries that are going to be getting the laptops.

Same deal.  The government is probalby wealthy enough to sustain their physical needs.  Besides, I don't think very many governments are that corrupt.

[ZeroX]

No, I mean the goverments of those said countries that are going to be getting the laptops.

Same deal.  The government is probalby wealthy enough to sustain their physical needs.  Besides, I don't think very many governments are that corrupt.

Minus the USA right 

[Sidoh]

Minus the USA right 

I don't think any sort of US government official would get any sort of use out of one of these.  Do you honestly think that the US technology is inferior to these?