hardware recycling

[Yanni Chiu]

Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> Sure there's some work going on. But there are still plenty of schools 
> with no computers in them -- then again, the electricity to run them can 
> be overly expensive and not available everywhere. I have good hopes for 
> the OLPC program, which strives to provide current technology at low price.

The power to run the machines is the key.
As noted by many, "old" machines can still
provide useful computing horsepower, but if access
has to be carefully controlled due to the power
consumption, then the usefulness is limited.

BTW, the latest OLPC design has done away with the
hand crank (caused too much vibration). I think
the replacement is a separate unit with a foot pedal.
And here's a link to photos of Squeak Etoys running
on an OLPC prototype display:
     http://piumarta.com/photos/olpc/

As with wireless phones, if there's no existing landline
infrastructure, then it may make more sense to leapfrog
to the better/cheaper technology. Compare the cost
of acquiring an old PC and monitor, shipping them to
difficult to reach locations, and finding and paying
for the electricity to run them, vs. shipping a
hand-powered OLPC at a target price of $100.

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