Wednesday, October 24, 2007
$100 + New Laptop= good or bad?
Nicholas Negroponte, the founding chairman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, has a plan to make a $100 laptop that will be distributed to millions of young people in poor countries around the world. Even though he is admired by some, this plan still has its ups and downs because there are many factors that can turn this into a disaster.
Having a Laptop that has all the essential qualities for just $100 is a great enhancement to any poor community but the author David Henderson raises interesting questions as to is it really going to be used for what the company intends. He asks the questions "Who hands is it going to end up in" because that is something that really needs to be thought about. If its intended for the poor will it really end up in the hands of the poor or will the wealthy just steal the good deal? Then there is the idea as to how would you ensure that all the poor children receive the laptops? would you hand them out in schools? out of school? bring them to the home? It is very hard to judge a good distribution method. Then there is another good argument as to will the poor community really spend $100 on a laptop or will they use their $100 for necessities. Money could eventually be taken out of that places government as fund for the new cheap laptops, which is money that could be used in other ways.
"Any time someone comes up with an improved technology or a technology that sells at a low price, society benefits....Not just people in poor countries, but also people in richer countries, would benefit."
Having a Laptop that has all the essential qualities for just $100 is a great enhancement to any poor community but the author David Henderson raises interesting questions as to is it really going to be used for what the company intends. He asks the questions "Who hands is it going to end up in" because that is something that really needs to be thought about. If its intended for the poor will it really end up in the hands of the poor or will the wealthy just steal the good deal? Then there is the idea as to how would you ensure that all the poor children receive the laptops? would you hand them out in schools? out of school? bring them to the home? It is very hard to judge a good distribution method. Then there is another good argument as to will the poor community really spend $100 on a laptop or will they use their $100 for necessities. Money could eventually be taken out of that places government as fund for the new cheap laptops, which is money that could be used in other ways.
"So what started off as a completely innocent, let's-help-the-poor-in-poor-countries proposal will end up, with government involved, as just one more way of government using force against its own people to buy goods for them that they regard as luxuries, preventing them from buying the goods that they need to make it to next year. That's a tragedy."
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A good discussion of the material.
I am sure that the distribution problem could be solved. Shouldn't we assist poorer countries to provide access to their populations? What about the digital divide? Perhaps laptops aren't the first thing a poor vilage should buy, but don't you think it would help?
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I am sure that the distribution problem could be solved. Shouldn't we assist poorer countries to provide access to their populations? What about the digital divide? Perhaps laptops aren't the first thing a poor vilage should buy, but don't you think it would help?
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