30.4.06 And now, the €123 computer
A Chinese company based in Macau has come up with a computer that costs €123 (US$146), can be plugged into TVs, has the speed of a Pentium III, and runs on Linux (brought to my attention at The Globalisation Institute Blog).
The Municator might not be the most glamorous out there (and the logo looks naff), but for companies in Red China wondering how they would get their brands known in the west, here’s one method. Produce something for the masses, just as Fiat did with its nuova 500 (Bambina), or BMC with its Mini. While these aren’t parallels, they do show that anticipating the consumer works. Producing something that helps bring poorer consumers into line with their richer counterparts, bridging gaps or democratizing, so to speak, is usually a successful way of establishing yourself. Never mind if it reaches the west for now: word has already gone around the blogosphere, and the Municator seems to be a more realistic proposition than the MIT $100 laptop. In addition, its entry into poorer markets is foreseeable, and if those consumers can join the information superhighway, it is another step toward breaking down cultural barriers and misunderstandings. The Guardian’s blog does question the computer’s OS’s (the Thinix OS) legality, which seems to be the only hitch; however, the former democratic cities of Hong Kong and Macau tend to be more aware of intellectual property issues. Posted by Jack Yan, 00:14 Comments:
Yes, I believe so. In countries where $100 might be someone’s monthly income (if they’re lucky), this could be a godsend.
Jack, Jack, Jack.
A picture is worth 1000 words! http://www.dlmag.com/gallery/.gallery_files_storage/6/2_118262.jpg # posted by Chuck Williams: 5/14/2006 05:14:00 PM
Thanks, Chuck—for your comment and for popping by. Also my pic above links to a video (or it used to), and someone shows the Municator in that.
Does anyone know anything about how well this computer performs? I know there are a couple of computers in America for less than $200 but they only have a few gigs of memory at best and don't perform very well. Don't know that I have seen this computer any place yet.
Post a Comment
# posted by UniRoyalties: 2/12/2010 02:25:00 PM
Links to this post:
|
NoteEntries from 2006 to the end of 2009 were done on the Blogger service. As of January 1, 2010, this blog has shifted to a Wordpress installation, with the latest posts here.With Blogger ceasing to support FTP publishing on May 1, I have decided to turn these older pages in to an archive, so you will no longer be able to enter comments. However, you can comment on entries posted after January 1, 2010. Quick linksAdd feedsIndividual JY&A and Medinge Group blogs+ Previous posts |
||
DonateIf you wish to help with my hosting costs, please feel free to donate. |
|||
Copyright ©200210 by Jack Yan & Associates. All rights reserved. Photograph of Jack Yan by Chelfyn Baxter. |