Comments on: Africa: the Mobiles vs PCs Debate

By: TimKarr (TimKarr)

TimKarr (TimKarr) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:54:05 +0000

Will handhelds replace laptops? No: http://is.gd/fP1Y Maybe: http://is.gd/jxMy Reframe the question: http://is.gd/kxaM

By: TimKarr (TimKarr)

TimKarr (TimKarr) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:27:54 +0000

Will cell phones replace laptops? No: http://is.gd/fP1Y Maybe: http://is.gd/jxMy Sort of: http://is.gd/kxaM

By: Crystal

Crystal — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:13:49 +0000

Personally at the moment I am using one Inveneo (www.inveneo.org) and two Acer Ones (www.acer.com). I began my graduate field studies in Kenya in 2007 with a HTC Wizard and it became half of my brain. I charged it in the rural area I lived with a small 5 Watt solar panel. It worked well in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. The Internet was all but absent in TZ, but Safaricom and Zain both have decent service in Kenya countrywide. I used the HTC Wizard from rural tree farms, to slums in Nairobi and Mombasa to American cities. In community projects I use one ultra low powered Inveneo computer here in the Coast, and four in the Mbambe Telecentre in Western province. The four in Western province are running from one 80 Watt solar panel. The modem technology offered an the services for poor communities is minimal at best. I cannot wait for the fibre optic cables when we will have the power to move beyond VSAT. Low powered technology that can be made to run on solar and is portable in the case of an emergency is the way forward. Living in Kenya through the post election violence taught me the power of being able to pack the equipment and go.

P.S. I am looking for research funding or any kind. LOL

Many blessings,

Crystal
http://www.voicesofafrica.org

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:31:25 +0000

I think that beyond the power of the processor and speed of connection, which will become considerably less different in the future between mobile and computer, what matters most is the size of the screen (and keyboard). For instance, this NYT article reports that a large computer screen increases productivity by about 44% compared to a regular one, so imagine how much compared to a phone’s! Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/technology/personaltech/15basics.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&em

By: E-Nyce

E-Nyce — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:20:36 +0000

I’m surprised this “debate” keeps coming up. Just when the dust settles, ever year someone kicks up the dirt again.

Why is this even a debate? Each medium serves a complementary purpose. There’s no either/or. Meier’s states it beautifully: â€œecosystemâ€ of (communication) technologies. They co-exist. Will always co-exist. I don’t want to pull a laptop out of my backpocket just to make a call. And I know from intimate experience that my PDA just can’t multimedia like a ‘puter–even before considering screen size!

Are the debaters debating just to be talking?

By: Chriswaterguy

Chriswaterguy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:39:53 +0000

Akvo is doing really interesting stuff: Akvo tackles water sanitation using Internet, mobile phones. We're watching very closely, and hope to work with them in both the development of knowledge resources (our focus) and providing access and a way to give input to these resources, via mobile (Akvo's innovations).

By: Speedlinks 01302009 | MOOTBOX

Speedlinks 01302009 | MOOTBOX — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:52:52 +0000

[…] Why African Leaders Can Not Solve The Zimbabwean Crisis – Alex Mathews Mobiles vs. PC Debate – White African, I am with the lap top crowd.Â I have been having a blast with Nigeria Web Radio, you too can, […]

By: farmfoody (Farm Foody)

farmfoody (Farm Foody) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:14:42 +0000

Africa: the Mobiles vs PCs Debate http://tinyurl.com/cqvd9t How to get ag info to rural places?

By: Farm Foody Blog » Mobile Phones and Farms in the Developing World

Farm Foody Blog » Mobile Phones and Farms in the Developing World — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:09:11 +0000

[…] was reading an article Africa: the Mobiles vs PCs Debate when it occurred to me not every mobile phone is an iphone.Coming from the experience of developing […]

By: Enowbi

Enowbi — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:04:28 +0000

These two technologies will coexist for the forseeable future and each will attract applications best suited to it. I agree that for learning purposes nothing beats the PC just because of the volume of material needed to be absorbed.

Enowbi
http://www.bantuvillage.com