[SGVLUG] Today's news brings a wide grin

[Emerson, Tom (*IC)]

-----Original Message----- Of Miguel Hernandez

> ... $150 seems super duper low ... But I wouldn't have thought you
> could get a $300 desktop w/Vista Home Basic pre-installed (as that
> OS retails for ~$175 alone) & yet it's available at Wal-Mart ...

Remember the price you pay for a "retail/aftermarket" license is not
what the OEM/vendor pays to have the right to pre-install the OS.  I
remember a ways back there was much shouting and bitching about
"returning the pre-installed copy of windows for a refund" [mainly for
laptops, but applicable to desktops] because you "didn't agree with the
licensing terms" and getting back something like $20 instead of the $89+
win98 was going for at the time.

However, back to the comparison and main topic: per the OLPC site, the
"specs" on their $175-ish computer are more towards what you would
expect for $175, with a 433mhz processor as the biggest "inexpensive"
part...

Also, there is talk of "human powered (re)charging", via cranks, pedals,
and/or "pull chains".  [see my (*) note below]  Turning a crank for 2
minutes, however, is harder than it looks ;) and I'd imagine the "run
time" between charges would be an hour or less (though per the website
the system does "other things" to really minimize the power
requirements]

OTOH, I'd love to have an "outdoor capable" display (ok, my new laptop
does do fairly well "outside", but I think I was still in the "shade"
when I last tried it...)

Tom

(*)There is a fairly popular LED-based flashlight that's been out for a
while which takes "2 minutes to charge" but lasts for a considerable
amount of time.  The current versions of this include an FM radio [which
REALLY drains the "battery" fast!], emergency flasher/strobe/siren
[again...] and even one that has a power tap and a set of adapters for
cell phones so you can recharge your phone "by hand" should the need
arise.  (but they don't make an adapter for my particular phone)