$100 dollars - a laptop or a pair of jeans? (A discussion of value)

I am continually amazed at the inconsistencies of our modern society. I look around and I am confused. The things that people spend money on, the values that we assign to things.   

The laptop pictured at the left cost $100. It isn't a great laptop by today's standards, but it is comparable to $2500 computers from 10 years ago.

That is to say, it will do everything you need it to do, slowly.

The other device featured in this post is called a Wiki-Reader. Designed for people who want Wikipedia but don't want, or can't afford, the internet. The concept initially struck me as ludicrous: Wikipedia is fluid, dynamic, changing; that's what makes it great. But it is also a fantastic, if often inaccurate, resource and access to it shouldn't be limited to those who pay their monthly fee to access the internet. I realized that the wiki-reader is probably as close to a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as we will ever see in my lifetime.

That same $100 could buy you a laptop, one album (The Beatles White Album),  two PS3 games, a pair of jeans, or a Wiki-Reader.


Let that sink in, for the cost of a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch you could have access to the wealth of uses afforded by a computer, or the cornucopia of information that the Wiki-Reader provides.

Knowledge - Communication - Music - Jeans - Same price across the board.


CherryPal Africa

The specs for the laptop from the Cherrypal website:

A Laptop "Slow and Sufficient."


* The 7" Cherrypal Africa is a 'net book' powered by a:

• 
  
• * 400 MHz processor,
• * 256 MB DDR / 2 GB NAND-flash
• * and runs Linux
• * 7 inch high-resolution TFT .(800 x 480 pixels)
• * LAN:10/100M
• * Ethernet Access
• * WIFI: IEEE 802.11 b/g
• * Ethernet RJ-45
• * Keyboard: QWERTY 86 keys
• * Mouse&Touch pad:build-in touch panel,
• * set two shortcut key,
• * and support usb port mouse
• * USB Port: USB 2.0 x 1 (aid external memory)
• * USB 1.1 x 2 (aid keyboard & mouse only)
• * External Memory : SD card , U-Disk , USB-HDD
• * Card port: SD / MMC card slot (8GB)
• * Battery: 7.4 V 1800Mha built in Lithium battery 1800MAH Last time:4 HRS
• * Sound effect:build-in realtek sound effect chipset,
• * Built in 2 x 0.5W
• * Built in speaker 1 x microphone
• * Weight:1.2kg Size: 213.5 x 141.8 x 30.8 mm

It is  targeted at the developing world, but they will ship it anywhere. I can see uses for such a machine in nearly any community. It's size and price would make it a great first computer for children, it's portability makes it great for people on the go. I have considered getting a machine like this to replace my 200LX, though it is still a bit larger than I would like.

The fact that it isn't running windows is seen as an issue by many consumers. The only real issue is that Linux tech support is not going to be found a Geek Squad. That being said, the kinds of things Geek Squad fixes tend not to go wrong on a Linux machine. 

Be aware that the africa running 'Windows' is actually running the version of windows used for cellphones. It is a much less robust operating system than the (cheaper) linux. I wouldn't buy that or any other machine running 'windows mobile' or 'windows ce.' (The 'bing' laptop appears to be running windows XP, though it is far from the cheapest XP laptop available.)

The Wiki-Reader

Specifications are less important for the Wiki-Reader. It reads Wikipedia, it has three buttons, it has a touch screen. It costs $100. If you pay an extra few dollars a year they will mail updates to your door. The one feature that would seem to matter most, battery life, is amazing. They are claiming the device can run 15 minutes a day for 365 days on 2 AAA batteries.

This video sums things up nicely:



I want to get one for my grandmother, though I fear the screen might be a bit small. I'll probably end up building something for her. For the price, and ease of use, it actually seems like a pretty neat little device. I think a parent could do far worse than giving their kids something like this.

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Even though the price tag of $100 is well outside the 'impulse buy' zone for most of us, it is hard to argue that the value brought to the table by the wiki-reader or the cherypal laptop seems to far outweigh the value of a pair of jeans, or a night at the cheesecake factory.

What a world we live in.
Cherypal
Wikireader
Note: I've never ordered from either of the companies listed. In my research I found that the reviews for both were commonly favorable, with very few complaints.