hi nifl-tech community,

     i've been thinking a lot recently about ways of bringing affordable mobile
technology into people's homes -- to expand learning opportunities at home.
here's a proposal i sent google for their project 10 to the 100 grant initiative.

       public voting for that initiative begins on january 27, 2009. let's
inaugurate some good ideas then. 
 
    http://www.project10tothe100.com/

           phil shapiro


Low-income families could benefit from being able to buy laptops without an LCD
screens. A laptop without an LCD can be a very useful portable solution when
connected to CRT or desktop LCD monitors. Laptops without screens would also be
a green solution, giving value to donated CRT monitors that would otherwise be
heading for landfills.  Portability means that this computer can be more easily
maintained by volunteers, who don't always have the time to travel to people's
homes. To spur the development of laptops without screens, a nonprofit
organization named Designed by Consumers could collect pre-purchase payments for
designated laptops, such as the Acer Aspire One. When 5,000 or 10,000 of such
pre-payments are collected, Acer would have a real incentive to consider selling
a version of the Acer Aspire One without a screen for about $160. This laptop
would also have no batteries or speakers, further reducing weight and cost. A
one-pound, virus free “laptop” could allow a low-income person to get tech
support or tech training at a public library, church, or community technology
center and could expand the number of computers in use at such shared community
spaces.  Students could more easily carry such light laptops in their heavy
bookbags.

The nonprofit organization named Designed by Consumers would pool funds from
low-income people – and others who support them, to give low-income persons a
stronger voice in technology product design decisions. The pooling of the funds
would reward manufacturers who give greater thought to the needs of low-end
consumers. Designed by Consumers would also accept anonymous donations from
persons wanting to strengthen the public voice in design decisions. In some
cases, Designed by Consumers would negotiate with manufacturers to remove (or
include) features that would best benefit low-income consumers. 




-- 
Phil Shapiro  pshapiro at his.com
http://www.his.com/pshapiro/briefbio.html
http://philsrssfeed.blogspot.com
http://www.his.com/pshapiro/stories.menu.html

"Wisdom starts with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens through gentleness."