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Open Economies - "Seeding the Developing World with MACS"

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"Seeding the Developing World with MACS"

  • To: openeconomies(at)cyber.law.harvard.edu
  • Subject: "Seeding the Developing World with MACS"
  • From: Sinan Aral <sinan_aral(at)yahoo.com>
  • Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 07:16:36 -0700 (PDT)
  • In-reply-to: <8BEC443F1D4AD51181B300A0C9840C2819DB28@GEOMAIL>
This brings up an interesting point that I don't know
much about:

Where is Mac in low income markets?

It seems from observation of recent Mac strategy that
they are more concerned with picking off the high
income Windows faithful instead of refocusing their
efforts.

Currently, emerging markets and computer users in
those markets are not benefiting from vigorous
competition between Mac and Microsoft in gaining
access to and being the first mover in low income
communities. Apple China is focused on selling G4s and
iPods to relatively wealthier consumers for example.

Perhaps if someone were to actually convince Steve
Jobs "to seed the developing world with MACS" (a great
marketing phrase btw), we could induce these two
giants to fight over who will give away hardware,
software, comunications and training to these
communities around the world.

The entrance of MAC in this domain might then push
Microsoft to work even harder on their philanthropic
strategy elements.

It seems to me that being the OS of choice in Indian,
African or Chinese elementary or middle schools, might
be a long term competitive advantage (a language that
Bill and Steve may both understand)?

Best

Sinan
--- "Moore, James" <jmoore@geopartners.com> wrote:
> In Michael Taylor's article, he wonders whether it
> makes sense to load Linux
> as the sole OS on machines to be used for children
> kindergarten through
> sixth grade--or whether he should make the machines
> dual boot with Windows
> as well as Linux.
> 
> For children k-6 the most likely (and perhaps best)
> use of the computers
> will be to run well-designed educational software
> games--e.g.
> TreasureMathStorm, the ReaderRabbit series,
> TypingTutor, etc., as well as
> word processing.  As far as I know, most mainstream
> educational games will
> not run on Linux.
> 
> This would cause me to want to use Windows.
> 
> Of course there is also the Apple Macintosh
> OS--which will also run all the
> best software for kids--often better than the PC.
> 
> If you really are determined to develop an
> alternative to Windows in
> developing countries, one road would be MAC OS
> (which is a UNIX variant, and
> thus in the same lineage as Linux) for elementary
> schools, and Linux for the
> technical programs in technical schools.
> 
> Of course this would require someone convincing
> Steve Jobs to help seed the
> developing world with MACS....
> 
> An alternative might be a massive, coordinated
> campaign on the part of the
> Linux community to work with educational software
> companies to make the best
> titles Linux-compatible.
> 
> Best, Jim
> 
>  
> Dr. James F. Moore
> Senior Fellow
> Harvard Law School
> Director, Open Economies
> Berkman Center for Internet and Society
> Pound Hall 511
> 1563 Massachusetts Avenue
> Cambridge, MA 02138
>  
> www.openeconomies.org
> jmoore@cyber.law.harvard.edu
> jmoore@geopartners.com
> Office phone number US 1 617 495-7547
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mikael Pawlo [mailto:mikael@pawlo.com] 
> Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 7:32 PM
> To: openeconomies@eon.law.harvard.edu
> Subject: [OpenEconomies] Is Linux Right for Africa?
> 
> 
> In an article published by LinuxToday volounteer
> Michael Taylor asks if
> Linux is right for Africa. Taylor is going to Ghana
> in two weeks to set up
> IT solutions for schools and clinics. He is now
> seeking advice whether to
> use an open or propietary solution to the African IT
> needs. Taylor is
> anxious not to sacrifice the Ghana children on the
> shrine of the free
> software principle and is looking for input on this
> issue.
> 
> Article (with email address to Taylor):
>
http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-07-15-014-26-OP-CY
> 
> Regards
> 
> Mikael
> 
> 
>
_________________________________________________________________________
> 
>   ICQ:35638414                             
> mailto:mikael@pawlo.com
>   +46-704-215825                             
> http://www.pawlo.com/
> 
> 
> 
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