View Full Version : Tough guy Bill Gates makes fun of $100 computer for poor countries
Ikohn4ever
03-16-2006, 05:18 PM
Bill Gates mocks MIT's $100 laptop
Thursday, March 16, 2006; Posted: 2:01 p.m. EST (19:01 GMT)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates on Wednesday mocked a $100 laptop computer for developing countries being developed with the backing of rival Google Inc. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The $100 laptop project seeks to provide inexpensive computers to people in developing countries. The computers lack many features found on a typical personal computer, such as a hard disk and software.
"The last thing you want to do for a shared use computer is have it be something without a disk ... and with a tiny little screen," Gates said at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum in suburban Washington.
"Hardware is a small part of the cost" of providing computing capabilities, he said, adding that the big costs come from network connectivity, applications and support.
Before his critique, Gates showed off a new "ultra-mobile computer" which runs Microsoft Windows on a seven-inch (17.78-centimeter) touch screen.
Those machines are expected to sell for between $599 and $999, Microsoft said at the product launch last week. (Full story)
"If you are going to go have people share the computer, get a broadband connection and have somebody there who can help support the user, geez, get a decent computer where you can actually read the text and you're not sitting there cranking the thing while you're trying to type," Gates said.
Gates described the computers as being for shared use, but the project goes under the name "One Laptop per Child." A representative for the project did not immediately reply to an inquiry seeking comment.
Earlier this year, Google founder Larry Page said his company is backing MIT's project. He showed a model of the machine that does use a crank as one source of power.
"The laptops ... will be able to do most everything except store huge amounts of data," according to the project's Web site.
He starts shitting on a 100 buck comp and says they should get his $500-$1000 buck piece of crap. Someone needs to give that nerd a wedgie.
Maklershed
03-16-2006, 05:23 PM
Considering Gates was a major player in revolutionizing how all humans live and interact today, I think we can all give him a pass for having constructive criticism for what sounds like peice of shit computers that prob wont be worth $100 anyway.
SpazX
03-16-2006, 05:24 PM
He's just pissy because they went open source.
sblymnlcrymnl
03-16-2006, 05:34 PM
He has a point.
Ikohn4ever
03-16-2006, 05:37 PM
meh u are all thinking like people who have been around comps all their lives. If this was the first computer you ever had and seen, it would prob blow your mind
Liquid 2
03-16-2006, 05:38 PM
He starts shitting on a 100 buck comp and says they should get his $500-$1000 buck piece of crap. Someone needs to give that nerd a wedgie.
He's just pissy because they went open source.
I dont see why people like to bash on bill gates.
its not like he's wrong, that "computer" is a piece of crap.
Javery
03-16-2006, 05:40 PM
Considering Gates was a major player in revolutionizing how all humans live and interact today, I think we can all give him a pass for having constructive criticism for what sounds like peice of shit computers that prob wont be worth $100 anyway.
I agree. While I think the concept of cheap computers for kids and people less fortunate is a good one, a $100 piece of shit is still a piece of shit.
Will it do the job it's meant to?
jaykrue
03-16-2006, 05:45 PM
If you think about what Google's doing (Google map, Gmail, Gstorage, etc), it's unnecessary for the laptop to 'store' any data other than an OS anyway since it'll be on Google's servers. I think Billy's just pissed and kicking himself that Google is doing something that he didn't think of first. The only real issue there really would be and I agree with Bill is the power issue. The crank idea doesn't sound too feasible. How about using alternate power sources? Solar? Local electric generators? High capacity lithium batteries?
thagoat
03-16-2006, 05:45 PM
well, until you've actually seen one, or used one, how can u call it shitty? i also think its funny that bill is bashing it only so he can plug his own version. if the $100 machine ran windows, he wouldn't say a word.
Sporadic
03-16-2006, 05:47 PM
He starts shitting on a 100 buck comp and says they should get his $500-$1000 buck piece of crap.
Piece of crap? That "piece of crap" is a fully functional computer that can fit in the palm of your hand unlike those 100 dollar "computers" with a hand crank.
http://www.tabletpc2.com/Microsoft%20UMPC%20Launch%20-%20Article9003.htm
http://wiki.laptop.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/5895/laptopcrank5xw.jpg
Again, the 100 dollar one apparently does what needs doing. Trying to sell a product for 5 times the price that does the same job is silly. Why not encourage economy car buyers to upgrade to Corvettes? Sure, they cost way more and do the same job but...some argument I'm not seeing.
SpazX
03-16-2006, 06:01 PM
Well damn, all the bill gates defense from people that probably didn't even look at the computer site. It has a 500 mhz processor and 500mb flash storage. It's for kids to learn on, wtf is it supposed to do? Word Process and use some learning software probably. Who can't do that on a 500mhz machine with 500mb storage?
From the website: "The proposed $100 machine will be a Linux-based, with a dual-mode display—both a full-color, transmissive DVD mode, and a second display option that is black and white reflective and sunlight-readable at 3× the resolution. The laptop will have a 500MHz processor and 128MB of DRAM, with 500MB of Flash memory; it will not have a hard disk, but it will have four USB ports. The laptops will have wireless broadband that, among other things, allows them to work as a mesh network; each laptop will be able to talk to its nearest neighbors, creating an ad hoc, local area network. The laptops will use innovative power (including wind-up) and will be able to do most everything except store huge amounts of data."
He's pissy because they used linux and went open source, like thegoat said if it had windows and word he'd be fucking displaying it everywhere.
EDIT: http://laptop.org/ is the website for it
Graystone
03-16-2006, 06:04 PM
Bill Gates mocks MIT's $100 laptop
Thursday, March 16, 2006; Posted: 2:01 p.m. EST (19:01 GMT)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) --
"The last thing you want to do for a shared use computer is have it be something without a disk" Gates said at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum in suburban Washington.
"64 kB is all the memory anyone will ever need"
True nerds will know that quote and see the correlation between my quote and the news story.
Sporadic
03-16-2006, 06:15 PM
"64 kB is all the memory anyone will ever need"
True nerds will know that quote and see the correlation between my quote and the news story.
Isn't that a Gordon Eubanks quote from 1976?
I thought Bill Gates said "Nobody will ever need more than 640kb of memory" in 1981.
- edit Actually looking into it; it seems that quote is false anyways.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody." and "No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer."
Two variants of the same quote. Attributed to him in 1981 when designing DOS's conventional memory limit as ten times the amount in his computer; Gates has denied this quote and mentions that it is always provided without a source. The quote sounds reasonable today, when Gates has so much control over the (personal) computing world, but he was hardly significant enough at the time to influence such issues. In fact, the memory limitation was hardware based: The intel 8086 processor imposed a 1MB memory limit. The 640KB limit came from the inflexible hardware architechture of the early IBM PC. (http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:z9alelDjjx8J:en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bill_Gates+Nobody+will+ever+need+more+than+640kb+o f+memory&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=7&client=opera)
Danro
03-16-2006, 07:01 PM
What happens when that hand crank breaks? How tha hell do you explain that one to tech support? Speak & Spells are more advance than a hand cranked laptop.
I fully endorse or support anything Mr Gates says. End of story.
sblymnlcrymnl
03-16-2006, 07:07 PM
meh u are all thinking like people who have been around comps all their lives. If this was the first computer you ever had and seen, it would prob blow your mindActually I was thinking these people have better things to do than fuck around with a shitty computer. :lol:
What happens when that hand crank breaks? How tha hell do you explain that one to tech support? Speak & Spells are more advance than a hand cranked laptop.
I fully endorse or support anything Mr Gates says. End of story.
Used to computers breaking down regularly? A Bill Gates devotee? Who'd have thunk it?
Danro
03-16-2006, 07:19 PM
Used to computers breaking down regularly? A Bill Gates devotee? Who'd have thunk it?
The only problem ive ever had with my comps was hardware related, and its to be expected with any comp. What can I say? The man gave me my games and a way to share them with my friends.
On topic: Seriously, I think those countries could benefit more from an encyclopedia.
Sonic Fighters
03-16-2006, 07:24 PM
If the computer is used to help people, and does what it needs to do, I don't see why anyone would complain about it.
Quillion
03-16-2006, 07:41 PM
If the computer is used to help people, and does what it needs to do, I don't see why anyone would complain about it.
Simple. He's complaining because it doesn't run windows.
As open source, it will bring linux into millions of users hands, users who will grow up and graduate to more complex linux computers.
Why do I use Windows? Because I grew up using DOS.
ZeroSupporT
03-16-2006, 08:25 PM
If I was in a under-developed country, I would probably want a fucking sandwich before I'd want a laptop.
Considering Gates was a major player in revolutionizing how all humans live and interact today, I think we can all give him a pass for having constructive criticism for what sounds like peice of shit computers that prob wont be worth $100 anyway.
Pretty much what I was going to say. He's making constructive criticisms, a far cry from making fun of them.
Gates has bought a ton of computers for libraries across the USA, so he might know something about what works for cost effective shared use machines.
As for the computers actually being 1 per person. $100 per seems awfully expensive for something like that. Poor areas have trouble scraping together the money for life saving medicine (which is often a lot less than $100 per person I think.)
Used to computers breaking down regularly? A Bill Gates devotee? Who'd have thunk it?
:rofl:
Blade
03-16-2006, 10:22 PM
Why doesn't he offer them his "better" computers at lower prices? They would become attached to his products, compensating for the original low prices.
Worst thing he could do is lose 1/21239th of his wealth.
klwillis45
03-16-2006, 10:33 PM
Both sides are stupid. What these companies should be doing is recycling old pcs from more developed countries like us. Not too many peeps here have use for a P1 machine but its a start elsewhere.
Liquid 2
03-17-2006, 07:03 PM
If I was in a under-developed country, I would probably want a fucking sandwich before I'd want a laptop.QFT
:rofl:
darkmere
03-17-2006, 07:48 PM
If you think about what Google's doing (Google map, Gmail, Gstorage, etc), it's unnecessary for the laptop to 'store' any data other than an OS anyway since it'll be on Google's servers. I think Billy's just pissed and kicking himself that Google is doing something that he didn't think of first. The only real issue there really would be and I agree with Bill is the power issue. The crank idea doesn't sound too feasible. How about using alternate power sources? Solar? Local electric generators? High capacity lithium batteries?
excellent point. i believe the purpose of these computers is supposed to be to teach children that otherwise would never get the opportunity how to use very basic computer functions. they will have a fighting chance in technology related fields and can choose a better life than 'dirt farmer.' should we send them camcorders and final cut pro so that they can upload videos to youtube while they listen to their ipods?
On topic: Seriously, I think those countries could benefit more from an encyclopedia.
http://www.wikipedia.org/ ? they're supposed to have internet connection, no?
alonzomourning23
03-18-2006, 04:14 PM
When you have countries were people don't even make 1k a year, and can't afford $50 for a year of their childs schooling, a 100 dollar pc is a stretch. There are schools out there that don't even have running water, let alone electricity (which explains the crank). Other places have elctricity, but it's extremely unstable.
It's within reason that charities would buy these 100 pc's and distribute them to schools and such.
Computers are highly useful educational tools in this day and age. Even if there is no internet connection available (phone or otherwise), it would still provide the children with a basic understanding of computers that they may be able to utilize in the future. But, if they do have an internet connection, all the educational benefits of the internet will be at their disposal.
Though I'm not sure what advantage an encyclopedia has when compared to a school book.
captaincold
03-18-2006, 05:07 PM
If I was in a under-developed country, I would probably want a fucking sandwich before I'd want a laptop.
Exactly.
You can give them a Alienware Mega computer but it still wouldn't mean shit if your sitting in front of it with an empty stomach.
I'm not a fan of Bill Gates but people should realize that he's given BILLION'S to poor countries for disease,medicine,etc....
What has Steve Jobs given??
AshesofWake
03-18-2006, 05:10 PM
What has Steve Jobs given??
over-priced ass shovingly aerodynamic ipods