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61 Comments
- Godric, on 10/12/2007, -16/+27Bill Gates has done more to alleviate international poverty and sickness than the MIT Media Lab or the Google Founders. I don't see why anyone has to spin his criticisms of the 100 dollar PC this way. Given the realities on the ground, it may very well be the case that the people would benefit more form a device with a blackberry's form factor and functionality.
And I really have to wonder about the MIT Media Lab's thinking in turning down Steve Jobs's offer to provide OS X for free. I mean, which operating system would provide the most benefit to the most people: one that is polished and easy to use or a Linux distribution which even in the first world is used primarily by computer experts? Ideology trumps pragmatism once again. - jeffgtr, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16Lets put it into perspective here. Bill Gates HAS NOT done more than ANYBODY ELSE to help the world poor. There are countless others that devote their entire life to helping the underprivileged of this world. I for one think the $100 computer is a noble cause, I don't know what planet Gates is on thinking that anyone but the most priveleged in a third world country could afford a $600 computer.
- exaviger, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12@yttrx
Hard evidence? Are you a %$%# idiot?
"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the world's largest charitable foundation, endowed by Bill Gates, chairman and founder of Microsoft, and his wife, Melinda Gates. It was created in January 2000 through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation and the William H. Gates Foundation. The foundation is based in Seattle, Washington and is led by William H. Gates, Sr. (Bill Gates' father) and Patty Stonesifer.
The foundation's grants have provided funds for underrepresented minority college scholarships, AIDS prevention, diseases that strike mainly in the Third World, and other causes. The Foundation currently provides 90% of the world budget for the attempted eradication of poliomyelitis (polio), the World Health Organization having "moved on" to other diseases. In June 1999, Gates and his wife donated US$5 billion to their foundation. They have donated more than US$100 million to help children suffering from AIDS. On January 26, 2005, it was announced that the Foundation had made a further contribution of US$750 million to the international Vaccine Fund to help fight diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, poliomyelitis and yellow fever. As of 2005, the foundation has an endowment of approximately US$28 billion. To maintain its status as a charitable foundation, it must donate at least 5% of its assets each year. Thus the donations from the foundation each year would amount to over $1 billion at a minimum."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_and_Melinda_Gates_Foundation
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8>there ARE Linux virus scan software vendors
True, but they are for scanning for WINDOWS viruses on Linux file/email servers which provide services to Windows clients NOT for linux-specific viruses. - kyrobeshay, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Pound23. I'm sure these kids and those who cannot afford the luxuries that we enjoy by any extent are not picking and choosing what luxuries they would like to have. I'm sure most of them have never enjoyed the advantages of having a computer nor have ever seen a computer. Whether giving them these $100 laptops or $500 machines to share, these kids would not discriminate among the two, rather, rejoice in that they possess a luxury that most of the world possess, and, thus, allow them to share a more common ground with the rest of the world. These MIT guys are trying to do a noble thing. A crank to power the laptop itself eliminates any power source whatsoever, alleviating any constraints or limitations that power sources in rural areas put on the people. Sure, Bill Gates has a foundation in which he 'greatly contributes' to poverty. However, rather than coming out and mocking a very respectable attempt at enabling the world to run digitally, perhaps he should open up his own project if he has so much animosity with this one. I mean, computers ARE his thing, right? I'm sure he'd have no trouble getting a team together to try and put a computer in every child's hand, i mean, if he's so passionate about it, and discontent with MIT's attempt. It's so disgusting to see him go out and criticize this effort, and perhaps he, being the computer king he is, should shut his mouth, and open up his wallet, and try and help.
- Tobey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Well said. Either buy the kids the device you think they need, or stop criticizing the $100 dollar laptop.
- Godric, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9He's just telling it like it is. If you want PC political speech, you better listen to politicians, not entrepreneurs like Gates who actually know how to get things done.
- mikemcewan, on 10/12/2007, -7/+12"Don't read this if you have stitches or a recent appendectomy." ??? I didn't even smile...let alone chuckle, let alone laugh...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7My opinion...
When it comes to charity, help out, or shut up. - MalDON, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Same here.
- pound23, on 10/12/2007, -11/+15The criticism here is completely unfounded. As far as I can see, Bill got it right. If you were in a thrid world country and could not afford your own top end PC ... would you want a crappy little $100 machine? Or would you want a couple of hours of shared time on a PC with a hard drive, good monitor and real power?
Why don't we buy all those people crappy little $500 cars to tool around in? Better than buying them a nice bus or two?
Windows has resulted in Billions of hourse of productivity gains around the world. Bill deserves his billions as much as Steve Jobs does ... - Zuggy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Reading the links and the article I think the biggest problem with Bill Gates is that he doesn't realize that $600-$1000 is still out of reach for many in the US let alone 3rd world countries. Also many poverty stricken people don't have power in their homes. A $100 laptop with a crank power supply is wonderful. Also if google is backing the project they could set-up gmail to act as a seamless online hard drive to store data. Sure probably the best speed your gonna get is 33.6kbps but that's fine for storing documents and bookmarks.
I don't agree with the article saying that Bill Gates doesn't help poverty stricken people. In his will his children only get 1% of his fortune when he dies and the rest is to go to various charities, but when your worth tens of billions of dollars you may not be able to see what true poverty is. - obscurelyfamous, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7A poorly written article from another misinformed Linux elitist. Seriously, it was poorly written (questionable insight, undeveloped opinions, poor grammar and spelling to boot).
Gates was not mocking the $100 laptop because it was not running Windows hardware. He's not mocking it because Google guys are backing it.
No, he's mocking it because he doesn't see the project being fully realized. The idea and goals are clear. A computer in the hands of every child-- great. However what he is saying is that there are better ways to approach the problem and deliver a solution that far surpasses a crippled crank box. Have we heard a solution? No. But considering oft-mentioned philanthropy and past innovative foresight, I suspect we will.
equark makes an excellent point in mentioning the OLPC. Computers are definitely tools of the present and future but before investing $700 million, there should be more discussion on how relevant these tools are to much of the existing problems of today's education. - mason.parker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Propaganda goes both ways.
- ShameliouS, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I think everyone is looking at it from the wrong perspective, including Bill Gates and whoever wrote this article.
We are looking at it from our perspective of how we would use a computer. We should ask how would people in developing nations use their computer, and I hope they looked into that when they were designing this.
Since everyone seems to be looking from our perspective... this project is good.
It will help developing nations have access to a computer, which is key in today's developed nations.
And I'm not sure why Bill Gates is trying to put it down, or even why he brought it up.
He was there to promote his stuff, and he should have done that, not mock other stuff.
And it pretty much sounds like he was mocking.
However, do we even know how a computer like this will fit into their lives?
How will they use it and what do they need?
We are looking at it as, "What do we have... now let's see what we can cut down"
Not "What do they need"
I also believe that there are also more important issues that need to be taken care of.
There are children that need food, clean water and health-related things to survive.
You can probably argue that there are other foundations doing that type of relief work.
But I believe children need to survive before we start giving them computers. - babbling, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Exactly. Who does he think he is? These people are trying to help, and just because they're not using Microsoft software on their $100 laptop, he is mocking their attempts to help others.
He comes off as an arrogant arsehole, in my opinion. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -11/+14I was about to say how Bill Gates has done more to help children in need than anybody else, but Godric beat me to it.
I think his criticism should be seen as frank and constructive. He certainly has no qualms about spending his entire fortune to help children in need. So there's no need to assume bad faith in regard to his comments. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The question isn't whether or not he has helped children in developing countries, i'm sure he has, with all the money he's got he donates a big chunk of it.
The problem here is how stupid his comments on the 100$ laptops are... he talks about networking and such which is far from what this is going to be. He is imagining connected laptops running for a business or something while they are standalone simplistic and very "introductory" machines. - onesmartdesi, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5honestly, those kids need these things. they won't care that it won't be the fastest, or best computer around, cuz they won't know the difference! just the simple fact that someone is trying to give kids this opportunity is great. if you are criticizing it, try to build a $100 laptop for cheaper. Windows XP home edition itself costs that much. and w/ tax, even more. however, the rejection of OS X was an unnecessary doing.
another thing, the hand crank is needed. coming from india myself, power frequently goes out because of overpopulation issues. a child with barely enough food won't be able to afford power. thus, the hand crank is definitely necessary. - Godric, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Yeah, because countries that need AIDS and malaria drugs, food and clean water are such huge potential purchasers of Windows and Office.
To suggest that Bill Gates isn't at all motivated by altruism and a sincere desire to help is shockingly naive. That kind of cynism used to impress me in high school but not any more. - Arramol, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2True as that is mist, most competent users can keep stuff like that away. Windows updates, virus protection, firewall....keeping Windows working isn't as costly or time-cosuming as Mac/Linux fanboys tend to make it out to be. You can talk about how you don't need these for the other two, but Mac costs far more in terms of price to performance ratio, and Linux requires a much higher time investment for set up. Heck, as a newcomer to Linux, it took me at least as much time tinkering with it to get my wireless card working and enable DVD/WMV/QuickTime playback as it does to keep XP secure. I love 'nux, but let's be realistic here, there is no perfect operating system.
- mason.parker, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Holy ***** that's.......funny?
Yeah, that's pretty stupid really. I love how this ***** manages to imply that children would really be in trouble because of MALWARE and not starvation, forced military service, ethnic cleansing etc.... - RickySan65, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Finally someone with a comment that makes sense snd is thought out..
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6This isn't about Linux fan boyism
This isn't about knocking Bill Gates wonderful contribution to the world.
It's about Gate's extremely f'n bad taste. Like i said, unless you plan on helping out, don't go criticising charity. And his criticism has more than its share of sickening motivation.
AMD, Google and Redhat are doing one 1LPC project, Ubuntu is getting involved in another (supposedly)
MS and Apple both attempted to get their OS on it. Now Gates is sore b/c his costly option wasn't picked. And he's ticked b/c all the people who can't afford his OS are going a route they can. and that's FOSS. He's making charity into a dick sizing competition and is bad mouthing his "competition". Charity isn't a competition, it's a goal that all who participate should share.
This is not to knock what he has done, or what he will continue to do. That i applaud over and over and over again. More men in his position should follow his lead.
It's about his big f'n mouth that's in extremely bad taste. And i don't care what he has given or what he has done, you don't sit on a throne of gold and criticize people helping out. If you have a problem with how they're doing it. Help out yourself, or start your own project. Focus on what you do.
All this negativity in the realm of charity accomplishes NOTHING. - FatHed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You're implying that there are no Linux virus, which is incorrect.
http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_99693.htm
Granted, that's an old virus, and for the most part you don't have to worry about it, or any other *NIX virus.
http://www.mcafee.com/us/products/mcafee/antivirus/fileserver/linuxshield.htm
"viruses, worms, and other malicious code targeting Linux systems" - pozzoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Making cheaper computers isn't exactly charity. MIT people didn't say "lets make 600$ laptops and sell them at 100$", they just said "lets make 100$ laptops and sell them at 100$". That's a good action, and a good action is not the same as charity. Charity is a rich man luxury.
I really don't care if Bill Gates is "charitable", he's just paying good-sleep time because he can afford it (I wonder what percentage of his gross income is he donating). But at the end of the day he has attitudes like this that shows who he really is: instead of helping he just puts rocks in the way, only to promote his business.
Its the difference between paying someone dinner and inviting him to your house for a meal. The first is an easy solution if you have money, just put some cash and forget about it.
So, Bill gates has money, big deal. He isn't Gandhi. - WaterDragon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3When a multi-national corporation gets governments to write and pass laws that declare its thievery and corrupt business practices 'legal', then there are always thousands of ignorant fools who will claim that said corrupt corporation (or billionaire) actually OWNS all that wealth --that has been 'stolen from' the public...stolen from all the people and small businesses that were driven into poverty and unemployment by the corrupt and monopolistic practices of that big corrupt corporation.
(this prolly should have been broken down into several sentences---but whateva!)
Gates is one of the most corrupt people alive, along with the creeps in WashingtonDC whom he is in bed with, and all the ignorant masses who hear of his supposed altruism in the corporate owned press, and then claim he is such a good guy!
F*ck all y'all!
I would not allow that bastard in my house!
I didn't find the article funny, but it was an interesting read.
What does it matter if kids in those countries get windup laptops or not--when there is a maniac dictator who is waging war on the entire world, controlled by the rotten and unregulated, truly amoral corporations!
There are so many more compelling issues that need fixing!
Cheney and Gates, Bush and Rumsfeld...too many creeps to name here.
I think I am going to puke!
Most tragic is when otherwise intelligent people (like many Diggers) allow themselves to be manipulated by the propaganda, and start praising said dictators and thieves as 'altruistic'. - Ai3d, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5So, you people suggest, that, Bill, or any other rich person for that matter, should give out ALL of his/her money to help poor children? Sorry, little can do, but not everything. And before you point out at him or anybody else, look at yourself first!
- athanfrost, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Hm. I don't have problems with my Windows system, but then again, I'm not an idiot that goes around downloading every suspicious file that is emailed to me.
- mattgilberg, on 10/12/2007, -9/+10i totally agree here, except for the all of the stuff saying that bill gates has the money to do this and that. its not gates, but also steve balmer and the rest of microsoft in trying to make a profit. this was/is the continuing dispute over whether or not ms has a "monopoly". bill gates is a very charitable man, i don't think anyone here can deny that, but at the same time you don't have to have ethical business tatics in order to make your money.
- liveitup, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Crippled crank box! Hardly! Innovative to say the LEAST.
Power: Hand powered (I'm sure they have tons of outlets over there).
Networking: Ad-hoc, no need for coslty infrastructure, or big-business to supply. Everyone
shares access.
OS: Free (in speech and cost). Easily modifiable and tweek friendly. Which I believe is the
reason they chose it for the project.
Fullsized keyboard and tiny screen: Since cell phones are getting big over there, I don't think
they'll mind staring at a much larger screen now.
Looks like MIT did a FINE job of making a reliable and durable product. Gates is flaming them
as much as the linux zealots are flaming him. His solutions would cost more, require infrastructure
that cannot reached or maintained by the country, and most importantly funnel money and research
back into his company and not an open-initiative. Donating money is great, but lashing out at a
organization designed to be charitable doesn't not make him seem that "kindly." I believe that is
the point most people are making. - mistshadow2k4, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Right, and those charity workers and volunteers who risk their lives to help people (adults AND children) in war-torn developing countries can't hold a candle to Bill's goodness of heart.
Before you put a rosy glow on someone who has plenty of money for giving to charity you should think about the people out there who help *personally* and actually put themselves in danger to help others. Just because you don't hear about them in the news doesn't mean they don't exist. It just shows how little anyone gives a damn since it doesn't involve lots of money or a celebrity scandal. - Godric, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2mistshadow, where do you think those bleeding heart idealists get their funding from? First world tax dollars and donations. And whoever is giving the most capital has a bigger and more fundamental power to do go than someone distributing individual meals.
- equark, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3FYI, MIT's Poverty Action Lab -- an organization run by development economists who do lots of randomized trails of programs such as the OLPC -- recently found that hiring a local high school student to tutor elementary school students was 6 times more cost effective ($ per test score increase) than having children use educational software. A recent study in Israel actually found that computers led to negative test score outcomes. Remember, the entire developed world didn't have computers in classrooms till about 1995 and we somehow managed to get rich anyway.
What I find saddest about the OLPC program is that the guys running it have NO experience whatsoever working in developing countries. It would be pretty simple to take 5 thousand of these laptops and run a randomized trail via the Poverty Action Lab. Then we could see if it's actually worth it. It silly to spend $700 million on a program which may very very very well fail. - mistshadow2k4, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Ever heard of the Blaster virus? It downloads itself straight into your computer when you're online without you ever knowing it. And it's not the only one of that nature. If you think you have to click something to get a virus on Windows you're going to be in for a nasty surprise someday.
- miker71, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Yeah, because countries that need AIDS and malaria drugs, food and clean water are such huge potential purchasers of Windows and Office.
To suggest that Bill Gates isn't at all motivated by altruism and a sincere desire to help is shockingly naive. That kind of cynism used to impress me in high school but not any more."
One acronym: TRIPS
http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=241&row=1
Gates’ game is given away by the fact that his Foundation has invested $200 million in the very drug companies stopping the shipment of low-cost AIDS drugs to Africa. - kyrobeshay, on 10/12/2007, -7/+7People need to stop acting like unintelligent fools by burying comments that show a view opposite to theirs. If you disagree, then provide a counter argument. If you can't argue it, then move on instead of burying it, only making it more clear to you that you lack knowledge and that you follow a certain belief out of ignorance. Bury stupid comments, and we all know what those comments consist of. Burying arguments makes YOU look dumb, not those whose comments you've buried.
- Bluezdood, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6Not funny, no digg. In fact, +lame
- jamesbell, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6Very Lame Indeed. This must be another DIGG PLANT. Who paid for this pile of an article? Looking more like SlashDot every day. Tick, Tick, Tick, days are numbered.
- nonchallant0819, on 03/30/2008, -0/+0This is a great story... found this one through http://www.google.com
___________________________________
http://www.TopNotchCarpentry.com - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1See, that's precisely what I was saying, except when I go into the details of how a non-profit "foundation" works and where it gets the majority of its money from, I get undug tremendously.
@exaviger:
You can quote wikipedia articles at me all you want (and thus avoid doing your own research and possibly coming to understand how enormous charitable foundations actually operate), but not one thing in the quotes you offered in ANY way claims that he's done more for children in need than anyone else. Yet I'm the idiot? - FeriCyde, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Bingo.
I'm not knocking his charity at all -- I'm saying that from the position where he sits, given the stuff that to me is obvious (he's a sore loser in this context -- I honestly believe it) it's rather uncharitable to critisize an effort to make an inexpensive computer. $100 is nothing to him -- it's months of salary to someone else.
I thought that was clear, and honestly I suspect it truly is -- even to some of the people in the comments above who are knocking me for mocking their great hallowed visionary (not mine, by the way) -- even some of these people know that for sure I wasn't saying what he did with his charitable money was bad.
So, let me be really clear. "*clap*" great job Bill for giving away cash for vacines and the like.
Now, please shut up about this effort, because it's worthy of one of your goals -- putting computing in the hands of the masses.
There, I hope that's clearer now.
-=FeriCyde=- - wags007, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Let's see if I have this straight cause I am a little thick at times. But you are saying that someone who has never even seen a computer, let alone use one, is gonna be able to tell the difference between a $100 and a $500 computer? You think that they will have enough of a clue or care that there is a difference? These computers are for people who are as off the grid as it gets. Most of the people targeted for these machines don't have power. Thus the reason for the crank since you seem to be missing that.
My parents only upgrade there computers because I tell them they have to. Not because they think that my generally much faster computers are worth what I spend on them. My parents are both college educated and living in a first world country and both are college educated. If they don't care what the difference is why do you think someone with little or no education and living in a Tech Void is going to?
- pozzoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0He's doing just that... alleviate. Read my comment to mattgilberg.
- eben, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6"I know he does some totally awesome things, but i guess i just don't see the point on sitting on that money."
He isn't "sitting" on the money. He has vowed to give away all his money before he dies, and has already donated half his wealth. - NeoTechni, on 10/12/2007, -13/+12That wasn't funny at all. No digg, false advertising
- mattgilberg, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1in response to gates' comment, if he wants for people to put windows on that machine so badly then just let it be realeased to second and third world countries. the mpaa/riaa and the governent think piracy is bad in the u.s., lets go to the streets of china where i can buy a dvd of a movie that hasn't even been released into theaters. by doing this, everybody will have the option the install their own easily obtainible pirated copies of windows 95/98/nt. also he says that you want people to be able to use a broadband connection and have some type of support. well here bill gates, why dont YOU pay the money to set up peering points in the middle of ethiopia and el salvador and ship over some support staff while your at it.
- cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -10/+8No Digg.
Not funny.
Hateful Linux fanboyism gont bad... - SenyorDrew, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Yup, lame. Wasn't even funny. Seriously people, you can poke fun of Bill all you want but the guy doesn't have to be charitable.
Sheesh, I'm a mac user and I still think Gates is a decent guy - tadelste, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1And you think his comments reflect his altruism or his desire to keep Linux and free software down. Give us all a break. I want to call you a toad, but I shouldn't attack you personally. I just don't want to go down to the level of people who think they know the truth because they watch television.
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