Intel and ICT made a new PC for Sri Lanka

// "The Community PC is designed to meet the needs of rural communities without reliable power, no reliable internet connections, where there is a rugged environment. It is developed to work in these conditions," Shane D Wall, Vice President, Channel Platforms Group, Intel Corp., said in Colombo on Monday. "The PC can be recharged easily on a car or bicycle battery. This platform was developed in India and I expect will certainly be of great benefit to Sri Lanka in the near future." //
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This is a classic example how government organizations hustle us. This computer cost 41040 Rs at the end of the day. Now I can buy brand new Compaq notebook for 45000 Rs (With original XP). If I want cheaper computer, I can even buy good used computer. But as ICT says 'Demand is very high'. I agree.

Why?

We think our villages are socially and financially challenged. We treat them same way. We tell them "this is what you disserve and this is all you can afford". But they are not! They are not socially and financially challenged. But our government is!

Government fails to provide electricity even when we pay one of the highest electricity bills in the world. I live in very rural area - around 20 miles from capital city - Kadawatha. I experience power breakdown minimum 2 times a day and some times more than 5 times a day. Now we provide computers works with car battery. I can't figure out why rural areas need computers for?

Watch porn? They don't need that. They get sex pretty easily.

Study? Then goverment should provide computers to schools.

Get quick service form government sector? I don't think so. There is no government service we can receive online.

Well.. May be they can use it for talk over IP to their ladies work in middle-east.. Oh! Bloody hell! I forgot! VOIP is illegal in Sri Lanka. So it can't be that.

What I think is (may be I'm wrong) we should provide them a real reason to use computers first of all. Ways to make profit with IT. Then they will buy their own computers. May be provide proper electricity for the bill we pay (Am I asking too much?). Then they will buy regular computers and use them.

Opportunity we don't have. Not Capacity.

Our villages have capacity of paying 500000Rs (to 1000000) to human smugglers for migrate to other countries. If they can make a living with IT, it is not big deal for them to buy a proper computer. But instead of that, they choose the first option. Because that is the only way they can bring bread to the table. Everything else is just bullshit.