A few days before departing for TEDGlobal2007 in Arusha we posted the following about Google and the African Mobile landscape.
Screw the handouts to Africa, give us the tools that allow us to solve our own problems.
The “Mac or PC?” question was asked to all the fellows during the last breakfast at TEDglobal2007. Looks like they’ve been listening as Google and AMD have decided to give each of the 100 TED Fellows a bradnspanking new notebook. The only thing we have to decide is Mac or PC.
Dear TEDGlobal Fellows,
If you have not already done so, please email me your shipping
information (most reliable), phone numbers and whether or not you
would like a Mac or PC. It will take about 8-12 weeks to put this
project together. I will send out another email before we mail your
laptop and radio so you can inform me of any changes in shipping
information.Thank you,
Molly Aaker
You Web AddiCT has chosen a PC. Why? So the first thing I can do is install a flavour of the Linux Operating System on it. Thank you Google & AMD!
I have to wonder though, will it not be easier to source local Laptop suppliers in the TED Fellows countries with vaious keyboard, language and power requirements? Not to mention technical support? Unless… the noteboks will be those supplied by a manufacturer that already offer support in the countries the TED fellows are making a difference in?
If you’re reading this and thinking… “Here they go giving Africans handouts again” Re-think. Google, AMD, TED are giving us the tools to create change in the various regions throughout Africa and the diaspora. Be it the awesome TED Talks, motivation, power networking connections made while at TED Global 2007 and now the notebooks. All tools, it is up to us to use those tools.
*The Image is of Hash doing his 3 miunte talk at TED Global 2007 about African Ingenuity. Video clip available here.
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