Re: Re: RE: [Telecentres] Re: Will Internet Cafés Survive

Wed Feb 2 15:21:51 GMT 2005

Greetings Hallam, 
   Its been a dream for many of us to own a Personal computer. Various attempts to bring down the cost have met limited success. 
If you notice the biggest cost component in a computer device is hogged by the the storage device / Computing capability / and Softwares. Now break down the three component & a unique combination may perhaps make the power of computing affordable. 
   You just own the storage device , hire the computing time on need and so is for the the loaded softwares. the cost of all softwares have been steadily exceeding the hardware cost. Instead of owning it pay as you use. 

     As I gather from various reports, iPOD is more functional then other  mobile data storage like say a pen Drive . ( I am yet to see a iPOD ). We can expect soon like the cost of other gadgets to drop as  it happened with a computer, a Walk Man, A Video Player.  so can't we expect a similar device for just USD 50 in a few years ? . 
    Telecentres can host as a virtual office with the computing facility - say a thin client , mouse, keyboard & monitor. Printer & all other facilities to support fulfillment of process.  Users can simply plug in the iPOD / process the data & retain with them ! & keep moving .
 Telecentres have mushroomed in the progressive African/ Asian countries but due to lack of  usable content they have been on a  decline. and offer little opportunity to retain customers. 
But such distributed model sorely depend upon the ubiquity factor.
many such possibilities as described above can be reality if we have Telecentres in every nook & corner. 

Ashish Saboo  
President
Association of Public Internet Access Provider (ApiAp)
The voice of independent Cyber cafe operators
URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net
Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com

On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 hallamhope.com wrote :
>Hi Ashish,
>
>I am starting up a small, privately funded technology centre a la early Bill Gates style (not quite a garage) and am interested in knowing more about the link betwen the Ipod,  telecentres and achieving sustainability on a shoe string budget.
>
>Hallam
>www.hallamhope.com
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Ashish Saboo
>   To: Gáspár Mátyás ; cnd at knowprose.com ; telecentres at wsis-cs.org
>   Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 1:42 AM
>   Subject: Re: RE: [Telecentres] Re: Will Internet Cafés Survive 10
>
>
>   Gaspar,
>       you have expressed it very Succintly !
>   On Convergence :
>     Andy Carvin's blog post celebrating his christmas gift an "ipod" & another article in the Register offer a good clue . iPOD coupled with ubquitious access to computing power as offered by Telecentres can make computing affordable & perhaps offer telecentre a new lease of life.
>
>   Read my post :
>   http://apiap.blogspot.com/2005/01/will-ipod-bring-new-lease-of-life-to.html
>
>
>   On Local Content :
>
>   http://www.epica-awards.com/assets/epica/2004/winners/film/flv/11071.htm
>
>   This small award winning video clip by a Italian Telecom company expresses very well.
>
>
>   But before this happens we need to protect from the Mullahs, The Dictators & the Moral Police , The latest to join in is the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
>   Read :
>   http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2005/2/1/technology/10058218&sec=technology
>
>   The failure to understand the very consumer centric business of telecentre where your quest is just a click away. Telecentres in Asian & African countries have been worst affected.
>
>   I hope those of you making it to the summit can make it part of the agenda on how to protect the telecentres.
>
>   Best Wishes
>
>   Ashish Saboo
>   President
>   Association of Public Internet Access Provider (ApiAp)
>   The voice of independent Cyber cafe operators
>   URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net
>   Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>   On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 Gáspár Mátyás wrote :
>   >Dictators don't like Internet acces places for all, because it makes
>   >international and external information flows uncontrollable. Internet
>   >cafes and other types of public or community Internet access places will
>   >exist after 10 years, but functions may gradually change depending on
>   >new technology (convergence) and content (the role of local, community
>   >content will grow). Matyas Gaspar, Hungary
>   >
>   >-----Original Message-----
>   > From: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
>   >[mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Taran Rampersad
>   >Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 2:05 AM
>   >To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
>   >Subject: Re: [Telecentres] Re: Will Internet Cafés Survive 10 More
>   >Years?
>   >
>   >Shah Jahan Bhatti wrote:
>   >
>   > > With the arrival of Internet, cyber cafe's mushroomed in my city but
>   > > due to shameful dictations of mullahs in government most of them
>   > > closed down. I don't think remaing ones will survive another ten years
>   > > from now. Dictators in the poor countries don't like them to grow. Can
>   > > any body tell me why?
>   > > M. Shah Jahan Bhatti
>   >
>   >Who owns the telecommunication company or companies? In Trinidad and
>   >Tobago, it remains a government controlled monopoly (TSTT: 51%
>   >government, 49% Cable and Wireless) despite promises of competition for
>   >over 5 years. Some centers were even sued by TSTT because they were
>   >using Voice over IP (VoIP).
>   >
>   >That's one reason. I suppose with consistent earnings at over 15% at
>   >times, the government isn't too interested in helping people out. Think
>   >of it as a 'technology tax'.
>   >
>   >Other reasons... well, I can speculate on the region you are in, but I

Ashish Saboo
President
Association of Public Internet Access Provider (ApiAp)
The voice of independent Cyber cafe operators
URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net
Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com

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