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M.I.T. Team Working on $12 Computer Based on Apple II

M.I.T. Team Working on $12 Computer Based on Apple II

by , 4:25 PM EDT, August 5th, 2008

Derek Lomas and his associates at M.I.T. are working on a computer that Third World residents can buy for $12, according to the Boston Herald on Monday. It's loosely based on the Apple II.

Most people are aware of the project by Nicholas Negroponte at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to build at US$100 computer for Third World kids, but Mr. Lomas and his team want to go one better.


Apple II (circa 1982)

"If you just know how to type, that can be the difference between earning $1 an hour instead of $1 a day," Mr. Lomas said at the recent MIT International Development Design Summit.

The 1980's Apple II was the inspiration for Mr. Lomas. "My generation all had Apple IIs that we learned to type and play games on," Mr. Lomas said. "If we can get buy-in from programmers, we can develop these devices and give (Third World) schools Apple II computer labs like the ones I grew up with."

His six member team has already recruited Apple II enthusiasts to help with programming. Their computer will add rudimentary Internet access.

"We think we can develop a really good educational tool that could give kids exposure to keyboards, typing and mouse usage at an early age," said Austin-Breneman, one of the other team members.

For kids who have never used a computer before, that may be all they need to get a start in the modern computer era.

Observer Comments

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Close Name:Guest
Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:18 pm Subject: Awesome Idea!!!!!!!

Hey I just fired up my old Apple IIe last weekend and it really is good to see it running. The color display is lo-rez but adequate. And its neat to have a programming language (BASIC) available when you need it. There are tons of good Apple programs- With a solid state memory drive and Internet access I think this is a great idea- for US kids too!


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Close Name:Guest
Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:20 pm Subject: I agree.

I agree. With the Apple IIe and other early eighties computers, the 3rd world countries can start where we did. As they assimilate the 1st and 2nd generation home computers, we can introduce progressively more technology and within 10 years or so they may only be one generation behind us and better off for the gradual education. Long Live the Commodore 64!


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Close Name:Guest
Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:27 pm Subject:

This idea is very practical.


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Close Name:Sir Harry Flashman Posts: 792 Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:33 pm Subject: AppleWorks

Give them AppleWorks with TimeOut, and other Beagle Bros programs.


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Close Name:Guest
Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:46 pm Subject:

This is a great idea! I wonder though, are there that many jobs where computers are used in third world countries?


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Close Name:Guest
Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:14 pm Subject:

That is so cool!! I've heard about many 3rd world students coming to America for college and the only reason they suffer in Computer Science courses is because they haven't had rudimentary training with any computers. If they even had these they would fare so much better.


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Close Name:Guest
Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:23 am Subject: Throw Away Computers

Thousands of computers are junked every single day. The local library in my town just put several complete computer systems on a cart with a "Free Computers" sign on it. They're a handful of 4 yr. old Dell systems.

just in my direct family there are probably 5 complete computer systems that work just fine that are no longer being used. Why don't we just ship a few million used computers running a stripped down version of Linux to third world countries?


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Close Name:Guest
Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:06 am Subject: Haleys Comet

Haleys Comet get my vote. Our science teacher used that as teaching aid.


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Close Name:Guest
Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:39 am Subject: All about the money

1. Buy Apple IIs computers on eBay for $8
2. Sell Apple IIs to third world countries for $12
3. Profit...50%!


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Close Name:Guest
Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:58 pm Subject: Outstanding

My first computer was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum


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