[Fsf-india] Kind attn FSF-India

[Frederick Noronha]

Dear friends at FSF: 

I am working on an article on the Simputer (www.simputer.org), and would
be very grateful if you could spare a few moments to give me your views on
the same. (The Simputer will run on GNU/Linux.)

Could you kindly let me know:

1. What is your view of the utility of the Simputer?

2. Is its potential getting eroded by falling palmtop prices? Or is the
   comparison with a low-cost palmtop unfair to the Simputer?

3. Should a country like India go in for greater hardware innovation?

4. What would you view to the be the main contribution of the 
   Simputer? (i) Low cost (ii) Open-design (iii) Fact that it comes
   from a Third World country? (iv) Attempt to be friendly to the 
   rural villager? (v) Anything else?

5. We in India have been falling short of the promise of a number
   of IT-for-development projects? Why do you feel this is so?

6. If you had a say in designing the Simputer differently, what
   woudl it be?

7. Simputer has received a whole lot of favourable press coverage.
   Do you feel this was (i) deserved (ii) undeserved (iii) lesser
   than deserved?

8. How do projects like the Simputer rate on scalability, software,
   interface, userability? What is your understanding of the problems and
   obstacles in taking this from the lab to manufacturing? Why haven't
   computer companies or other industrialists coming forward to support this?

9. Will the Simputer be able to sell at the sub-$200 price?

10. Any other comments.

Thanks a lot. If you could send in the comments by March 12, I'd be very
grateful. Frederick.

PS: Please visit the http://linuxinindia.pitas.com site below...
--
Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa * India 832.409490 / 409783
BYTESFORALL www.bytesforall.org  * GNU-LINUX http://linuxinindia.pitas.com
Email fred@bytesforall.org * SMS 9822122436@attcell.net * Saligao Goa India
Writing with a difference... on what makes *the* difference