Thanks Alex.

Most of the responses have basically said "it can't be done, it's too expensive". This is the standard defeatist attitude that basically does something simply because someone else has already done it... the me-too syndrome.

<sarcasm>This is precisely what Africa needs to get out of poverty.</sarcasm>

But seriously, how much (if at all) has this issue been investigated? Of course the initial costs will be high, they always are for any "new" product (or mode of production) - that is why I suggested a public/private partnership of sorts.

The private sector is all about the economic bottom-line, but the government's bottom-line should be broader and longer-term, e.g. skills-development, diversifying economic activities, reducing dependence etc etc. The net gain to society is more than just cheap products, it is HUGE! Look at the amount of leverage China has in the world today (beyond just economic) ... and to imagine it all started with cloning electronics (this is a simplified view, to highlight a point).

An investment, by definition, takes time to pay off.

My question is:

- All factors considered, is it a worthwhile investment?
- I'm curious about why similar-looking efforts failed (someone mentioned Mercer, Starcom etc?)

Saidi

On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 2:02 AM, Alvin Jason Ochieng <ajochola@gmail.com> wrote:
That's what you meant...ok....they bring in fully assembled
now.....very true....It will be very hard coz even their prices
compared to known brands like HP / LENOVO / TOSHIBA do not have much
price difference.

On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM, Jared Koyier <jaredkoyier@gmail.com> wrote:
> @Alvin, The Mecer that closed shop was based at the EPZ  if I recall, and
> their operations were taken over by their sister company Mecer East Africa
> which  no longer assemble PCs but imports fully built units.
> They failed due to cost related issues and tax regime that favored
> importation. I think with withe zero rating of computer stuff, it might be
> even harder for such a venture to succeed.
>
> 2009/12/11 Calvin Omari <calvinebarongo@gmail.com>
>>
>> The issues is production will not be cost effective why use 70k to produce
>> a laptop that can be imported duty free at 50k with the same specs
>> importation is cheaper than production in that case.
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:35 AM, Alvin Jason Ochieng <ajochola@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Jared very true...though Mecer are still very much here!!!
>>>
>>> On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:33 AM, Jared Koyier <jaredkoyier@gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > Probably lets re-evaluate the success of Meccer and Starmax as desktop
>>> > assemblers in Kenya. From what I can recall Meccer closed shop and
>>> > Starmax
>>> > products are not that popular.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > 2009/12/11 Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
>>> >>
>>> >> I think our 'default' should not always be 'negative'. If you had
>>> >> attended the Digital Video Broadcast launch two days ago, then you
>>> >> would have found out that the University of Nairobi has embarked on
>>> >> local manufacture of "set top boxes" digital<-> analogue converters.
>>> >> The huge market being a sufficient reason justifying commercial
>>> >> viability.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 8:42 AM, Alvin Jason Ochieng
>>> >> <ajochola@gmail.com>
>>> >> wrote:
>>> >> > This would be hard to sell in this mmarket
>>> >> >
>>> >> > My 2 cents
>>> >> >
>>> >> > On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 8:41 AM, Gakuru Alex
>>> >> > <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> >> Saidi,
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Just to thank you for the "knowledge value" I find in many of your
>>> >> >> posts.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Sincerely,
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Alex
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 10:27 PM, saidimu apale <saidimu@gmail.com>
>>> >> >> wrote:
>>> >> >>> This is old news (the VIA OpenBook @ http://www.viaopenbook.com/),
>>> >> >>> but
>>> >> >>> it
>>> >> >>> triggered some "new" questions in mind:
>>> >> >>> - how feasible is it for a public-private-partnership (PPP) to
>>> >> >>> setup a
>>> >> >>> fabrication/assembly plant using the reference designs?
>>> >> >>> - would the (eventual) cost be lower than off-the-shelf netbooks?
>>> >> >>> - is the boost to the local knowledge economy worth the risks
>>> >> >>> involved?
>>> >> >>> - would anyone buy the units? Or are Kenyans too beholden to brand
>>> >> >>> names
>>> >> >>> (HP, Toshiba etc)?
>>> >> >>> - is this a camouflaged reinvention of the wheel?
>>> >> >>> - are there times when other factors justify reinventing portions
>>> >> >>> of a
>>> >> >>> wheel? What factors might those be?
>>> >> >>> Engadget's review
>>> >> >>> @ http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/27/via-openbook-hands-on/
>>> >> >>> If the ICT Board and the Government are serious about kickstarting
>>> >> >>> local
>>> >> >>> this and that, perhaps they should be asking themselves such
>>> >> >>> questions. Or
>>> >> >>> have they already?
>>> >> >>> It would be great if university courses modified the reference
>>> >> >>> designs
>>> >> >>> for a
>>> >> >>> local context and published their results. Or at the very least
>>> >> >>> modifying a
>>> >> >>> simpler circuit board like the Arduino http://www.arduino.cc/
>>> >> >>> (Wired
>>> >> >>> has a
>>> >> >>> good article about it
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> @ http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/16-11/ff_openmanufacturing).
>>> >> >>> Saidi
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