InkMedia

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InkMedia Mobile Personal Computer
Current prototype of Ink Media's Mobile PC
Manufacturer OEM
Type Subnotebook
Connectivity 10/100M Ethernet
WLAN/Wifi 802.11b/g
Media 2GB NAND flash memory read only file system (compressed)
Operating system Linux
FOSS
Input Keyboard
Touchpad
Power 110-220 Volt input power supply, 5-8 Hours battery life
CPU VIA C7-M ULV Processor
Memory 512 MB DDR SDRAM
Display 8.0" Diagonal SVGA display (4:3)
1024 X 768 True Color Video Output

The InkMedia mobile computer (Ink MC) is a low cost mobile computer running Linux/FOSS being developed by a Canadian company called InkMedia Inc. The laptop's pricing is said to be under US$300[1] and is being manufactured for the developing and developed world in order to reduce the digital divide. The InkMedia mobile computer's technology and approach to market seems to be differ from other low cost computer initiatives. According to the manufacturer's website, the machine is being developed after experience in India showed the inventor[2] how the traditional PC fared badly with respect to overheating, hard drive failures and virus infections as these factors add to the total cost of ownership (TCO) of computers. The Ink MC claims to be ROM based and so has no hard disk or moving parts. The machine is supposed to draw power more like a mobile phone and claims to run on a 12V car battery or solar power. The manufacturer is presenting the machine as an individual productivity tool and it is designed to bring inclusive access to technology to the following social and economic sectors and segments of society which may prove it to be for use by the masses:

Contents

[edit] Project Background

InkMedia's manufacturer website claims that it is to produce portable, powerful and people driven innovations to bridge the digital divide. The machine's research and prototyping began in 2002, a time period before the concept of other low-cost laptop projects were introduced. The machine is already commissioned by OLDES, an EU co-funded project under the IST Programme costing 3.65 million euro (under 6th FWP Sixth Framework Programme) with a funding of 2.5 million euro.[3] The product's availability is unknown.[4]

[edit] The Inventor

Gerry Morgan [5] is the inventor of InkMedia.

[edit] Specs

The following system hardware specification is available from the manufacturers Website [6]

  • VIA C7-M ULV Processor
  • Supports 1024 X 768 True Color Video Output on external display
  • (RGB and LCD) Plus mpeg 2 hardware decoder
  • 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 1.1 port (for keyboard)
  • 2 SD slots
  • 512 MB Ram
  • 2 GB NAND Flash, containing read only file system (compressed)
  • User storage on SD card
  • 1 Stereo minipin audio out, stereo minipin mic in
  • 1 RGB out for VGA monitor
  • 10/100 Ethernet jack
  • 802.11 b/g WiFi
  • 110-220 Volt input power supply, will accept 12V car battery input and solar power chargers
  • 5-8 Hours of battery life
  • 8.0" Diagonal SVGA display (4:3)
  • Supporting 800 x 600 True Color

[edit] Key Features

The InkMC manufacturer claims to be a lowcost laptop machine that can reduce the Total Cost of Ownership from initial cost, to software licensing and maintenance. From a basic point of view, the machine may ensure that the typical points of failure are removed including issues such as[7]:

  • When there is no hard disk, it may possibly make the machine safe from failure, slow down or picking up viruses.
  • When there are no moving parts, the possibility of overheating is reduced and there is a USB connection between the keyboard and the computer, which is located behind the screen.
  • The machine's keyboard can be detached leaving the computer as a screen reader.
  • The manufacturer also claims that the users of the machine will be provided with the facility to copy files to a USB stick/MP3 player, network or web server.
  • From an independent standpoint, these features can help schools who currently struggle to recover work from a hard disk when the laptop fails.
  • Personal productivity may give the machine and edge to be used as a public computer for example in clusters for flexible use across a school.
  • Making available Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and Open Office may provide the opportunity for covering most of what most people need on a day to day basis through.
  • As the manufacturer claims in its distribution mode, possibly there will be no training overhead because of ease of use and and users are not expected to carry out running repairs."

[edit] EU OLDES Project

The OLDES [8] Project, an EU co-funded project under the IST Programme that plans to offer new technological solutions to improve the quality of life of older people, through the development of a very low cost and easy to use entertainment and health care platform, designed to ease the life of the elderly in their homes is using the InkMedia Italic text machine. As the number of elderly people is increasing significantly and rapidly in all EU countries, creating substantial problems in terms of resources needed for assisting them. OLDES aims to plan and develop a technological, cheap and easy to use platform for tele-assistance and tele-company, thanks to the joint work of 11 EU partners. Their website includes partners like:

  • Project co-ordinator - Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie], l'Energia e l'Ambiente (ENEA)
  • Cup 2000 SPA (IT)
  • Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (IT)
  • The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK)
  • Centre d'Excellence en Technologies de l'Information
  • Ceske Vysoke Uceni Technicke v Praze (CZ)
  • Ink Media Inc (Canada)
  • Agentscape AG (Germany)
  • Bologna Municipality (IT)
  • Azienda Unita Sanitaria Locale di Bologna (IT)
  • Univerzita Karlova v Praze (CZ)

The OLDES platform claims to be tested during 2 pilot projects, one developed in Bologna on a sample of 100 elderly people (10 of them affected by cardio disease) and one developed in Prague on diabetics.

  • Bologna pilot project: work in progress
  • Prague pilot project (download *.doc file, 24 kb)

[edit] Distribution Model

After discussions with the manufacturer, it was revealed that the InkMedia business and distribution model is based upon providing distribution through identifying local channel business partners whom they believe as key to supporting locally evolved sustainable development support. They want the local partner to search for means to add value in ways that are appropriate to their local communities that they serve, for example through providing content or training services and thereby offering employment opportunities to help reduce poverty. This approach seems to be for-profit but is augmented by the establishment of a Gerry Morgan Foundation by its inventor, to function as a charitable foundation. The manufacturer claims to have manufacturing based in Beijing. The manufacturer is also exploring opportunities to expand its manufacturing and/or assembly bases to other regions for further reducing the cost of manufacturing.

[edit] Gerry Morgan Foundation, Canada

Enquiring on Corporate Social Responsibility as other initiatives, the inventor has incorporated a foundation that will receive contribution/portion of income from laptop sales by Ink Media Inc. and re-invest that contributed amount in the form of ICT Aid Programmes and free-of-cost laptops distributed to least developed countries, civil society, healthcare organizations and educational institutions that cannot otherwise afford to buy the laptops due to unavoidable circumstances. Therefore, Gerry Morgan Foundation is dedicated to serve as the Social Sector and Civil Society distribution hand for contributions from the Corporate Social Responsibility wing of Ink Media Inc.

[edit] Participating Countries

The manufacturer claims to have setup distribution channels in the following countries and regions to create local business and employment opportunities:

Similar projects

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ink-Computer
  2. ^ Ink-Computer
  3. ^ ISTweb - IST Projects
  4. ^ Linux-based diskless notebook costs under $300
  5. ^ Ink-Computer
  6. ^ Ink-Computer
  7. ^ village idiot savant: Ink Media computer
  8. ^ OLDES - Old people's e-services at home

[edit] External links

". The Bangkok Post. 31 October 2007.

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