Brazywrite??

["Tom Robertson" t1r@xxxxxxxx]

In the article below, does anyone see the hint of a future for a
word processor that runs on a share of 16 Mb?
Tom Robertson

Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company
February 12, 2001
Compressed Data: Brazilians Think Basic to Bridge the Digital
Divide
By JENNIFER L. RICH
What do you get when you crack open a personal computer and rip
out most of its innards?

According to computer scientists at the Federal University of
Minas Gerais, you get a chance to connect 170 million Brazilians
to the Internet and bridge the digital divide once and for all.

With a grant from the Brazilian government, researchers at the
university, are ripping away in an effort to develop a personal
computer that will cost consumers about $300.

"Our objective was to build a computer within the standards of
personal computers now on the market that could be produced at
low cost with a basic functionality so that lower-income people
could have access to the World Wide Web and all of the cultural
and educational benefits that it represents," said Roberto
Begonha, head of the university's computer science department.

In a little more than a month, the computer scientists have
developed a prototype that includes a basic processor, a 56K
modem, an Ethernet network card, speakers, a mouse, a 14-inch
monitor and ports for a printer, disk drive and CD-ROM. Instead
of a hard drive, the computer uses a 16-megabyte flash disk,
which was designed to provide inexpensive memory for network
PC's.

The next step is the software.

Over the next three months, the researchers will use the freely
shared Linux software operating system to develop an Internet
browser, e-mail program, text editor and a basic spreadsheet
program.

"The prototype is getting all the attention, but it was actually
just built as a tool to show the functionality of the software,"
Mr. Begonha said.

Although the machine still lacks a manufacturer, the government
has announced plans to use resources from a $500 million program
called the Fund for the Universalization of Communications to
provide the computers to schools, public medical clinics and
police stations. Through a state bank, Caixa Econômica Federal,
the government also plans to offer a two-year line of credit to
low-income buyers for about $10 a month.