[Speakers] Simputer presentation

[Edward Cherlin]

I am the Simputer Evangelist for North America. The Simputer, a 
Linux handheld, is the only computer designed specifically for 
poor people. It supports illiterate users with text-to-speech 
conversion, and reduces cost by allowing users to share it using 
removable storage products.  SmartCards are appropriate for 
small amounts of data, and Flash devices for large quantities. 
Of course, Simputers are also useful in commercial applications, 
and the board is available for use in embedded systems.

I would like to schedule a talk and demonstration of the Simputer 
for a future SVLUG meeting, to explain something of the 
Simputer's capabilities, its target markets and applications, 
how to develop for the Simputer, and current development 
projects and field trials in health, education, languages, 
microbanking, and commercial applications. 

Simputer FAQ

1. What is the Simputer?

2. What features make Simputers suited to use by poor and 
     illiterate people?

3. What are Simputers for?

4. Where can I get a Simputer?

5. What software runs on Simputers?

6. What products for Simputers are in development?

7. Where can I find out more about the Simputer?


1. What is the Simputer?

Although the Simputer (Simple, Inexpensive, Multilingual 
Computer) looks a lot like a PDA, it was designed primarily for 
use by poor and even illiterate people to provide access to 
health, education, information, and other services. As a Linux 
handheld with unequalled connectivity at an unheard-of low 
price, the Simputer turns out to be a platform well-suited to 
Free Software, commercial applications, and embedded systems of 
many kinds. The basic model starts at US$206.00.

The Simputer has the following connections built in.

Infrared (IrDA)
SmartCard reader/writer
USB master
USB slave
Sound I/O
56K modem
Serial port
Compact Flash connector
External power

Simputers can be connected to anything supported by infrared, 
USB, or Compact Flash interfaces, a serial port, or a modem. 
This includes wired and wireless LANs, the Internet, data 
acquisition systems, GPS, Flash storage devices, hard drives, 
CD-ROM and DVD drives, mouse, keyboard, external monitor, wired 
and IrDA printers, and most other computer peripherals and 
communications systems.


2. What features make Simputers suited to use by poor and
     illiterate people?

The Simputer is designed with multilingual capability, including 
Text-to-Speech conversion for several languages of India. Voice 
recognition will be added later, and voice capabilities will be 
expanded to other languages.

A very large pool of no-cost software can be put on the Simputer.

Simputers can be shared using inexpensive SmartCards for private 
storage. This reduces the cost per person greatly.

Simputers use 2 AA batteries for power, or an external 
transformer. Lithium ion AA batteries can be recharged using 
solar or human power in areas where there is no electric supply.


3. What is the Simputer for?

Applications of the Simputer are in development in many areas. 
Applications directed especially at the needs of the poor 
include health, education, government services, microbanking, 
access to information, and general communication. Other 
applications include inventory management, agriculture, 
scientific and government data acquisition, financial services, 
construction, and many more.


4. Where can I get a Simputer?

Simputer development systems are currently available. This 
includes a monochrome Simputer, a color Simputer, the Simputer 
SDK on CD-ROM, and two days' training, all for US$1500.00. The 
Simputer SDK includes all of the tools needed to compile 
applications for the Simputer on any supported Linux system, or 
on Windows.

Simputers are not in retail distribution. Some potential 
development partners are in discussions with Encore 
Technologies, the principal manufacturer, about retail versions. 
FCC approval is being sought in the U.S., and similar efforts 
are under way for other markets.


5. What software runs on Simputers?

The Simputer comes with standard Unix utilities, a hardware 
"control panel" set of utilities, and the following applications 
and demonstrations.

E-mail
Notepad
Address book (seven languages)
Calculator
Web browser
File browser
Unix terminal running sh shell command interpreter
MP3 music player
Image file viewer
IrDA printing utility

Banking demo
Billing demo
Land survey demo
Meter reader demo
SmartCard reader/writer demo
Text-to-Speech demo


There are thousands of Unix/Linux applications that will run on 
Simputers. Many have been compiled for the StrongARM processor 
in the Simputer, and are available for download. Others can be 
cross-compiled from source code on any system running the 
Simputer SDK, and then downloaded to the Simputer.

A Java system and several APL systems are being ported to the 
Simputer. Programming languages currently available for Simputer 
development include C, C++, Perl, Python, and LISP. There are 
Integrated Development Environments supporting all of these 
languages together with GUI development tools and numerous 
libraries. 


6. What products for Simputers are in development?

The Showcase section of simputerland.com has information on a 
number of applications and tools in development by the following 
partner companies.

Africa Digital Bridges
Regional Distributor of Encore's Simputer in Africa and the 
Middle East

Analytix Systems
Mobile solutions, analysis and data-mining

ANT Labs
Wireless and broadband networking

Appear Networks
Wireless solutions for WISPs (wireless internet service 
providers)

Arguz
Supply chain solutions

Deltra Software
Multi-lingual Text-to-Speech

E&I / Digicircle
European Community Market distributor
Developer's network
ERP application

ekgaon technologies
Information Systems
Knowledge Management
E-governance
Rural Networking
Micro-Enterprise Management Systems
Multi-lingual Computing

Eutech Cybernetics
Intelligent building management
Property and facility management
Energy asset management
Network management 
Comprehensive solution for hospitals and networked healthcare 
  organizations
Turnkey contract programming services

F I T
client-server life insurance and pensions products

G4 Software
Scalable enterprise solutions

IBIZ Consulting
Enterprise business solutions

INitiate
IT awareness and literacy in a developing countries

Knowledge Systems
Bluetooth Protocol Stack for Linux

Maringo Tree
Linux consulting
Wireless LANs
Internet Security
GRID/Cluster-based high performance computing
Kernel hardening
Embedded systems

Maruthi-IT.com
Enterprise application suite
Financial management
Trade documentation
Order processing
Procurement
Supply chain management
Customer relationship management

Pyxis Technology Sol
Pyxis Civic Management System

SathSoft
Micro-Banking and Micro-Credit
Land Records
Meter reading
Billing

Spider Systems
ERP Software Implementation
Web-enabled business solutions
Embedded systems development
Database administration support
Sales Force Automation
Training

Web-Dunia
Indian language support


7. Where can I find out more about the Simputer?

The Simputer Trust (originators of the design)
http://www.simputer.org

Encore Technologies (manufacturer)
http://www.simputerland.com
http://www.etssg.com

Picopeta (manufacturer)
http://www.picopeta.com

Sourceforge
http://sourceforge.net/projects/simputer/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dhvani/

Mailing lists
http://groups.yahoo.com
simputer at yahoogroups.com
simpdev at yahoogroups.com

-- 
Edward Cherlin
Simputer Evangelist
Encore Technologies (S) Pte. Ltd.