Microsoft increases focus on Fone+ cellphone project for the poor
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 8th 2008 7:01PM
posted May 8th 2008 7:01PM
Microsoft has been touting its Fone+ project for a little while now, but it looks like the company is starting to step up its efforts a bit further, with the new head of Microsoft's Unlimited Potential Group, Craig Mundie, reportedly leading the charge to increase the focus on the project aimed at bringing cellphones to the poor. This isn't a case of simply handing out as many barebones handsets as possible, however. Instead, Microsoft wants to use the cellphones (which are described as a "low-to-mid-end smartphone") as an alternative to computers like the OLPC, an idea the company has been tossing around since before the Fone+ project even had a name. To make things a bit more practical, the cellphones would be paired with a dock that hooks up to TV, resulting in a system that Mundie says is "a lot cheaper than having to buy a whole separate computer." Unfortunately, while it is upping its efforts, Microsoft apparently still isn't ready to provide any sort of timeline about when we can expect to see an actual product, and Mundie adds that the company continues to "explore and look at both phone-up models and PC-down models" to make computing more accessible to the poor.[Via Phone Scoop]
Gotta love the logo.
Microsoft releases UP Yours® a ground breaking technology that you'll feel for a very long time. Say it with a smile, Third World! It's UP Yours!
Just when you think that the Apple fanboys cannot reach a new low, they do. So the poor should go out, buy iPhones for $500 and pay $70/month for 2 years just so they can make a phone call?
Where is Apple's version of something like this? Oh, that is right, they don't want the poor to have one of their products, tarnishing their good name.
You people and your hatred of anything that does not have the Apple logo on it is pathetic.
Apple fanboyism has reached a new low indeed.
It seems that no matter what MS does, people love to bash them. They release a good competitor product, people bash it. They release an initiative to help poor people communicate, and people bash it.
Microsoft has donated millions of dollars of software to students worldwide. What has Apple done? As a student, I can download Windows Server anda lot of other software for free.
Of course, Apple fanboys will find a way to bash that too.
Who mentioned Apple? It's a joke, dude. Maybe you need to check your own hatred and short fuse. Chances are this isn't the only thing in your life you read into.
Peace.
Well besides that it's obvious that he's an Apple fanboy, you can see in his comment history that he puts down everything Microsoft and promotes Apple stuff. Nohone is right on.
... Didn't even notice you're the same person, doubly lame.
I thought that the Motorola MOTOFONE F3 was suppose to help in that market...
@Hobbs, a.k.a 'R' (Why do you have two posting handles? Trying to cover your tracks?)
Everything you write has anti-MS hatred behind it, or defending Apple. There was no joke in that, it is just the usual bash Microsoft any way possible.
Besides, I always jokes were supposed to be, you know, funny.
Helping the poor with smart cellphones?? How about providing them with basic handsets with extremely low pay-as-you-go and free incoming calls, and wi-fi VOIP support.
On top of that, cheap OLPC's with free OS's would make a better choice with more potential for helping low-income students, especially if paired with low-cost or free wi-fi.
MS's concept sounds nice, but they are putting too much effort into something that should be much simpler and is feasible now. Once again they promise too much, and will deliver too little, too late.
Ahhhh, I think maybe food, rent, clothing would be better. phones may not be the answer...
A phone is not always used just for calling friends. I know somebody that did one of those "help people find water in Africa" charity things. One of the most useful things they did was to give them a phone. It could not have been a cell phone - no towers, but maybe a satellite phone. The reason it was so useful was because the nearest doctor was a few hundred miles away. You had a choice, wait for somebody to run to the nearest doctor and bring them back, which could be a few days, or call somebody and get immediate help.
What about former Eastern-bloc countries, where food is not so much of a problem but finding access to education is? This would be a great way for people to easily get on the internet for people to learn - you don't need a full computer, but something that plugs into the TV.
Or, quite simply, what about those people that do not have much disposable income, and just want to explore the world they live in. They cannot afford a full computer let alone a plane ticket to go to those places, and this is a tool for them to use.
As for food, shelter, medicine, etc., Bill Gates gives away billions for doing such thing, and is criticized for it. He is just doing it so people will like him. He is just doing it because he wants to sell more Microsoft software, and so on. A few years ago Larry Elison was asked if he was going to give away his money like Bill has. He never answered the question, but he did find a way to criticize Gates because Bill was not giving away money to charities that Larry liked.
It is easy to sit back and yell at others for doing something good, when you yourself do nothing. I help build playgrounds for children, clean up trash off the sides of highways, among other things. But they do not fall into the food, rent, clothing categories, so I guess those works are useless and should not be done.
phones also give people a chance to set up a business, which is BY FAR the best way to move out of poverty, as handouts don't get you any farther.
Wouldn't something like an Asus EeePC be more useful. It's relatively inexpensive, has a larger screen and a keyboard. Microsoft can throw in Windows for free. In my neighborhood people that don't have computers use the local library computers. Is this MS program geared for the U.S. or overseas? There are still plenty of poor people in America.
first we rope the unwashed masses in, then we sell to them...
cell phones were a huge advantage to people coming out of poverty in South Africa. Discussion available on econtalk podcast with Karol Boudreaux. They could advertise a service (cleaning, clothing production, cooking, etc.) and attach a phone number to the advertisement.
This encouraged the division of labor, and the creation of wealth.