Mac Kecil

I had just read an article in TheStar about some trumpet blowing by our government on some technological matters. As I can never resist a good opportunity to bash the stupidity of our government, especially when it comes to technological matters, I thought I’d give it a go. MIMOS has design two new low-cost computers: a RM500 desktop and a RM1000 laptop, called the MakCik line of computers.

First, the name. They obviously lacked suitable people in marketing. It is so blatantly obvious that MakCik is Mac Kecil (small Mac). However, I doubt that the designs would be anything like a Mac. Each model is then named after our PM and his wife. This is just disgusting. A potential technological product getting the derriere kissing treatment.

Next, the price tag. RM500 for a low end desktop and RM1000 for a low end laptop is not particularly cheap. I’ll give you a breakdown of what is necessary to build a modern desktop at prevailing market rates:

• Motherboard + Processor (1.6GHz) + Video + Audio + Network – RM230
• 512Mb Memory – RM40
• Power Supply + Casing – RM 150
• Keyboard + Mouse – RM20

As you can see, a fully working computer can be assembled for less than RM500 off-the-shelf, today. As for the laptop, RM1000 is terribly expensive. The OLPC laptop only costs US$199 (RM650) to buy one. That’s a whole 35% cheaper than the cheap laptop of RM1000. Maybe MIMOS should have just bought the OLPC in bulk and re-badge them all as MIMOS computers. Or it can even possibly talk to Intel and get it’s classmate PC in bulk prices too.

I had previously admonished some researchers at MIMOS for extremely money wasting and frankly, almost immoral (in terms of technology morality) research. However, I have come to understand that their hands are tied in many ways. MIMOS is our governments’ applied research institute. It has to do whatever the government tells it to do, regardless of the technical merits. However, as our government has plainly shown in the last 6 years, it has no idea on what to do with technology.

Personally, I see a lot of potential for MIMOS, if only it is taken out of the hands of the government. There are some good people working there. But unlike politics, if something is not technically feasible, no amount of hand waving and sweet talking is going to make it work. So, I think that MIMOS should be left alone instead of being ruined by the government.