Replacements needed Using MIL-STD-80 Notebook Computers
In this example, computers are initially delivered at a rate of approximately 1,750 per month (excluding replacements) until month 60, resulting in a total of 560,000 computers being deployed.
Replacements begin during the first month but increase until they reach a peak at approximately 4 years of age. Replacement computers are then added to those being deployed as the old ones require replacement.
After the 60-month initial deployment period, the rate of replacements decreases to around 150 per month, including replacements for replacements as necessary.
Replacements Needed Using Inexpensive Generic Notebooks
Due to the shorter lifespan of the computers, there is no decline in the number of replacements required after the initial deployment ends (at month 60 with the same initial numbers as above). Instead, the number of replacements needed continues to increase, reaching a point where approximately 54,000 replacements are necessary every month.
As a result, the implementation becomes stuck in a cycle where a significant proportion of all computers must be replaced each month, leading to an unsustainable system.
Replacements Needed under One Laptop Per Child Model
This model has been tried in Africa and elsewhere with “limited success” at best. It uses a similar probability distribution as the Inexpensive Generic Notebook model, but magnifies the problems because of the large number of computers needing replacement each year.
As a result, the amount need simply to keep up with broken machine replacements becomes unaffordable after only a few years and never gets better.
