Special computer developed for rural Ugandan Schools

The Ugandan government, with the help of an American company called Inveneo Inc., has invented a computer to aid rural Uganda.

Uganda's Minister of State for ICT, Alintuma Nsambu, told Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) that since early this year the government has been working with the Americans to develop the computer, the first of its kind on the African continent.

"It is half the size of a bible and powered by a motorcycle-size battery. It has passed the test and ready for deployment," he said.

The computer, referred to as the Inveneo computer, can run for three days without recharging if the user utilizes it for at least eight hours per day.

It has 256 MB of Random Access Memory (RAM) and 40 MB hard disc memory capacity. The tiny computer is Internet-ready with wireless capabilities as well.

Nsambu said that personal computers (PCs) use the same amount of electricity (energy) as six Inveneo computers. The user has a solar panel for recharging the Inveneo computer. Furthermore, the user does not need a CPU or any form of power inverter or converter.

Nsambu said that because of its simplicity and low power consumption, the Inveneo computer is extremely fast. It also has two operating systems: Microsoft and Linux.

Nsambu wants the computer to go to the rural schools of Uganda where there is no electricity. It is affordable and costs about US$300.

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