Categories: ResourcesTech

Why single board computers are expensive?

Like I defined earlier a single board computer, is just a circuit board without anything else. Just like a bare motherboard of a normal computer.
Without extra parts one can not run it. One if it’s advantage over a normal computer motherboard is it’s having inbuilt RAM, a Processor and being portable. Which can actually turnout to be disadvantageous, if one of the inbuilt parts fails, you would have to go back to shops and spend $35 again, if it was a Raspberry PI 3 board. This can be a negative challenge to low income earners from developing parts of the world like Uganda, East Africa.
The needed parts to run a single board computer as a functioning computer are, usually a 5v DC power adaptor, MicroSD memory card usually up to 128GB supported,  a heatsink & cooling fun, a chassis, a keyboard, a mouse, an HDMI cable and display monitor.
Roughly all can cost $100 to $200, depending on where you buy them. And if you’re outside USA, Canada & U.K you may have to add shipping costs.
Let’s pause and ask ourselves a question, would this be affordable in Uganda and many parts of Africa?
Realistically, millions of families struggle to afford a $1 meal everyday, how could they afford $100+ for a gadget? Especially because they are ignorant about it, they will never know it’s relevance and impact potential.
If by chance, they afford, they would have to invest in electricity power, internet and learning.
Inconclusion.
Is a single board computer the solution to uplift & empower young African people? If the answer is no. Then what else? Could there be other ways through which we could get these gadgets, instead of buying them? Would it be possible, for us to run a crowdfund campaign raise some money and start materialising the vision.
The questions are many but for now let’s call it a day as I wait for your input.
Cheers!

David

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