[ck2]

It's a $7 boot stick, not a PC

Better idea just give people $3 microsd cards with $1 usb adapters.

[egwynn]

That's part of the idea, yes. But I think the big reason they need money is to source the old computers, probably do a bunch of testing to make sure they work well enough, and distribute them to their audience.

EDIT: I'm not saying this is a bulletproof plan, by any means. I just wanted to point out that there's probably a lot more to their cost structure than "flash a bunch of USB keys."

[skriticos2]

I imagine getting there is already a big part of the cost (plane ticket) and getting the equipment there (shipment). It's not like you can FedEx 500 used computers to Kenya for $10. Logistics is a horribly underestimated cost in these kind of discussions. Remember, they can't download a computer!