According to this article on the Investor’s Business Daily about 20% of the homes in America are still without a computer, this is not really that surprising considering how many families are living in and around the poverty level.
As America’s schools and economy continue to advance technologically this will become more and more of an issue for the children that are growing up in these homes. I think this presents an opportunity for Microsoft, Intel, and Dell to band together and offer very low prices or free computers to homes, with children, that cannot afford a PC. This could be done through the school systems, much like the current free lunch programs.
I am not sure about what each of these companies are doing individually in this area, but between the three of them they could cover the majority of the components in each computer and share the costs.
-James
{ 9 comments }
Unfortunatly, if you give someone in poverty a computer they will just turn around and sell it. Hell, they can’t afford the training, software and Inet connection to make it worthwhile. Better to create community computer centers (libraries, etc.) and increase the access + training there.
What portion of that 20% are folks who can afford, but don’t want a computer? They may be technophobic, or want a respite from the screen after looking at one all day, or have alternative access to the info they need (PDA, cell phone, library Internet access, etc.) Don’t assume that poverty is the cause.
What makes you think they "can’t afford the training, etc"? What does it take to get a computer up and running? Most high school kids can do it with their eyes closed. A lot of families only want a computer for internet access. You can get that for free if you don’t mind the slow connection. I doubt very highly that if you’d give someone a computer they’d sell it! They want the same access everyone else has. Besides, do you know that a lot of people give away their old computers to Goodwill and the like? They sell them dirt cheap!
Let say those 20% of American Homes without a computer are really can not afford to buy a decent computer. What about someone (like non profit organization) gives them computer and internet access for a very low price. Something like renting a computer and internet access for a price everybody can afford. Do you think they migt be interested and without selling that free or rental computer to somebody else?
Steve
Mike P,
That is just the kind of thinking that is going to cause this country to be a third world country.How many computers do you think there are in China & India. When you need help with a problem on your computer over 90% of the help comes from countries other than the US. Some of the countries solving our computer problems have poverty levels greater than 50%.
Wake up please.
Wow 20%! I thought it might be alot more than that. i guess i dont understand why if ONLY 20% of homes dont have comuters why arent the kids more educated, have higher grades, go to better colleges, or READ for that matter. Computers revolutionized the world yet there are still those who cant even feed themselves, they still pay bills with paper instead of online, etc. amazing to me really.
Ok. Listen.
Computers are not the problem solvers to education; but the problem creator. Just like advertisiments, our brains have slowly started thinking the way commercials do. We want short answers fast. Take Wikipedia for example. You receive answers in one second. This can lead to the reduction of brain power, research time, and the discoverment of other information other than one sought for.
Read some of Neil Postman. And Pozner’s "Triumph of the Shill". good stuff.
RE: 20% of American Homes are without computers
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