It's great that Randall is taking an interest in reducing the digital divide, in favor of those who need it most!
Not being an activist or an organizer myself, my main way of supporting the "one laptop per child" program would be to make a small donation to the program, or else to participate in the "give one and get one" program as a part of my own computer system. A lightweight, portable, virtually unbreakable computer could definitely fill a niche--just think of how convenient this would be for working on bumpy bus or subway rides, or for taking notes in class (and for the same price as a Palm with a screen the size of a Postit note). But before I ordered such a laptop, I'd want to know how the child's laptop worked, and what it would be useful in everyday life right now. $400, the price to "give one [laptop to a child] and get one", is not a small sum. So--has anyone out there actually seen or used one of the "one laptop per child" laptops? --Constance Warner Just focused on this thread. Are you saying these laptops wouldn't be so good, nor much of a deal, for someone here, say who otherwise couldn't afford a computer? I ask, because it occurs that this might create an opportunity to kill 2 birds with one stone if individuals or other funding sources (maybe foundations, for example) would be willing to buy 2, one for a poor child in 3rd world country, one for either a poor child or poor adult in this country. I have a particular interest in helping poor, disabled (including mental health disabilities) adults become empowered by getting on the right side of the digital divide. So, for instance, I could approach disability/mental health agencies or government funders related to this to pay for some of the domestic donation costs. I assume the donations would be tax-deductible, so another incentive. A few years ago I researched and found a few programs that donate laptops to poor and/or disabled in this country, but seemed pretty limited. Talked a guy at Dell into passing on a similar idea to higher-ups at Dell, but later he said it didn't go anywhere. Otherwise, I'm not sure much is being done about the digital divide in this country, and suspect it may even be growing wider, as the poor are continuously getting poorer, thanks to things like very flawed inflation measure (CPI) used for adjusting cost of living increases in programs like Social Security and Disability (yes, Bush is not the sole cause of irrational and unfair policies, as many seem to believe). Further, IMO, it will be increasingly important for the poor and poor-disabled (talking tens of millions) to at least have computers and be online, just to function. If, say, you are homeless, but can use a laptop at a wireless cafe, you can look for work, get benefits, just communicate. "Case management" as traditionally practiced could also be transformed, something I'm working on indirectly for now. And much, much, else - limited, as always, only by our imagination (and willingness to maybe cough up a relatively few dollars). Randall ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rev. Stewart Marshall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 9:39 PM Subject: Re: [CGUYS] One laptop per child: give one and get one > No they have upped the price because they are not getting the discount and > they are not creating the volume they had hoped for. > > The one web site I posted last night discussed this. > > The countries he is trying to get behind this want a proven product before > they will commit, and will not commit for the numbers he wanted initially. > > These are not your everyday laptops and they are not made for higher > education purposes. > > They are purposely made for remote, poor, third world countries and such. > Good idea maybe not as well thought out as it should be. > > But a good first start. > > Stewart > > > At 08:17 PM 9/25/2007, you wrote: > >>Or they have made the price infinitely higher in case you pay $400 and >>donate both of them. >> >> >>-- >>John DeCarlo, My Views Are My Own > > Rev. Stewart A. Marshall > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Prince of Peace > Ozark, AL SL 82 > > > ************************************************************************ > * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== > * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== > * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name > * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST > * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L > * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress > * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ************************************************************************ > * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml > * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived > ************************************************************************ > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: > 269.13.30/1025 - Release Date: 9/23/2007 1:53 PM > ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
