On 30 Dec 98, Suzanne Stephens wrote:
> Exactly. Think of all the people who would be able to learn to use
> computers if only they had them. And if Bill bought all those computers,
> natcherly they'd be Wintel boxes, not Macs, so he'd have even more control
> over what platform kids and families learn to use at home (not that I think
> that's a good thing).
Well, I couldn't let a topic like this pass unremarked-upon :)
I just did some quick calculations: according to the most recent census
data (1996), the U.S. has just under 100,000,000 distinct "households".
(A household is defined as "a single family, one person living alone, two or
more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated
persons who share living arrangements.")
Now, PC hardware prices have been dropping dramatically lately, and I
think it's fair to propose that wholesale prices for complete systems,
loaded up with modem, software and so on, would be around $500.
Well, if we multiply those two figures together, we arrive -- by happy
coincidence -- at a total of $50,000,000,000. Which just happens to be
the (rather horrifying) net worth usually attributed to M. Gates.
So how 'bout it, Billion Dollar Bill? Are you going to put your vast piles of
filthy lucre where your devious mouth is, and spring for a new PC for every
household in America?? Inquiring minds want to know :)
***
Census Data:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/housing.html
-----------
Brent Eades, Almonte, Ontario
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: http://www.almonte.com/
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