Okay. I guess I opened a big can of worms on my last post. Judging by the amount of responses generated since then.
Basically, I don't see it as cruel or punishing to give people of low-income a Mac that may very well be way out of date. And I am under the knowledge that eventually these retro Macs will be handed down to the next individual when that time comes and continue that cycle. I am hoping that these machines will help teach everyone young and old how to type, to use a computer and to learn more topics through other software. For me, neither I nor my parents had the money to buy a computer, since they were still way too expensive. When the time came that a teacher wanted to get rid of one for free, I gladly accepted it. It may have been outdated, a DOS , Windows 3.x or C64 type machine, but I didn't care; it was a computer, nonetheless.
The software may be decades old, but the content and teaching tools are still valid. Math Blaster still teaches kids numbers and math, Reader Rabbit will still teach someone how to read and HyperCard will put basic programming ideas into the hands of those who want that type of career in life.
I guess I've said all I can for now. I'll leave the rest for you to think over and discuss.
73 de Phreakout. :rambo:
PS: Read "Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts About The Information Superhighway" and "High-Tech Heretic: Why Computers Don't Belong in Schools" by Clifford Stoll. They may appear anti-technology at first, but he did a d-mn good job at pointing out the goods and bad, while saying that it is up to us for making the final decisions that effect our future.
Basically, I don't see it as cruel or punishing to give people of low-income a Mac that may very well be way out of date. And I am under the knowledge that eventually these retro Macs will be handed down to the next individual when that time comes and continue that cycle. I am hoping that these machines will help teach everyone young and old how to type, to use a computer and to learn more topics through other software. For me, neither I nor my parents had the money to buy a computer, since they were still way too expensive. When the time came that a teacher wanted to get rid of one for free, I gladly accepted it. It may have been outdated, a DOS , Windows 3.x or C64 type machine, but I didn't care; it was a computer, nonetheless.
The software may be decades old, but the content and teaching tools are still valid. Math Blaster still teaches kids numbers and math, Reader Rabbit will still teach someone how to read and HyperCard will put basic programming ideas into the hands of those who want that type of career in life.
I guess I've said all I can for now. I'll leave the rest for you to think over and discuss.
73 de Phreakout. :rambo:
PS: Read "Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts About The Information Superhighway" and "High-Tech Heretic: Why Computers Don't Belong in Schools" by Clifford Stoll. They may appear anti-technology at first, but he did a d-mn good job at pointing out the goods and bad, while saying that it is up to us for making the final decisions that effect our future.