Re: Nonsense Re:.....

[Marco Fioretti <m fioretti inwind it>]

On Wed, Jan 30, 2002 16:15:20 at 04:15:20PM -0800, Taylor, ForrestX wrote:

> Yes, of course.  I was using your parable to prove the other point.
> 
> > It was meant to remind that the new PC user of the third world will
> > have simple computer needs, hence you should give him just what would
> > be REALLY useful to him.
> 
> Which may not be a computer.  It really depends on what kind of people that
> you are refering to.

Ah, it's OK then. Of course, whether humans really need a PC to be
happy is an entirely different question. I agree with you on that.

It's just that this time we started specifically and exclusively to
discuss what's the best way to get poor people started on computing
with the lowest possible resources. Again, who knows if they'll thank
us for it in 20 years from now... :-)

> 
> I'm not so sure.  My mother-in-law was very happy with her 486 until she
> started using a much faster computer.  I think we humans are usually happy
> with what we are given until we have something to compare it to.
> 

I agree on that too, but, again, we tried to figure out how to help
the third world to have equal opportunities in business and education
with Free Software and junk hardware. THAT is our (=westerners)
concern and responsibility, as I feel it. If, after they've learned
emacs, mutt and such, they want to 
play Quake, it's THEIR business, not ours anymore.


	Marco Fioretti

-- 
We need to focus on how to be productive, not just active.
        Scott McNealy, chairman, CEO, and cofounders, Sun Microsystems.