Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.960510023534.28640B-100000@hubcap.clemson.edu> Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 02:51:14 -0400 From: Joel Vignon <mailto:jvignon@HUBCAP.CLEMSON.EDU> Subject: Re: Computers to Africa To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
> Direct message to Chris.. I'm sorry about the tone of this message, but
> this guy needs to be straightened out..
>
> At 08:34 AM 5/9/96 EST, you wrote:
> >This same subject was brought up months ago, when some wanna-be
> >development expert believed that we should send old TRS-80 machines
> >to Africa. I said it before, and I will say it again........"When
> >will we stop treating Africa like some backward colonial state full
> >of unintelligent people?"
This message is about TRS-80 machines to Africa, not 386s. In most of the African countries I went, 80x86 are well known and maintained by local people (however I would not send anything less than a 386). TRS-80 machines will just end up as junk, even before the foreign expert who recommended and installed them is gone back. They will end up as junk for the simple reason that when the expert is gone, nobody is able to maintain them and it is to expensive to send them back in a developed country for repair. Exactly like the 20-year old cars that are trashed every day by tons in African countries.
Joel.